Primary Drive Aluminum Sprocket

[matt-itude]

well thats great! it all looks good on paper. If you haven't tried an iron man maybe you just don't know. If engineers got it right all the time space shuttles and the likes wouldn't go boom. So all the ones my friends have used (I haven't wore my stock ones out yet) have lasted very nicely and no hub, chain, bolt, etc failures. So we can all bench race and compare others notes or go with what works already. If you don't like steel thats fine. I personally am biased against sprocket replacement. No hard feelings but the Iron Mans are awesome and wear extremely awesome even with Tsubaki chains. Thats all I know so the rest becomes irrelevant.

 

[Jaybird]

Irrelevant is relative, ain't it matt?

I'm not saying that the Ironman rear won't last. In fact, I contend it will last, and last, and last...
It is so tough that it will most probably last right on through the warranty period that they provide, which is their main concern.

And I'm not saying that the Ironman sprockets are going to definately do damage to your system. What I AM saying is this; the sprockets are made harder than the normal for a quality sprocket. They do not allow for absorbsion of shock load in the way a flame hardened sprocket with a resiliant core does.
The hard sprocket sees a heavy shock load, yet it does not absorb any of it, and as a result the energy (there IS energy that was created from the shock load) is transferred to other components down the line. First off, the chain parts...the pin and bushing in particular.

Yes, with proper adjustment and care of good equipment, a setup with a ring chain and Ironman sprockets will last a good long time. The rings keeping lubricant where it is needed guarantees at least so much life of the chain. The chain run on a sprocket that absorbed some of the shock loading throughout it's life will last a bit longer than the chain that ran on hard, unforgiving sprockets.

They are also so hard, that even when you have a chain that is stretched way past safe limits, it will continue to perform and not show one bit of wear. Even though the chain would have started to deform an alloy sprocket, or a standard steel sprocket for that matter, the hard and unforgiving Ironman risists any sort of deformation...again that energy goes somewhere.
The chain that is stretched is trying to climb the working faces of the teeth, and this is what normally starts to hook the teeth, but the hard sprocket resists wear from this, so as a result your ring chain is on a fast downhill slide and is eating itself away.

And that energy didn't stop at the chain either. Those stresses are felt throughout the drive

Some sprocket makers have the quality and performance of the sprocket in mind, more than the longevity aspect.
Some mfgs want to charge you double and get you past their warranty period, and having you feel that their sprocket is the berries. Which that is fine. I'm simply pointing out some issues. I'm not bagging on your purchase.

The only thing is...I can get just about as much life out of an aluminum rear as you can with the Ironman rear. As long as I keep an eye on my chain and never let it grow past 2% longer than new, I can continue to use my soft sprocket. I can also feel confident that I am not transfering undue stress to my components.
If I make a mistake and get my chain tensioned just a bit too tight, the energy created when I land from a jump will start to very soon wear at my rear sprocket and I can see right away that there is a problem and correct it. If you make the same mistake, you won't have any indicator at all... and the wear on your parts begins.
When you realise there is a problem, you may have really done some damage to chain, bearings, bolts, etc......I may have worn out an inexpensive rear alloy sprocket.

As far as the front sprockets are concerned. There is nothing at all special that Ironman does that other mfgs don't do. Yet they are double the price too. Hmmm....

There are also reports of very poor machine work on the finished product. But I have not seen this, and can only say that has been reported on multiple occasions.

 

[Jaybird]

There are also reports of very poor machine work on the finished product. But I have not seen this, and can only say that has been reported on multiple occasions.

http://dirtrider.net/forums3/showthread.php?t=129456

Gimmick.

 

[RMCoastie]

I just ordered front and rear primary drive sprockets and there gold x-ring chain. I'll let yall know how it goes after a few rides.

 

[matt-itude]

Well written. Sound theory. I have nothing to add but what I previously stated. So as long as we both are happy with what we have and use and can respect each others opinions Iamb good with that. Ride on!

 

[Jaybird]

Right on.

 

[matt-itude]

I do enjoy discussions with people that don't take differences personally. Thank you