Bicycle Mechanics - wheel building

I built my new back wheel and I'm all pleased with myself. :) It's round, true and properly dished and evenly tensioned (and took some time).

However all the way through the process there was a 'tink tick tinking' noise as I spun it in the jig. I thought it was the spokes stress relieving thought I was over tightening then backing off on each turn of the nipple and stopping to stress relieve frequently enough. I finished the wheel and it still made the noise even though the spokes are quite tight enough. The noies that sounds like it's comming from the rim is actually comming from the hub, an xtr and it sounds like ball bearings in a race. Noise is being transmitted by the spokes and sounding in the rim. I don't feel like opening up the hub for a look. I hope it goes away when the tyre damps it out but has anyone come accross this before? Have I missed something?

It's probably a small aluminum shaving trapped in the rim during the manufacturing process. No fuss.

that was my first thought but if I hold the wheel still and turn the axel I get the noise which at least reassures me it's not the spokes or the rim.

Is it a regular or irregulary time noise? If it occurs when the ONLY thing that is turning is the axle, I would take the axle apart and check for missing bearings, regrease, readjust(see Barnett's) et al. New is not necessarily right.

It's an irregular noise that happens when I turn the axel with everything else still. It sounds like ball bearings and the noise is amplified through the wheel structure. I would not expect to be able to hear it at all if there was grease in there.

I have an equivalent front hub for the front wheel that I haven't begun to build up yet. It makes the same kind of noises, just not as loud. I have never heard a wheel bearing make a noise like this, (it sounds like recirculating ball bearings in the linear guide) like the thing has been put together dry.

You've convinced me - I think I'll do as you suggest and get in there for a look this weekend but I might take it back to the shop before I go voiding warranties.

Must be an XTR thing. Less ball bearings to save weight. :confused: :p

heh

Go ahead and pull the hub apart and at least grease it up. The noise is the balls coming over the top of the cone and falling on the one below. The factory grease is a little on the thin side.