I’m looking at getting some rear beadlocks for next year’s XC season. I was just curious what the difference bet. 9x8 rims and 9x9 rims is. I’ve ridden polaris up till now and have tolerated the 10” rims. So the 9’s are a whole new world. Which rim width would be ideal for XC? I assume 9x8 would have more sidewall flex, but 9x9 would have more sidewall strength and rigidity. What are the differences in ride and handling characteristics if I slap a 20x11x9 tire on one of these rims??

 

9x8 is a much stronger rim, 9x9 is marginal for MX. I run Hiper 9" on a MX Raptor, if they were aluminum beadlocks they'd have to be 8". A little less sidewall flex with 9" but the ride is a little rougher.