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Copperhead fabrication "rock ring" install

M

MaxxXJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Bakersfield CA
Ok so on their site they are actually called rim stiffeners, but everyone knows them as rock rings, anyway I was sick of bending the lip of my wheels and hammering them back, so I came across copperhead fabrication, they are pretty reasonable in price, and the products decent, I could pick it apart on how it didnt come perfect, but for $37 per ring how can I complain?!

When I ordered them, they came pretty raw, they didnt even take the slag off both sides.
21B34141-7E66-4775-9A17-6DB57D464386-6403-0000030769402225_zpscf600346.jpg

I was pretty excited, so I test fit them
9D635793-119D-4D3C-9A90-3A2466E1F138-6403-00000307773E36E4_zps29f4a548.jpg

After about 10 minutes of grinding
1106F8D7-36A5-47F1-906A-08118AD2C60B-6403-000003076BCE0289_zps745e3192.jpg

Time to tack them all into place making sure they are as centered as possible!
87A8662D-1AA0-455E-80B4-7D740B694C65-6403-000003076DAF167A_zps101c0306.jpg

Ones welded, take note the 8462 and 1537 on the wheel I welded it like you would torque lug nuts so if it pulled, it pulled evenly
F6C675E7-59E5-49E1-8314-EDED4E9EDA84-6403-000003076FCD5C87_zps86ca9c2b.jpg

Time for paint! I used caliper paint, I heard its more durable
F29D5025-918A-4D39-9DC6-CA4319D5015C-6403-00000307723CF8F7_zps22d36ef7.jpg

And here's a finished wheel
AF94FDFC-0E43-4E65-B1AB-97EB6F5EBB06-6403-0000030774E2377F_zpsb3cf058e.jpg


Overall it was pretty straight forward and easy, hopefully I can get them mounted and balanced this weekend and have a mounted on the jeep picture
I'm pretty happy with the product, with these wheels you will need to find 35 degree valve stems, it's kind of hard to get to otherwise...
 
You can also weld up the valve stem hole and drill a new one that sits in the middle of the rim and sits straight up.
 
Looks good but it will likely hold a lot of mud in there.
 
I think these look cool but not a fan unless they provide needed armor.

Did you paint the inside? Seems like a dirt and rust trap.

How much do they weigh? Will the tire shops balk at mounting tires on those?

I have never experienced rim damage that would justify installing those

Post a pic with the tires on the jeep!
 
Re: Re: Copperhead fabrication "rock ring" install

88trailcrawler said:
I have never experienced rim damage that would justify installing those
Click to expand...
I have - bent the inside lip in like a taco. I was pissing out air all the way out of the trail (too lazy to take it off and fix it on the trail, did it back at camp)

Some shop used to sell bent rebar you could weld to the inner lip, can't find them anymore though...
 
So, you spend a bunch of time and money making cheap wheels not bend.
Why not buy good wheels that don't bend in the first place?
 
Rock rings installed.(just finished a trail run before the rim install)
B4EC2372-AC14-4D2D-A99D-727734AE4884-8052-000003F3FB98EA68_zps08297655.jpg


Ok, I try and avoid deep mud and most muddy situations at all costs, on almost every trip out I catch a rim and gouge it up. They gained maybe 5lbs a rim. And no I forgot the insides lol I plan on taping off the blue ring with frog tape and givin the inside a nice coat of black.

Downside , I attempted to balance them and their machines do the inside outside deal and outsides were all around 10-12oz needed and insides were 7-10oz. Here's the mystery I can't figure out, I left the shop with zero weights on it because I plan on doing balancing beads and I only have a mild shimmy at 50mph, after like 54mph it goes away, all the way up to at least 70 so far...so I can deal with that until I get the beads in it tomorrow
 
Okay a few questions. 1- what Jes said. 2- what are you doing bending many rims? I raced a 5 car for 4 years at 10 PSI and never bent a quality rim.

Lastly why add all that weight I sprung weight if you are going fast that is.
 
PahlMc said:
Okay a few questions. 1- what Jes said. 2- what are you doing bending many rims? I raced a 5 car for 4 years at 10 PSI and never bent a quality rim.

Lastly why add all that weight I sprung weight if you are going fast that is.
Click to expand...

I don't "race" my jeep, I don't do go fast stuff, however I do crawl on rocks where I might have to straddle 2 surfaces to clear a hole just to get to the next obstacle, sometimes the wheel slips off and you gouge a rim...

Here's a situation where I've bent the rim lip, like in this v-notch, this was the route you had to choose, can't go further passenger or you would be in that hole and your diff would hit, obviously can't go much more driver... So ya straddle the 2 and hope for the best, the rock my passenger front is on put a nice sized dent in my gas tank skid :gee:
F5EE6EAA-DCDA-42DF-8C99-23F251E0048B-4318-00000243FBBBF46A.jpg

Here's a different angle of the same place
3016E461-2397-4CD3-97BD-EF4616D4E3C8-4318-0000024401A21570.jpg

This stuff is where I play, If mud/snow is involved id rather leave the jeep at home


Street lock wheels go for $99 a rim and I'm pretty sure I'm stronger than they are ;) ... Jus sayin
 
Last edited:
But why build something when you can pay more to buy it? I've seen stazworks double beadlock rims get bent hitting a log at speed and they are some of the best quality rims you can buy. I like the look and they are not hard to wash out if you get mud in them.
 
I see a lot of hate going on here...

Comparing a diy rockring'd steel wheel to a top of the line, $500/each forged beadlock is simply retarded.
 
zachandandy said:
But why build something when you can pay more to buy it? .
Click to expand...

Cause then I couldn't tell everyone that I actually built my rig... every guy at the tire shop that saw my wheels asked where did I buy those?! I smiled and explained I built them and showed them the pictures.

My mall crawler just gained like 10 points in cool status. party1:
 
xcm said:
I see a lot of hate going on here...

Comparing a diy rockring'd steel wheel to a top of the line, $500/each forged beadlock is simply retarded.
Click to expand...

Commenting about haters then calling names is retarded. The point of my comparison is telling people to buy better rims that don't bend, when any rim can be bent is pointless. The DIY rock rings are a cheap alternative to making a hard to bend wheel. Nobody said they were in any way better than or even the same as a stazworks wheel. The double beadlock function is totally absent from a rock ringed steel wheel. Far more people run cheap steel wheels, and this is one way to make them stronger, for $38 each.
 
I personally think its better than spending a lot of money on expensive rims. I know i dont have a deep pocket with lots of money.... Those of you that can then do it, more power to you! For less than 100 a rim to do this (less if you have the rims already, you have a decent rim that should hold up to more abuse than a reg rim.
 
I agree it's an easy and cheap solution to your problem, but keep in mind you just increases your rotating mass and un-sprung weight at all 4 corners. Two things you don't want to do for crawling or go fast.
 
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