Originally Posted by
ClarkinHawaii
New Mavic Open Pro rims laced to new Ultegra 6800 hubs with 2-1.8-2 spokes.
From what I read from prior posts on this subject, 110 kgf is as high as I should go on the DS. So I meticulously adjust until every DS spoke is right on 110kgf.
You don't want to do that.
Rims aren't perfectly round. Their joints aren't perfectly square. The ferrule at the joint makes it stiffer than the rest of the wheel. You're not going to end up with a wheel that's round, straight, and has all the drive-side spokes at 110kgf.
Park says +/- 20% is acceptable. I can't disagree even though +/- 5-10% is achievable on a relatively straight rim with a possible exception for the joint, no tension meter needed to get there.
With all the DS spokes at a uniform 110 kgf, the NDS spokes range in tension from 13-15 on the Park TM-1. 15 is equivalent to 54kgf, 13 and 14 are so low that the conversion chart doesn't even give a value.
With the wheel properly dished 100-110kgf is enough to keep a wheel like that true.
Get it true. Dish it correctly tightening the non-drive-side spokes.
Along the way and as a final step move tension from tighter spokes to looser spokes to bring them up, with having enough tension in the loosest spokes more important than keeping the others uniform.
On a 32 spoke wheel you have a lot of latitude - given a loose spoke with two tight or normal ones on each side you can tighten it 1.5 turns, loosen its neighbors .5 turns each, and take .25 turns out of the outer spokes. 1.5 = .5 + .5 + .25 + .25. Some inexperienced people don't spread their adjustments out enough so they get a few spokes that are really loose and some really tight.
You can also add tension to the loose spokes, add tension to the opposite drive side spokes, and reduce tension in their neighbors, although with the NDS spokes getting half the turns of the DS spokes that helps less.
If you really need to you can compromise a bit on radial true (you won't notice it due to tire compliance) to get the tension up in slack spots, although brand new Open Pros are round enough that doesn't apply in this case.
Given that I am not willing to use thread lock OR buy any new spokes, should I opt for too-high DS tension or too-low NDS tension?
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Keep the drive side at 110kgf average, make the wheel true, dish it right, and bring up the loose NDS spokes.