Classic & Vintage - Disassemble and Rebuild Old Wheels,

Hi,

I got a set of good mechanical condition Ukai rims lacing to Zuzue hubs. I am thinking of completely disassemble then rebuild. It is much easier to clean and polish the separate parts. I am new to C&V. Is it a bad idea? is there a better way to clean dirty old wheels?

Thanks,

If you've got the time go for it. I've done it before and it's a good way to get everything nice and clean and polished. Then once you're done if you put it back together right you'll know that it's true and properly tensioned.

As I have spent the last two weeks on the couch recovering from knee surgery, I have made significant progess in attacking the wheel monster in the barn. Last summer I took all the matched sets, zip tied them together and pitched them in the top. I am no taking apart all of the singles, and have gotten quite a collection of rims and hubs from the deal (and some trash). Anyway. 22 down, about 25 to go. Shooting to have them done by the new year.

If you don't want the spokes, it takes about 5 minutes. If you do, it takes about 15.

Hi Cyberphat -
Go for it.
Tearing them down and rebuilding is the easiest way to clean and polish them up. If they aren't already stainless spokes, do yourself a favor and replace them at the same time.
(BTW - this task is immeasurably easier with a good truing stand vs. doing it using the brake pads as centering guides.)

is there a better way to clean dirty old wheels?

Thanks,



I think its a great idea. Good way to lateraly and radially re-true an otherwise good wheel, not to mention sharpening your wheel building skills. I did the same thing on my son's old Trek.

Merry Christmas all.

I do it all the time and just started a set yesterday for a friend in Manitoba. There is a bit to it to get a proper job but there is no other way to get things really nice without dis-assembly, in my opinion.

I've heard that it's a good idea to keep the spoke in their original orientation if you're going to reuse them, left inner forward leading, left outer after leading, etc. Maybe it doesn't make a difference, maybe it does but it's easy to do.

Good tip I think, Sailorbenjamin. Do the initial de-tensioning pretty carefully. Disassembly is the only way to go, IMO. I did it once with the wheel assembled. Never again. A royal PITA.

Your doomed. I've never come across a wheelset I couldn'y properly clean without dis-assembly.

Sounds like a fun project.

Your doomed. I've never come across a wheelset I couldn'y properly clean without dis-assembly.

Cleaning is one thing, but polishing another.

I've heard that it's a good idea to keep the spoke in their original orientation if you're going to reuse them, left inner forward leading, left outer after leading, etc.

I have heard the same thing, but I have yet go come up with a good technical reason why. I have not had any issues (yet), but I am pretty picky about the spoke I re-use.

I have heard the same thing, but I have yet go come up with a good technical reason why. I have not had any issues (yet), but I am pretty picky about the spoke I re-use.
I can't think of a reason why trailing vs. leading per se should matter, but inner vs. outer matters in the amount of bend it puts at the flange head. Hold an inner and out spoke side by side and the effect is easy to see. But it's easy to keep them straight just by putting them in separate piles as you disassemble the wheel, so you don't have to examine them to see which is which. And for the rear wheel left vs. right might matter if they are different lengths.

FWIW, I agree that taking the wheel apart should be done slowly. De-tension the spokes a little at a time to avoid pulling the rim out of true.

Hi,

Yes, I de-tension all spokes a bit at a time. I also kept track of all the inside and outside spokes.

The reassemble process was a bit of a challenge for me. The original lacing was strange. Drive side pulling spokes were inners but leftside pulling spokes were outters. I kept them as is for fear of introducing unnecessary stress to old spokes. Got the front wheel done. Thanks everyone for your inputs.

Merry Christmas!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65654548@N05/6572581925/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65654548@N05/6572583083/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65654548@N05/6572632309/

Your doomed. I've never come across a wheelset I couldn'y properly clean without dis-assembly.
Come again?? One too many negatives, methinks... ;)

If the wheelset is a keeper, and has been sitting for years and years, it's a good idea.
An older wheelset can really come alive with a good overhaul.

Disassembly wouldn't make much difference in performance, but helps in cleaning/polishing in some tight spots.

Come again?? One too many negatives, methinks... ;)

Any wheel can properly be cleaned without dis-assembly.

I think it depends on what level of investment you can handle. If you're already good with wheels, spokes, and tension, then do it. If you're not good with wheels, it could be a major pain. If you want to get better, then do it.

Obviously, it's easier to clean up everything when it's apart. That said, cutting rags into strips and lacing it through the spokes is easy enough for cleaning. Polishing something to a nice shine can take time, and this process will be much faster if the wheel is apart.

Hi,

Given the state the wheel was in, I don't think I can clean it as well or as quickly without completely disassemble. I did not have to resource to any nasty cleaning chemicals or solvents either. It also served as a wheel building training exercise too. As far as performance goes, it could go either way. It depends on how well it is built as compare to its previous incarnation.

Btw, the rim is welded but non-machining hence the little indentation at the joint, the black spot.

http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee477/cyberphat/Wheels/Ukai_1.jpg
http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee477/cyberphat/Wheels/Ukai_2.jpg
http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee477/cyberphat/Wheels/Ukai_3.jpg

Thanks,

When you disassemble, clean, polish, and re-build, you get new wheel kharma.
Prior potholes, curbs, speedbumps, all are forgiven.

I had a set of 600 tricolor hubss laced to Super Champion Alpines.
They were light, but blah-blah--normal.

Took them apart. New nipples, cleaned the spokes. Overhauled the hubs, polished them.
Cleaned all the brake residue from the rim. Relaced, trued, tensioned. New rim tape.

"ping, ping,ping," all in the same key.

New tubes, new tires, wheelset was basically like new.

No more blah-blah. They sang to me. Light, airy.

I have another set; I'm tempted to have them powdercoated on the non-braking area.

http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee477/cyberphat/Wheels/Ukai_3.jpg



Man those turned out good.

Nice :thumb:

I've heard that it's a good idea to keep the spoke in their original orientation if you're going to reuse them, left inner forward leading, left outer after leading, etc. Maybe it doesn't make a difference, maybe it does but it's easy to do.


Any wheel can properly be cleaned without dis-assembly.
If it isn't broke, don't fix it. Unless you don't mind the risk that it might not go back together quite right.




No more blah-blah. They sang to me. Light, airy.


Unless you think they'll start sing to you :)

I had a wheel so out of true (almost taco-ed) no one would touch it - Took it apart for the hell of it - Then a push here - A bend here - Stretching on the picnic bench - Wedging in a door - A tap here and there - Vice grips - Slowly - Like a straightened out paper clip - I had a wheel again - OK - So put the hub and spokes back loosely and low and behold still straight - So made a dishing tool out of card board and set the wheel true and eventually ended up with a great trued wheel that I am now using - So what do I regret.... Man I should have at least cleaned it up before reassembly...

Great job...