I'm sure there was a post about this not so long back but I can't find it
Anyway I had some wheels built up with Stans Arch Mk3 rims just before I read the comments on them cracking . Like everyone else I thought being light and with the wheels being built to the correct spoke tension I'd be fine . No the back rim already has cracks around the spoke holes , so :-
Do I stick to stans and go for Flows or even Flow EX3 's , I don't really mind the extra weight or are there better options ?
The Arch MK3 look very similar weight, dimension and spec-wise to my Velocity Blunt SS albeit my Blunts have done a few thousand miles without cracking!
How long ago did you buy the rim and from where? I got my rim from CRC and it was replaced under warranty.
I couldn't remember how long the warranty period was so just looked on the Stan's website... The Arch Mk4 is now out hopefully they have cured the cracking issue, but out of stock
The Mk4 has a 3 year warranty, I think my Mk3 was only 2 but could have been 3
Having read various online comments incl here, i have just had my new son Dyno wheel built up with a Kinlin TL29 Fatboy rim. Unfortunately due to having ongoing back problems i haven't been able to test it out yet but the wheel builder was impressed with it
...forgot to say I'm not a fat lad myself being 6'2" and about 83kgs but just wanted to make clear, that I didn't choose it because of a correlation between myself and the Fatboy name
No Tubes rims need lower spoke tensions than several other brands, so maybe whoever built them didn't know that? Unlikely, but you never know.
I'd recommend either DT Swiss as they have plenty of options, including some that are eyeletted.
Or Jon @ justridingalong is an incredible wheel builder and stocks his own alu and carbon rims.
I think it's definitely a fault with them. When I contacted CRC I only had to send a photo of the cracks and they sent out a replacement rim and didn't want the old one back.
As I've bought 4 rims from them I could have done the same again if I was less honest.
I built mine with a spoke tension meter to Stan's figures, only the rear driveside was affected which seems to be the same for all of the failures.
I'd switch brands but if have to rebuild 4 wheels as I have them on 2 bikes and I interchange the dyno wheel.
I'm just building some wheels with DT Swiss XM421 rims. These look to be a decent replacement for Arch MK3's, they're building nicely, I have yet to ride them. I got the rims from Westbrook Cycles, they came with DT's Squorx nipples and washers in the box but I've decided to use old fashioned brass nipples.