Ironman Sprockets

[Fastest1]

These are great sprockets! They are reasonably priced, will handle the power of the 426-450 without hooking the teeth like an aluminum sprocket and carry a 1 year warranty. Cant beat that.

[bates393]

I have read a lot of posts about ironman sprockets and they seem to come highly reccomended. Plus how can you beat a 1 year warranty. Plus the price on the ironman is a lot more reasonable than the sidewinders. This is what I will put on my bike once my stocker wears out.

my .02

[egoallenpoe393]

What would be the best price dealer you get them from aka rockymountain or ?

[bates393]

I searched rockymountain and they don't have them listed. I know you can order off of [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] They sale the sprocket(front/back) and a chain. I am not sure about the chain versus a DID etc but the option is available.

Ironman's site is down right now(at least for me)

Hope that helps.

Jeff

[2fun]

I didn't see any listings for atvs?
I emailed them to see if they are available.

They DO sound like nice sprockets though!
Being a machinist, and having run/worked on dies and punchpresses, I can understand what they are trying to say about the tool steel being used.

[fl426]

I'm a little late to this thread, but I have some info that I hope is useful. You can buy the Ironman sprockets here:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]


Does anyone out at Thundercross in Okeechobee (FL)? If so shoot me an email, maybe meet you out there!

[KTM250rm393]

Welcome to ATM fl426

[Jaybird]

Ironman sprockets last longer because they are very hard and fight the pitch variance that a stretched chain places on the teeth.

No dirtbike made creates enough power to deform a sprocket tooth, be it aluminum or steel. It is not the brute force of your bike that is the problem if you see hooked or pointed sprocket teeth.

The problem that exists with hard steel sprockets, besides being heavy and can rust....is that when your chain does start to grow because of wear, your sprockets don't show this and unless you are checking the growth rate of your chain and change it out, the hard teeth on the sprocket will actually accelerate the wear of the chain.

I guess my point is this....don't be fooled into thinking your aluminum sprockets are junk. If you maintain your chain with proper cleaning, lubing, and adjustment, and keep an eye on it and never run the chain once it gets past 1-2% of it's original length, then you can run any sprocket and be fine. Hard steel sprockets are a only a bandaid for what your actual problem is.

A year??? I have an aluminum rear on a 125sx that has three full seasons of MX, practice, woods riding, and an arenacross on it.
Same chain, same aluminum rear sprocket, no wear on the teeth at all, and the chain measures out with less than 1% growth.
Good chain maint. is the key to sprocket success.

[Shocknut]

The chain manufacturers must just love you Jaybird. I've never seen an aluminum rear sprocket last for a year on anybodys bike. You must sleep with your chain eh?

[DPW]

Originally Posted by Jaybird

No dirtbike made creates enough power to deform a sprocket tooth, be it aluminum or steel. It is not the brute force of your bike that is the problem if you see hooked or pointed sprocket teeth.

I had a '03 YZ450F that would disagree with you and yes I changed both sprockets and the chain at the same time. Aluminum sprockets do not last a year on big MX 4-strokes at least in my experience. I ride MX tracks mostly and have had several YZ4xxFs since '99.

[Shocknut]

DPW,

I must give you some advice. Do NOT ever disagree with Jaybird. It is not a good idea, just trust me there. You don't have to agree with him but just don't disagree with him publicly. Cripes, now somebodys gonna get hit with another wall of water somewhere.

You can dance with him, ride with him, play pool with him whatever, just don't publicly disagree with him, even in a kind manner such as you did.

[ProAMA725]

I agree with DPW. I use to run 125s, and yeah a aluminum sprocket can last a long time. But on a 250 or 450, the power does make a difference in how fast the sprocket goes. If you have a cheap chain it is even worse. But get steel sprocket and a good o ring chain on the 450, and it will last much much much longer. Steel sprockets last longer, and O ring chains don't have the stretch like normal chains do, because there isn't dirt getting into the inside of the rollers, or as much and prominate.

[Jaybird]

I will never argue with you on something I don't know about.
Chains and sprockets I KNOW about. I make my living working with chains and sprockets.
Shocknut, I don't ever recall arguing with you about anything in any of the forums, but I would never get into a debate with you about valve shims or clamp bolt torques.
Why is it you feel you need to try to discredit me on something you obviously are lacking on? I only say that becasue anyone who can't get a year out of an aluminum sprocket is doing something wrong.
I only argue with folks on this point because they are completely wrong on the issue. I've tested it...tried it, and tested again. Not trying to be a smartass, just telling you like it is.
If the majority of folks here are spouting misinformation about shocks, do you not feel it your duty to inform them otherwise? And would you not debate the guy who still rants that he is right, even though you know for a fact he's full of it?

If maintained properly, a quality aluminum sprocket can last almost indefinately. But then, you'd have to know what you were doing, and not simply feel that what you HAVE been doing is the only method out there.

With that said...the power of big bore bikes has nothing to do with the longevity of your chain and sprockets. They can both take anything a big bore dirt bike can throw at them. Again, it's a flawed method that see's results otherwise. I don't care how many bikes a man has owned...if his procedure is flawed on the first bike, chances are it wil be flawed on all the others too. (shrug) Unless he decides that maybe, just maybe, there may be something he can learn.

Others are way too hard headed to listen to anyone...save for maybe the genius' at MXA.

[psycho393]

Took you three months to come up with that responce Jaybird?

[DPW]

The million dollar question how do you get an aluminum sprocket to last a year much less a standard chain?

[pragmatic393]

ADJUSTMENT!

[DPW]

Originally Posted by pragmatic393

ADJUSTMENT!

I keep my chain adjusted right in the middle of the specs. I also check it after each ride. So what else we got?

[pragmatic393]

Your right, not much else to do besides lube and clean. I'm not sure what type of wear you have and I'm definantly not "the expert".

I can't add anything that has not already been said. Sprocket teeth wear/fold because of chain to teeth misalingment. Either the chain has been stretched beyond its limits or its just a flat out bad match (sounds like in your case its not an adjustment problem). Forces are just not there to bend sprocket teeth if all else is well.

[Jaybird]

You are aboslutely correct, pragmatic!

Proper cleaning/adjustment/lubrication is all that is needed.

Many times folks read the direction in the manuals, or get advise from friends on how to adjust their chains, and have one point a bit off.

I saw the other day a state champion motocrosser give advise on another board as to how to properly adjust a chain. The information given was spot on, other than the person neglected to state if the given dimension was to be checked with the bike on the ground, on the stand, shock fully compressed, or what?
Way too easy for folks to think they have the procedure down pat, but in reality they missed a point or two, or perhaps got confused, and have been adjusting their chain incorrectly all along. For years and years in some peoples case.

On lubing properly...I am biased on this area as I sell chain lube. But take this or not...most every conventional chain lube on the market is a bottle, or can, of complete crapola. Some of these waxes and gooey lubes do more harm than good. And simply using them religeously causes chain and sprocket life to be shortened. Like I said, I;m biased, and I wouldn't blame you for thinking I'm simply practicing a marketing ploy..but I'm not.

[therapture]

One thing that will KILL aluminum sprockets is SAND...if you ride a sandy base track like we do at about 75% of the local tracks....it DOES wear the sprockets out faster. Even if you use a non sticky chain lube, just the roost from other bikes and your own front wheel puts sand into the drive train. There is nothing you can do about it. Except replace parts when needed and run the toughest (hardest) sprockets and chain you can.

I use an X-ring chain and Ironman sprockets and get about 3x the life I can out of aluminum. Sure, changing the chain out sooner than most do will increase the sprocket life, but if you spend more cash in a given amount of time replacing chains all the time jsut to make your cheap aluminum sprockets last longer, than you would by just running a set of chain and both sprockets till they are all worn out, then it really is not cost effective is it...