ATX Slab vs. Hutchinson Rock Monsters - opinions?

Majik

Majik

Member
Trying to make this purchase ASAP. I keep going back and forth on this item. Here's the 'Pros' I've seen for each of these two wheels: (please feel free to correct me, or attest to my points being what you've seen as well...)

ATX Slab:
- strong, looks good
- very thick beadlock ring, compared to some other conventional beadlocks
- approx 35lbs (? verify plz) - 20lbs lighter than the Hutchinsons
- slightly wider, 9" rim (vs 8.5" for Hutch's) - might be (unnoticeably) better with the 37x13.5 Toyos I'll be running
- a bit less backspacing (could be pro or con)
- Having a locking ring to rub is nicer than tearing up the rim itself (as with the hutchinson's)


Hutchinson RockMonsters:
- DOT legal
- dual beadlock design
- stout / heavy

Prices are similar. A touch more for the Hutchinson's, but at this pricepoint, not a big deal. Both seem to be very, very strong rims.
Opinions or comments?

Also, as a sidenote, what is everyone's experience in their area of the country with beadlocks getting them in trouble with the law or on yearly vehicle inspections? I live in TX, btw.

Thanks as always!!
 
cops really don't know bead lock laws so In my opinion. Friend has been pulled over in his jeep multiple times for traffic violations and they said nothing about the wheels, there is no way they can really tell they are not unless the google it when you are on the side of the road pulled over... Personally I like the look of both but would go with the slabs to save a little money.
 
I've never ran the rock monsters but people tell me they love them and that they are very low maintenance. I love my slabs.
 
I have never run either, but I have definitely heard the RM's have a tendency to leak air. I suspect that the leaking may have to do with improper installation of the O-ring. Also, the back spacing can definitely limit your suspension choices unless you run spacers.

I love the looks of RM's by the way. They are probably my most favorite looking wheels.
 
I have no exp with either the ATX or RM's, however why not have the Spyder lock rim in the mix? Very similar to the ATX, near identical... 9.5" width, 365.00 per rim / 0 shipping cost... ???
 
xflstl said:
I have no exp with either the ATX or RM's, however why not have the Spyder lock rim in the mix? Very similar to the ATX, near identical... 9.5" width, 365.00 per rim / 0 shipping cost... ???
Click to expand...

Hmm. Good thought! OK. Throw them in the mix!
 
Majik said:
Hmm. Good thought! OK. Throw them in the mix!
Click to expand...

Looks like the Spyder lock's are about 10lbs heavier. Slightly wider rim, and look to be about 30$ cheaper per rim with no shipping cost. The locking ring's are basically the same except for the star pattern in the center of the spyder lock version. This star pattern is supposed to help the ring maintain a more equal pressure and less chance of flexing or bending. And again claims to prevent damage to the hub. Drawback it also adds extra metal in and area that can get snagged on thing's.. :)

Again I have no exp with the other rims on your list, but I can say from exp with spyder lock that they have excellent customer service. However they do take a little bit of time to build the rims once ordered, took about 2 weeks before mine were shipped.
 
I've been considering trailready beadlocks as well as slabs. They are a popular choice and made in the USA. They have an optional lifetime warranty too. Worth a look see.
 
I was checking the torque on my slabs today and couldn't help but notice how thick that rock ring is. That alone is worth it for me. Plus I think they are just a nice looking wheel.

However, I also like the look of the rock monsters. But for me, I will avoid having wheels with protuding bolts at all cost.

But either way I'm sure you'll be happy.
 
i was eyeballing ttfhells (russ') new slabs and that ring is so dumb how thick it is! almost 5/8" it seems! and the bolts are thick as well. if i didnt have perfectly good wheels, i would be buying slabs. OR when russ goes to 60s, i will have some slightly/heavily used all black slabs......

andrew -
 
Yeah. I was majorly impressed with the thickness of the rock ring on the slabs. That was part of my reason for considering them.

So most people deny problems with the law on the highway regarding beadlocks. Has anyone ran into problems with inspections?? I'm not unfamiliar with bead locks...I just always in the past had a second set of wheels to swap over for inspections. I'm tired of dealing with that :)
 
paychex.308 said:
i was eyeballing ttfhells (russ') new slabs and that ring is so dumb how thick it is! almost 5/8" it seems! and the bolts are thick as well. if i didnt have perfectly good wheels, i would be buying slabs. OR when russ goes to 60s, i will have some slightly/heavily used all black slabs......

andrew -
Click to expand...

Does anyone know the exact thickness of the ATX ring?? I know spyder lock lists there's as 3/8's, I am thinking they are the same for ATX, but cannot find anything online to confirm that?
 
xflstl said:
Does anyone know the exact thickness of the ATX ring?? I know spyder lock lists there's as 3/8's, I am thinking they are the same for ATX, but cannot find anything online to confirm that?
Click to expand...

i think they r the same just with the inner ring. but the slab ring i saw looked/felt much bigger than that.

andrew -
 
MTG said:
. But for me, I will avoid having wheels with protuding bolts at all cost. .
Click to expand...

This is a good point. It would suck to have to pull broken bolts out after wheeling. It seems those exposed heads could get sheared off easily. It would probably contribute to them backing out or at least needing a re torque more often.
 
Majik said:
Yeah. I was majorly impressed with the thickness of the rock ring on the slabs. That was part of my reason for considering them.

So most people deny problems with the law on the highway regarding beadlocks. Has anyone ran into problems with inspections?? I'm not unfamiliar with bead locks...I just always in the past had a second set of wheels to swap over for inspections. I'm tired of dealing with that :)
Click to expand...

As far as beadlocks being legal, check this website out and lookup your state. http://www.liftlaws.com/ Your profile says Texas, and Texas has no stated laws that relate to wheels. :rock: I guess it doesn't mean you cant get a ticket for it, depends on the cop. I would however think It would be easy to get out of any said ticket, if they have no law pertaining to it.

Another thing to consider, most cops are not DOT certified, they don't know the laws and rules to issue tickets on DOT laws. Depending on what state you are in usually only the State Troopers are certified and even then most state's it's only 50/50 certification to non certified ratio.
 
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xflstl said:
As far as beadlocks being legal, check this website out and lookup your state. http://www.liftlaws.com/ Your profile says Texas, and Texas has no stated laws that relate to wheels. :rock: I guess it doesn't mean you cant get a ticket for it, depends on the cop. I would however think It would be easy to get out of any said ticket, if they have no law pertaining to it.

Another thing to consider, most cops are not DOT certified, they don't know the laws and rules to issue tickets on DOT laws. Depending on what state you are in usually only the State Troopers are certified and even then most state's it's only 50/50 certification to non certified ratio.
Click to expand...

There is actually a specific page dedicated to beadlocks on that webpage. :yup:

http://www.liftlaws.com/are_beadlocks_street_legal.htm
 
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