Old 11-02-06, 08:05 AM
  #9  
TallRider
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Originally Posted by BikeWise1
LOL. Since when has being ignorant stopped a flamer around here?

The Arayas will be fine without washers. I have yet to see one fail by having a nipple pull through. Just don't crank 'em up to more than about 90-95 kg/f. Those things have plenty of meat in the spine....
You're right that ignorance doesn't stop flaming, but I guess it's got to be a subject that people have some knowledge of, or at least feel some investment in. My guess is that most people look at "washers between spoke nipple and rim bed" and get a big "whatever" in their head, as it's such a scarce topic.

Glad to hear that I can go ahead and build the wheels up without washers. It's a bit cleaner that way.
Do you agree with Dan that there's no tested-engineering benefit to nipple washers?


Incidentally, Jobst Brandt does refer to "rims that use washers" on page 54 of The Bicycle Wheel. He presumes that rims without eyelets will use washers in the wheelbuild, as a default course of action, to spread out the forces but also to prevent the spoke nipple from galling the aluminum rim.

The walls of lightweight aluminum rims are too thin to support concentrated from spoke nipples directly. Steel eyelets are crimped into the spoke holes of aluminum rims to reinforce them and to prevent nipples from galling the rim when they are tightened. Good hollow cross section rims have steel sockets, held in place by crimped eyelets that distribute spoke loads to both the inner and outer bed of the rim. This method of spoke support permits thinner walls and lighter rims. Rims without sockets to distribute loads to both walls often crack around their spoke holes with use.

Steel washers can be used instead of sockets, but these are uncommon because even thick ones are relatively low in bending strength compared to a deep socket. Therefore, washers must be nearly as heavy as sockets to carry the same load. Since only one wall of the rim supports the washers, this wall must be thick enough to give the same strength as a thin wall of a socketed rim. Rims that use washers are only lighter than rims with sockets when weighed without their washers.

Last edited by TallRider; 11-02-06 at 08:10 AM.
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