ricohman

I am building a rear wheel for a second set of wheels but I have run into a problem.
It seems like my spokes have unequal length between the trailing and leading spokes on both sides of the rim.
The trailing spokes seem to have the nipple farther from the rim than the leading spokes. This is when they are all screwed onto the spokes until there are 1 or 2 threads showing.
I relaced this wheel twice and ended up with the same problem.
Am I doing something wrong or should I just start tightening them up?
It seems odd that some will start to tension up long before the others.
The last wheel I built went smoothly but this one is giving me grief.

tradtimbo

I would double check that you laced it correctly, and I might double check that the length of the spokes you're using are the same or at least close to the same. If they are not the same, length of spoke isn't that critical. I've built wheels with spokes of 3 different lengths before. Your first round of tightening the nipples should even out the difference caused by the difference in spoke length.

SweetLou

Yeah, either you have different size spokes or your lacing is wrong. The length from the hub hole to the rim hole is the same no matter what direction you spokes go, otherwise you'd need to make sure your rim was aligned correctly with the hub. You wouldn't want the trailing rim holes connected to the leading hub holes.

I have done this before. I accidentally moved the trailing spokes one hole less than it was suppose to be. If this was the case with you, one of two things will happen, either the spoke will protrude through the nipple or the spoke will barely be in the nipple.

ricohman

Spokes are all the same. I relaced it again and the same thing, but after I bent the spokes where they come outof the hub its a bit better.
I tightened them up and trued/dished this wheel. It looks good.
I have no idea what's up with this rear wheel.

tellyho

I've had this problem when I've missed a cross somewhere.

ricohman

Here are a couple of pics.

mrrabbit 

Oftentimes, low end hubs are drilled a little off. One side will be perfect...as expected, but the other side - instead of holes being exactly between the holes of the other flange - they might be a mm off to one side or the other. (I.e., the opposing flange hole drilling is not exactly offset...)

Basically, one side of the wheel will seems to lace up perfectly, but when lacing up the other side you'll notice a variation of where your nipples up. As you finish lacing the wheel - it'll start to affect the first side as well...

However, this is not a biggy...happens to me all the time. Just do as the others suggested, go ahead and tension and true.

Long as you've sized the spokes correctly - all spokes should at least be able to come up to within a mm of the screwdriver flat when done tensioning. Tensioning will take care of the bulging affect with the outside spokes...

Seriously, nothing to worry about....common with Maillard / Atom / Low-Taiwan, etc....

=8-)

King of Kadence

You lace up the front side trailing & leading, then you start the back side of the wheel with the first spoke on the other side of the hub being directly behind and a half spoke hole away from the keyspoke-spokehole. I think your starting spoke on the backside might be a spokehole away in the wrong direction, skewing the trailing and leading lengths for the spokes on both sides of the hub. kabeesh?

ricohman

Its done.
The key spke and the 10th one on the left side of the rim line up nicely. The key spoke is one away from the valve hole on this rim.
I am going to put this down to the rather low end Shimnao hub. But the other Shimano hubs I've used never had this problem.