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| AST Rock Guard by Advanced Simulation Technology |
Our Jeep, TROUBLEMAKER, is utilized to fulfill a variety of applications from
daily driver activity to outdoor adventures. I recently came across a product
that I now use and wanted to detail my positive experience with AST Rock Guards
for Rock Monster 17” wheels.
While building our Jeep, I made the decision to utilize Rock
Monster beadlock wheels made by Hutchinson Industries. What is unique about Rock
Monster beadlock wheels is their internal dual beadlock design that is also DOT
approved. They provide a street-legal solution to air down tires during
off-road use. As off-road enthusiasts know, this provides improved traction and
safety while driving off-road.
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| Image Courtesy of Hutchison Industries Inc. |
A notable difference with Rock Monster internal double beadlocks
when compared to conventional style external beadlocks (originally designed for
off-road use only) is the Rock Monster wheels lack of an external beadlock ring
bolted to the wheel. Hutchinson wheels are well known for their durability and capability.
Many consider internal double beadlocks to have advantages over conventional
beadlock design.I had some concern regarding potential damage to either
the Hutchinson long or short stud wheel hardware on rugged trails where large rocks
might get into the wheel face area and potentially strike and damage hardware.
That coupled with the inability to easily replace an external ring either for
aesthetic purposes or functionality should that surface of the wheel become
damaged over time.
The nice thing that a conventional external beadlock ring
design, machined for recessed hardware, provides is the ability to reduce or eliminate
sheared mounting bolts caused by exposed hardware striking trail obstacles such
as rocks. As external beadlock rings become worn and damaged over time from
trail abuse they can be replaced. A new ring can be obtained and used on the
original beadlock wheel. Hutchinson Rock Monster Wheels do not have an easily
replaceable external surface (ring) like a conventional beadlock wheel.
Hutchinson does make available replacement hardware
should you damage one of the long or short wheel studs. They also have
replaceable split lock nut hardware. However, when the external surface of the
Rock Monster wheel edge surface becomes badly damaged, they are not replaceable
like an external beadlock ring. If cosmetics are not of concern, then the wheel
can still be utilized until it becomes unserviceable.
The product I am excited to write about addresses my areas
of concern described above. The product is made by Advanced Simulation
Technology (AST) located near Philadelphia Pennsylvania. As a company, AST is
grounded in mechanical engineering. They use both classic as well as emerging
technology approaches in their product development. They can provide 3D
scanning, design, manufacturing, and electronic fabrication all through their
single location.
One of the products they have brought to market is the
AST Rock Guard for the Rock Monster 17” Wheel. The product is described as able
to “protect the wheel’s surface finish from most hazards encountered on the
trail. The rock guard is manufactured from high-impact plastic and is intended
to be a sacrificial wear component that absorbs most rock rash jeepers
experience during trail rides. The rock guard also protects the bead lock studs
from most impacts.”
This product sounded like a great option to help protect
my Hutchinson Rock Monster beadlock wheel surface from damage. I wanted my Jeep
to be able to perform well on the trail, but I also wanted it to look clean and
well-kept around town. In addition, the AST Rock Guard would provide protection
to the hardware (wheel studs and split lock nuts) and valve stem. After several
outings in heavy rocky terrain, the Rock Monster wheels can develop
unattractive rock rash on the wheel flange. Over time, deep abrasions could
compromise the tire bead region and possible cracking of the flange near the
bead rim. This area of the beadlock wheel is not replaceable. Wheel studs and
their protective covers are also susceptible to trail damage.
AST was founded by Chip Potter. I reached out to AST and initially
spoke with Wes Potter. Wes is Chip’s son. Wes gave me a very detailed history
about their business, experience, and background regarding the AST Rock Guard
development. Wes outlined the product’s intended purpose, material durability, performance
expectations, impact testing, and trail testing performance in real world applications.
I told Wes I wanted to purchase a set to test prior to the upcoming 71st Annual
Jeepers Jamboree. I was scheduled to attend the three-day event from July
28-30, 2023.
I later had the opportunity to speak with Chip Potter to
learn more details about the AST Rock Guard and design concept. Chip related
that as a Jeeping enthusiast who liked to run challenging trails and
appreciated what the Hutchinson beadlock wheels offered, he didn't enjoy
beating them up. After only a few days on the trail, the Hutchinson wheels were
ugly to look at, and he had to be careful not to cut himself when cleaning
them. He found himself hand-filing burrs that were created by contact with
rocks. Chip felt they were great wheels for off-roading, but some additional
wheel protection was needed.
Chip also noted that the Rock Guard is 100% US-made. AST
used only US companies to produce the final product. The injection mold tooling
was designed by a small company in Upland, California (Woiken Concepts), the
mold maker is in Dickinson, Texas (West Point Plastics), and the molder is in
South Houston, Texas (A&M Plastics). Each of these small businesses had the
same passion as Chip did for producing the best possible product.
Above is a picture of the tool that is used to mold the
AST Rock Guards. As you can see, a lot is happening to produce a high quality large
plastic part.
The Jeepers Jamboree is an annual trek to Rubicon Springs from Loon Lake via the Rubicon Trail. From there, it is up Cadillac Hill on the Rubicon Trail to Tahoma (near Lake Tahoe). The Rubicon Trail, for those who have never driven it, is a near-constant off-road experience of difficult boulders, rock faces, and ledges. Many of the rocks and boulders on the trail simply can’t be avoided. Even the most experienced wheelers will be impressed with the seemingly never-ending rock gardens and beautiful California High Sierras scenery. 
The AST Rock Guard was designed to be an insert which can be easily attached to the Rock Monster beadlock wheels. Several versions were considered by AST including cast aluminum and performance injected molded plastic. Design concepts were created, and prototypes were trail tested. Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) prototype rock guards were fabricated and tested including prototypes tested during a prior Jeep Jamboree event. The FDM material was ABS/Polycarbonate.
Damage that incurred during various phases of prototype testing was evaluated and the design revised where needed. As shown in the partial guard images above, it was determined that the wrapped lip and inner lip rib structures should be added. The contact plane of the rock guard was also revised to further minimize possible damage to the guards. Also, it was to ensure the long wheel studs were still protected, and to increase overall rigidity. After continued testing, the final design version was adopted and created. The finalized material utilized in the AST Rock Guard is an extremely tough plastic that is not brittle. This (full reverse side guard image shown) is the AST Rock Guard now available to the public. The guard is only available in a black finish and not in red as depicted.
The AST Rock Guards I ordered arrived in plenty of time for me to give them a two-day shake-down on some rugged rocky trail areas to see if they would work for my intended application. My initial impression when unboxing the AST Rock Guards and mounting hardware was positive. The AST Rock Guards are very robust and solid in their construction. The hardware included with the guards is of excellent quality.
The directions provided for the installation of the guard are excellent and very easy to read and understand. The installation process is primarily a direct bolt-on process however a single hole must be drilled into the guard by the purchaser before installation.
The Rock Monster Wheel has six potential configurations when a tire is mounted, and the wheel’s outer rim and inner rim are assembled and bolted together. The valve stem hole must be drilled in the guard based on how the wheel was assembled. The drilling process for the valve stem is extremely easy and well detailed in the instructions.
Small dimples on the back of the rock guard (see above image) indicate locations where the valve stem hole should be drilled based upon the unique valve stem location of your individual wheel. Wherever the valve stem aligns on your wheel that is the dimple you would utilize to drill for the valve stem to pass through the guard. A step drill was included with the set of four AST Rock Guards that I received.
Preparing the wheels to accept the AST Rock Guard is quick and easy as is drilling and installing the guard. The total process took me about seven-ten minutes per wheel/guard.
First, the three plastic stud protectors on the long studs of the Rock Monster Wheels mut be removed, exposing the hex nuts. The plastic nut protectors for the short studs can remain on the wheels.
Next, The AST Rock Guard is aligned over the three long wheel studs to determine where the valve stem hole must be drilled using the step drill. After the location is determined, the AST Rock Guard is flipped over and can be drilled. A dimple is located on the back of the AST Rock Guards for all possible valve stem locations. This makes orienting the drill bit in the proper location fast and easy. I placed my AST Rock Guards on a wooden 2X6 and drilled the holes. The directions are very clear and well-illustrated.
The included white hex-cap spacers (shown yellow in image) are then slipped over the long wheel studs and seated onto the Hutchinson wheel hex nuts. The soft rubber of the spacer conforms to the nut. After the white spacers are installed, a black split cap (shown purple in image) is placed over each spacer. The directions describe the proper orientation of the split cap.
The drilled AST Rock Guard is then slipped over the valve stem and positioned over the 3 long studs. The guard is attached using three washers and three retaining nuts that are included. The nuts tighten down on the long studs. The final installation step is to torque to approximately 20 Ft-Lbs. That is all that is required for installation.
While the AST Rock Guards are not DOT approved for road use, the individual end user will ultimately determine when they will install them to be utilized for protection. Ultimately, they could be installed on the trail, or an end user might install them before they hit the trails and remove them when they arrive home.
The next two days after I installed the AST Rock Guards, I hit the trails and punished them on all the rocks I could encounter. While I was able to scuff the guards, they did not chip, crack, or fracture. The wheels were protected from the hard hits and scrapes that were generated to the AST Rock Guards in the rocky terrain. It was obvious to me that these would be perfect for my upcoming trip on the Rubicon Trail.
I recontacted Chip at AST and told him I was pleased with my initial use and testing of the AST Rock Guard. While the rock guards I tested would be fine to use on the Rubicon trail, I decided I wanted to start with guards that were not scuffed to document how they performed and if they would survive a pass through the Rubicon Trail. I ordered my replacement and prepared the Jeep for the upcoming Jeepers Jamboree event.
After driving to the trailhead of the Rubicon Trail near Loon Lake, I aired down my tires to approximately 8.5 pounds and took a starting picture to memorialize how the AST Rock Guards appeared at the beginning of their journey on the trail. All the guards were a little dusty at this point, but all were in perfect condition and were not scuffed from prior trail damage.
At 8:00 AM we began starting the trail near Loon Lake. We traversed the trail over the next seven hours. We chose not to stop for a lunch break but instead traveled straight through to Rubicon Springs where we would be camping for the Jeepers Jamboree event.
During this first leg of the trail, we encountered countless amounts of rock, boulders, rock ledges, tree roots, and some water crossings. The AST Rock Guards were bounced into boulders and rocks along the trail and were scuffed against boulders, rocks, and tree roots. After setting-up camp I re-checked the torque specs to assure the AST Rock Guards were secure. They were fine and were holding up as promised!
Two days later we were heading out on the Rubicon Trail toward Lake Tahoe. This involved traveling up infamous Cadillac Hill and following the remainder of the Rubicon Trail. This leg of the trail took five hours of constant trail driving. We encountered countless amounts of rock, boulders, rock ledges, tree roots, and some water crossings just as we did on the first leg of the trail. When we exited the trail, we aired our tires up to begin the three-hour drive home.
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End of Trail - Passenger Front
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| End of Trail - Passenger Rear |
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| End of Trail - Driver Rear |
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| End of Trail - Driver Front |
When I arrived home, I took pictures of all four AST Rock Guards to capture their appearance after coming off trail (four pictures shown above).
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| Passenger Front Washed |
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| Passenger Rear Washed |
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| Driver Rear Washed |
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| Driver Front Washed |
I drove to the local car wash and used a high-pressure wand to rinse off the mud to reveal any scuffing or impact areas on the AST Rock Guards (four pictures shown above).
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| Passenger Front Wheel |
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| Passenger Rear Wheel |
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| Driver Rear Wheel |
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| Driver Front Wheel |
Later the next day I removed the AST Rock Guards, lightly washed the wheels, and photographed them to record their condition to compare with the pictures showing impacts and scuffing sustained by the AST Rock Guards (four pictures shown above). I thought this would be a good way to photographically depict how they prevented damage, cosmetic or otherwise, from occurring to the wheels.
I am extremely happy with the AST Rock Guard performance. As can be seen in the above series of guard and wheel images, they obviously protected my wheels from extensive impacts, scuffing, and gouging while on the trail. These guards are still able to be used on trails and are very serviceable in their post trail use condition. The AST Rock Guards are considered sacrificial. Over time they will eventually need to be replaced as they wear down from additional trail damage.
I am also very pleased how the AST Rock Guards protected the short and long Rock Monster wheel stud hardware. They also provided impact protection to the valve stem. Additionally, the AST Rock Guards provided standoff and protection for the wheel lug nuts. As shown in the above image, scuffing can be seen along the inner edge along the center open area of the guard. It appears that I got into a rock(s) that could potentially have contacted my lug nuts without the AST Rock Guard in place.
Chip is working on developing a rim gasket that will fit under the outermost edge of the AST Rock Guard. The gasket will serve as a mechanism to help mitigate the possibility of debris, such as small roots, from entering under the AST Rock Guard and contacting the facing edge of the Rock Monster wheel. This will also reduce possible abrasion in this area that could be caused by mud and sand, or other small granular debris getting behind the AST Rock Guard. This material could be compressed into or rubbed against the facing edge of the Rock Monster wheel by impacts with obstacles.
From my perspective, minor cosmetic blemishes to the facing edge of the Rock Monster wheel from abrasion with mud and sand is far outweighed by the overall level of protection provided from severe scuffing and gouges. Still, it is a great design idea and an accessory item that I will purchase when they become available.
If you want additional information about these guards, visit the
Advanced Simulation Technology website. Select “AST ROCK GUARD” from the banner and select “BUY THE AST ROCK GUARD” to learn more about them or to purchase.
Please note that I have not been given or promised any free products, services, or anything else by AST or Hutchinson Wheels. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions of AST or Hutchinson Wheels or its members.
