Originally Posted by
BoSoxYacht
the fact that you've never had them trued may have contributed to the cause of the cracked rim. Loose spokes will allow things to flex, and flex causes fatigue. I've never seen a rim crack due to loose spokes, but that doesn't mean it can't happen.
The wheel was never trued because it has remained true. The wheel spins without any play left or right and all the spokes feel tight (yep, very scientific). Unless I'm missing something, why mess with it if it's is still trued? I admittedly probably don't know nearly as much as you about wheelbuilding/truing, but I would only try adjusting spoke tension if it became out of true, as I usually do. I don't have a tension meter, so I would probably screw it up more by messing with it as I would be trying to improve a wheel that is already performing subjectively perfectly.
The LBS mechanic said the rim cracked because it was under too much tension. I'm sure it didn't help that I'm too heavy for a 20 spoke wheel.
Originally Posted by
BoSoxYacht
Rear wheels cost about $400, and MSRP is probably a bit higher than that. Buying wheel parts usually cost more than a built wheel, but the OP only needs a rim and labor. $150 sounds like a pretty good deal to me, but YMMV.
Wow, after a quick google search, you're right, $400. But with sales, I bet I could find something approaching $350 at most.
I was quoted $250 for swapping a rim. I think $150 is pushing the low limit, so the same should be done for a new rear. Also, would repairing the existing wheel come with a 2-year warranty? The hub is past it's warranty period; I'm not sure how that translates to buying a new rim. Without warranty for a repaired wheel, now you can dip into used wheels, making the prices pretty comparable.