Skull Buckets..............also known as helmets

gt1guy

gt1guy

Apparently a racist
Joined
May 19, 2020
Member Number
241
Messages
4,417
Loc
New Iberia, La.
I'm looking to get a set of helmets for my rig. It is not a race car, not looking for racing helmets. Vehicle is a JKU with a pretty extensive cage, including a double "b" pillar. So I have the front "B" directly over my head and the rear "B" just behind it. I have two fists of clearance between the top of my head and the front "B". I also have SFI roll bar padding going anywhere there's a chance of human to metal contact.

That said, we all know **** sometimes happens.

I've been looking at mountain bike helmets, cycling helmets and light weight helmets. Don't want a full face or even a regular open face. I want my ears uncovered. Ventilation is very important

This is pretty close to what I'm looking for.

Capture.JPG



To anyone using a helmet like this, what do you have an how do you like it? Are there better choices out there? I'd spend the coin on carbon fiber if it was light as ****.
 
gt1guy said:
I'm looking to get a set of helmets for my rig. It is not a race car, not looking for racing helmets. Vehicle is a JKU with a pretty extensive cage, including a double "b" pillar. So I have the front "B" directly over my head and the rear "B" just behind it. I have two fists of clearance between the top of my head and the front "B". I also have SFI roll bar padding going anywhere there's a chance of human to metal contact.

That said, we all know **** sometimes happens.

I've been looking at mountain bike helmets, cycling helmets and light weight helmets. Don't want a full face or even a regular open face. I want my ears uncovered. Ventilation is very important

This is pretty close to what I'm looking for.

Capture.JPG



To anyone using a helmet like this, what do you have an how do you like it? Are the better choices out there? I'd spend the coin on carbon fiber if it was light as ****.
Click to expand...
That seems to be the go to for rec wheelers and buggies that I've seen. I don't wear one but have thought about grabbing one.

I wouldn't think something that light would really benefit the from carbon fibers price point. What CF are you looking at? I don't see one offered by Axel.

I've also seen some wearing rappelling headgear.
 
I have an axel and a protec helmet. both a GTG. The axel is definitely more of a bump helmet. It is thinner and lighter. The protec is a skateboard helmet and is thicker and more rigid. Feels more impact rated.
 
I’ve tried on an Axel helmet more than once and can’t get it comfortable. I’m on my second skateboard hemet. They are light and comfy.

I started wearing a hemet after a very hard flop. I was strapped in but 240# against a harness that was obviously not tight enough let my head hit my cage. Amazing how much extra you move with inertia behind it. Rung my bell pretty good.

When I bought my first skateboard hemet the wife walked into the garage to see me smacking my head against my cage. :lmao: Worked good!
 
Last edited:
I'm a Axel helmet guy. The current gen Axel is very adjustable and comfortable. 1st gen Axel's, not so much. Protec, Triple8, etc are good skateboard helmets, I think the hardware/straps on the Axel's hold up better tho.

Nothing looks dumber than a helmet strapped to your roll cage. Wear it 100%, or don't bother buying it. ZERO percent chance you'll "put it on when needed".
 
woody said:
I'm a Axel helmet guy. The current gen Axel is very adjustable and comfortable. 1st gen Axel's, not so much. Protec, Triple8, etc are good skateboard helmets, I think the hardware/straps on the Axel's hold up better tho.

Nothing looks dumber than a helmet strapped to your roll cage. Wear it 100%, or don't bother buying it. ZERO percent chance you'll "put it on when needed".
Click to expand...
I was prepared to buy one at TH but none fit me good.
Agree on wearing all the time. I’m probably 90-95% and only skip it if cruising.
 
woody said:
I'm a Axel helmet guy. The current gen Axel is very adjustable and comfortable. 1st gen Axel's, not so much. Protec, Triple8, etc are good skateboard helmets, I think the hardware/straps on the Axel's hold up better tho.

Nothing looks dumber than a helmet strapped to your roll cage. Wear it 100%, or don't bother buying it. ZERO percent chance you'll "put it on when needed".
Click to expand...
1000% accurate summary there!

I'm 90% sure that Axel now makes a DOT approved helmet for the places that require that.
 
I bought a pair of Axel's just recently. Wife thinks I'm crazy, but.........
No cage and "retractable" harnesses. I don't wanna take any chances
 
I've been wearing the triple 8 skateboard helmets for a few years now. I occasionally swap to a snowboarding helmet when its really cold and I want ear covers.

The best helmet is the one you'll actually wear, I went through 3 or 4 different brands before I found one that fit my head well enough that I could leave it on all day and not be bothered by it. I'd find a local skate shop and try some on. Every head is different.
 
Ok, thank you for the other ideas. Bern,Triple 8, Protect , I have not checked out yet. And I completely forgot about the skater helmets. Got more searching to do.

Not specifically looking for carbon fiber. Just mentioned it to say if there was an option and it was lighter, I wouldn't let the price scare me away. I can also see how CF might not really save much weight in the long run.

Most important part for me is comfort. If I'm honest with myself I'll drive the Jeep more on the street than offroad. Good wheeling for me is a dedicated trip away. That said, I've always loved DD'ing the jeep. And I know I'm not going to yank down the shoulder harnesses every time I head into town, so the helmet becomes more important.

I look like an idiot with or without a helmet so that doesn't worry me.:flipoff2:
 
crazybluerider said:
I've been wearing the triple 8 skateboard helmets for a few years now. I occasionally swap to a snowboarding helmet when its really cold and I want ear covers.

The best helmet is the one you'll actually wear, I went through 3 or 4 different brands before I found one that fit my head well enough that I could leave it on all day and not be bothered by it. I'd find a local skate shop and try some on. Every head is different.
Click to expand...
My biggest problem is finding a place to test fit them. I could easily test drive 15 air boats in a 10 mile radius of my house.:flipoff2:
 
Trials bike helmets are also an option. Can get CF at an affordable cost.

I ended up with a white water helmet similar to the Bern above. Need to wear it more though. I have decent clearance and clunked by head on a tube twice now, lightly but it was an eye opener.
 
Damn, helmets are just as bad of a rabbit hole as just about any other part. Ended up ordering 2 - Bell Sixer MTB helmets. Chosen mainly because they have a ton of vents and didn't look like it sat very high over the head in pictures of people wearing them. Visor is adjustable and removable.

They were $75ea. Obviously there was no test fit involved. Figured I should get lucky because my melon measurement fell right in the center of the range for the large size, so we'll see.

Capture.JPG


In my case the helmet will only have to play middleman between my head and roll bar padding, which is the SFI stuff and still hard as a rock. If I'm not mistaken, that padding isn't made for a head to hit it directly, it's intended for a helmet to impact it.


I hope this thread continues on. To be honest, I don't think I've ever seen any roll bar padding on any cage in any rig on this site, ever. That's pretty ****ing sad. And I'd bet the number of people even wearing a skull bucket is pretty low too.............unfortunately.
 
Zg86 said:
i wear an axel. Got tired of smacking my head on cage and knocking the **** out of myself and figured even my dumbass brain is worth $79.
Click to expand...
The one saying I remember from racing motocross years ago.

Always dress for the crash cause you don't get to pick when it happens.


Cool story time to prove the point.....

Every time I got home from riding or racing, I'd wash the bike. When I finished washing it, I'd run it up and down the street a couple times to get the water of the chain and drag the brakes to heat up the disks so they wouldn't rust. Not hauling ass or being stupid, just doing the last part of washing. Never wore a helmet, didn't think it was necessary.

Well one day after going to the races, I was doing just that and as I was passing a car going the opposite way I riding the front brake a little too hard and the front tire locked up. I saved it, but I came damn close to eating the front bumper of the car I was going by.

I had just finished racing two motos with 39 other guys trying to use me for traction earlier in the day and didn't get a scratch, but I almost ate the front of a car washing my bike. From that day on, I always threw on my helmet.


Roll cages are a great piece of safety gear................................they can also kill you.
 
ridered3 said:
1000% accurate summary there!

I'm 90% sure that Axel now makes a DOT approved helmet for the places that require that.
Click to expand...
Slightly related, I’ve made two separate motorcycle fatalities in the last year (working on ambulance) where dude on sports bike had a helmet strapped to the side.
 
Pick whatever you’re happy with. $10 or $100. Best thing a person can do rec wheelin.

After our group found a guy who nearly perished during trail hero, Wife and I bought helmets that night. I’m good with these. Don’t even notice them.

IMG_0827.jpeg


In regards to roll bar padding, you don’t see it because pool noodles are burn risk and the dense stuff is so hard and thick that it defeats the purpose and moves the point of contact closer. Sufficient clearance and proper restraint is the safest. There’s very little chance you will find any organized racing requiring it.
 
i have the axel helmet also. i even wear the ****er when out of the rig going up and down the trail because i have fallen down and smacked my head before. that sucks. instant headache. so once its on it usually stays on the day. i use actual roll cage padding, not pole noddles. its hard stuff but if you ever hit it there would be some give not like a steel bar.
 
I use an axel helmet as well. The thing I like about it is the open ear area. We have speakers that are external and mic’s on a bent tube (don’t know the name for them) and they work well for that.
 
ridered3 said:
Always throws me for a loop when we are in Kentucky and see a motorcycle rider without a helmet.
Click to expand...
In Oregon adults are not required to wear helmets offroad. I've always found it to be a sort of interesting thing in the dunes that the more built/faster a banshee is the more likely the rider is to not be wearing a helmet. I've crashed hard enough to split a helmet open once, I can't even imagine what would have happened to me if I hadn't been wearing one. I'd likely not be here.

gt1guy said:
Well one day after going to the races, I was doing just that and as I was passing a car going the opposite way I riding the front brake a little too hard and the front tire locked up. I saved it, but I came damn close to eating the front bumper of the car I was going by.
Click to expand...

When I was pretty young, 10 or so, my dad did something similar and layed a bike down in front of our house. He was always adamant about not moving a bike without a helmet when we were in the woods but would frequently dry them off after cleaning without one. Peeled a pretty good portion of skin off his forehead. I was the only person nearby and had to help him up and get him in the house. He ended up fine but it was still a pretty traumatic thing for me.

That was a lesson you don't forget. :laughing: I don't get on a bike or ATV without a helmet I don't care how far or fast I'm moving it.
 
I had picked up a rock crawling helmet that was reasonably comfortable, but was kind of fiddly to put on. Ended up grabbing an Axel and I'm happy with it.

I'm not perfect at wearing it, but I've been getting better over time. I find with my buggy that I'm most likely to donk my head on my b-pillar when I'm bouncing trail to trail, so I try to make sure my helmet stays on even for light stuff.
 
WiscoF100 said:
Pick whatever you’re happy with. $10 or $100. Best thing a person can do rec wheelin.

After our group found a guy who nearly perished during trail hero, Wife and I bought helmets that night. I’m good with these. Don’t even notice them.

IMG_0827.jpeg


In regards to roll bar padding, you don’t see it because pool noodles are burn risk and the dense stuff is so hard and thick that it defeats the purpose and moves the point of contact closer. Sufficient clearance and proper restraint is the safest. There’s very little chance you will find any organized racing requiring it.
Click to expand...

That's the problem, pool noodles are not roll bar padding. Neither is the insulation for water pipes. The stuff is so so soft that it literally does nothing in a impact. It should never be used, ever. And like you said, the **** will lite on fire.

You're missing the big picture of the SFI roll bar padding (the hard stuff). It is a single part of a two part system. It was never designed or intended to be the only protection for cage tubes. It is designed to work in conjunction with a helmet. When your helmet is about to slam into a cage tube, the SFI padding will spread out the impact load imparted into the helmet. Instead of receiving a small point load on the helmet shell, that load gets spread out over a much larger area. That greatly increases the chances of the outer shell retaining it's integrity and the inside padding to do it's thing. The two parts of that system work hand in hand.

The SFI (hard stuff) padding should NOT be used where the soft parts of the body can make contact with cage tube. That includes your arms and legs. There is a softer SFI/FIA approved padding that is for use in those places. It also doesn't burn.

WiscoF100 said:
There’s very little chance you will find any organized racing requiring it.
Click to expand...
That's just not true. Virtually EVERY sanctioning body requires it.

I've read through many a rule books for road racing (SCCA, NASA, NASCAR, ect) and every single one requires it. In every class that requires a roll bar, SFI padding is also required. Hate to say it but most of what I've seen from offroad rule books has been pretty much of a joke. That could very well be so more people can race and that's cool, but their rule books suck.
 
WiscoF100 said:
Pick whatever you’re happy with. $10 or $100. Best thing a person can do rec wheelin.

After our group found a guy who nearly perished during trail hero, Wife and I bought helmets that night. I’m good with these. Don’t even notice them.

IMG_0827.jpeg
Click to expand...
Forgot to ask what I originally wanted to ask:flipoff2:

What model helmet is that?

I just bought a pair of the Bell Sixer's
 
axel helmet here. its fine but i honestly don't like it. the back tightening band seems to have a mind of its own. bought one for wifey and she would rather wear her horse riding helmet than that.

this a good thread as I'm planning on trying something different this year and these will go in the "you gotta wear this if you didn't bring anything" pile...
 
I have a bell sixer for bicycle riding, zero complaints, had it for 6ish years and it's in great condition. One thing to note, mountain bike helmets have a paper thin plastic shell, that will dent/rip with minor taps. The structure/safety is all in the hard foam shell that will dent/break to absorb energy and save your life. They're one use things.

As I recall a skateboard helmet, at least a traditional pro-tec, has a thicker/harder plastic shell that will hold up to banging around in a rock crawler better. I have zero experience, and haven't touched a skate helmet for decades, but that's my recollection and I think it's worth discussing.

Edit: looked at the pro-tec website, I think all "certified" helmets are single hit hard foam style now a days.

The Bucky Lasek pro model is what I remember from my child hood, rugged plastic shell, two stage soft foam padding.
protecbrand.com

Bucky Lasek - Solid Black

Bucky Solid Black Every piece of your equipment matters, and confidence in your helmet is key, which is why Bucky chooses Pro-Tec.
protecbrand.com protecbrand.com

I'm not sure what would be better in a recreational rock crawler, just adding this to hopefully inspire further discussion.
 
Last edited:
chaplinfj60 said:
i have the axel helmet also. i even wear the ****er when out of the rig going up and down the trail because i have fallen down and smacked my head before. that sucks. instant headache. so once its on it usually stays on the day. i use actual roll cage padding, not pole noddles. its hard stuff but if you ever hit it there would be some give not like a steel bar.
Click to expand...
When I raced EMC at KOH years ago, my Axel was in the rig....off came the the pumper and on went the Axel so I could run down Sledge and help build a highway for the cars to get down. Got pegged by two rocks that day from some throttle jockey, very glad I had it on.
 
Jeffh555 said:
As I recall a skateboard helmet, at least a traditional pro-tec, has a thicker/harder plastic shell that will hold up to banging around in a rock crawler better. I have zero experience, and haven't touched a skate helmet for decades, but that's my recollection and I think it's worth discussing.
Click to expand...
Every helmet discussed here is better than not having one at all...but clearly the latest offerings are increasing safety.

The key is finding one comfortable enough that you'll actually wear it, AND getting over the fact the zero% of your wheeling buddies will have their own....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Back Refresh