Originally Posted by
SortaGrey
.
"the best way to compensate for the unequal tension dished wheels need is to reduce the cross section of left side spokes. That allows you to equalize the stress of the left and right side spokes, while maintaining unequal tension" writes FB.
Apologies for my being slow to understand.. you mean minimizing the dish angle with all the spacing you can use NDS?
I like the idea of using an XT disc rear hub to equalize tensions.... I'll have to look at those figures.
Using different spoke gauges does nothing to change dish, it's a way of adapting to the problem of unequal tension dish imposes. the amount of dish is controlled by the hub flange asymmetry, and the rim asymmetry (if any) since the rim needs to be centered between the axle faces.
The right flange distance from center is as far as possible leaving room for the cassette. Moving the left flange in helps reduce dish, but experience shows that going far enough to have symmetry reduces the side strength of the wheel so there's a bit of a balancing act between symmetry and side strength.
Once you realize that there will be dish and therefore unequal spoke tension, the question is what are the problems that unequal tension creates. The main one is that you often face a choice of excess tension on the right or inadequate tension on the left, or some kind of compromise between them. On the left side the inadequate tension means that the spokes aren't stretched enough to stay within the elastic range as the wheel flexes. A thinner spoke will be stretched more than a thicker one at the same tension, so by using lighter spokes on the left you can avoid the undertension common on left spokes of highly dished wheels.
BTW- I agree with John T. - you should stick with the basics with your first builds. It's best to learn to crawl before you try walking or worse yet running. As you build skill and confidence, you can experiment knowledgeably in the future.