D.I.D. Rims

[Ji Gantor]

Hi Wheel Masters,

I have just purchased a Yamaha YZ125 H 1981 model.
While giving it the spanner over I discovered that the front D.I.D. rim had cracked at the join and a previous owner had it welded up. I purchased 2 more used D.I.D. rims and found that they to were cracked at the join.

Are the D.I.D. rims prone to parting?

I have to replace the front rim so I am thinking Excel A60 as they seem to be the best on the market.

I am not keen to race a bike that has a dodgee front rim.

Thanks Ji

[E74]

They all seem to do it, it would be a very rare thing to find one without a hairline crack through the join, they were all like this on the yammies pre '82, I am a big fan of sun rims, they come from the manufacturer drilled exactly to suit your aplication,

http://www.buchananspokes.net/

[Ji Gantor]

Hi E74,
I have attached an image of the D.I.D rim.
Is there a Sun rim dealer in Australia?

Thanks Ji

[Ji Gantor]

Image number 2

Ji

[Ji Gantor]

Image number 3

Ji

[Nathan S]

You'll be doing well to find a DID without cracks. The earleri ones crack everywhere (not just the join) so consider yourself lucky.

[PJR]

I just went out to the shed to check my DID rims and found that some of them were indeed cracked. Funnily, the earliest ones I have, on my YZ400b are perfect.

[Ji Gantor]

I just finished a conversation with a rim expert and he informs me that D.I.D. rims are hollow. This wafer design saves weight but also allows the rims bead to vibrate during use. This vibration or oscillation over time produces fatigue in the aluminium and hay presto your rim cracks.

The Sun and Excel rims are the strongest rims available. The strongest is the Excel A60 but they only come in the colour black. So I will be lacing the Excel double lable on the front wheel they come in gold and will match my existing gold D.I.D rear rim.

Ji

[Ji Gantor]

I asked the rim guy if they could be welded back up, he said yes but there is no warranty and the rim can not be anodised afterwards because the heat procees may induce another crack. The welding costs $100.00. I would not waste time having them welded back up, I just asked the question out of interest.

Ji

[jimg1au]

i have a cr250m 1973 front wheel it has 23 cracks in it useless

[LWC82PE]

i have a nos 72 XL 250 DID with no cracks and several suzuki Takasagos with several cracks. the front takasagos are just as bad. first thing you do is check where the sticker is as they place this on the join and there always seems to be cracks at the join

[Ji Gantor]

When I restored my Maico last year all the rim guys I spoke to told me that the new rims were a mile stronger than the original Akront rims on my bike. They all went as far to say that the Akronts were as soft as butter.

Well, those Akront rims are now 33 years old and still being raced. At Conondale 2008 the bike landed on the down side of  "Drunks Jump" which I measured to be a horizontal distance of 12 metres. I doubt that the Yamaha YZ D.I.D rims would have survived.

If anyone has punished the new SM Pro's or the Excel rims please let us know how they have pulled up.

[vandy010]

been running a 19" SM-Pro on the back of my CR250 modern for about 2yrs with zero problems.
i like em!

[Ji Gantor]

Attached are before and after images of my Maico Akront rear rim.

[Ji Gantor]

Hi