I have a 27" 36 spoked vintage aero rim laced to campy record hubs. I dropped the chain in the spokes and ground the 9 outside spokes halfway down. Would I risk damaging the rim if the 9 spokes are taken completey out without detensioning the entire wheel?

If the spokes aren't yet broken, I'd simply realign the wheel and ride until they start to break. It could take weeks, months or even years. Meanwhile you're riding, and who knows what may happen. The only reason to replace those spokes now vs. the future is if you're planning a long tour.

If you do remove that many spokes, that will detension the wheel, and possibly distort the rim, so detension everything by degrees before pulling these spokes. Odds are you'd have anyway to get to a decent starting place to align and evenly tension the wheel.

ok thanks thats pretty much what my LBS that sold me the spokes said, unless (this just popped into my head) I do like two at a time opposite eachother. Or one at a time.

You asked at the shop and got an opinion. You came here and got a similar opinion. You can keep asking, and odds are you'll get more similar opinions.

Let me summarize your options in order of preference.

1 -- do nothing until breaking spokes make it necessary, then go to 2
2 -- detension the wheel, replace spokes, then proceed as you would a new wheel build
3 -- any version of replacing spokes and trying to align afterward. Unless you're experienced aligning wheels, odds are that you'll end up struggling to get good alignment and even tension, and will waste time and effort, with a good chance that you'll end up having to detension to get a starting point. It may not come to that, but the whole process will take longer than if you detensioned in the first place.

So there you have it, and can now proceed to do whatever you think may work.

I agree... mangled spokes don't always go bad. Replace only for cosmetics.

Of course, broken drive side spokes are always the worst to deal with on the road.

I don't think I would completely detension the whole wheel, but perhaps take a couple of turns off of each spoke.

It is rare that I de-tension a whole wheel, but I think I just proceed sequentially around the wheel.,

That's a pretty old wheel. Is it possible to detension the spokes without rounding out at least some of the nipples? You might find yourself adding new problems onto old. I'm thinking I'd leave well enough alone until the first spoke breaks. Then I'd probably cut off all of the spokes and start over from scratch.

Even if he replaces them one at a time?

I've replaced single broken spokes for years without distoring the rim...

No, that answer was to the original question about removing the 9 spokes. One at a time would be OK if each were brought up to close to average tension as he went along.

But that will take time, and when wheels get that much work, less experienced people have trouble reestablishing a tension baseline and even tension. Plus tight wheels can be harder to work on, and the rim moves more. This is why I suggest detensioning the wheel to some sort of lower tension base line, replacing the spokes, bringing them to close to average tension (by sound is fine) then aligning and adding tension as one might on a new build.

It's not that there's only one way, just that some will be easier and faster when all is said and done. But I repeat my suggestion that the best course of action is to do nothing until necessary. Since the spokes will break one at a time (eventually) he can do one at a time replacements as he goes along.

You could probably do it one spoke at a time. One would still have quite a bit of truing to do at the end.

If one takes out all 9 without de-tensioning, it may not be possible to get the nipples back on, but one could cross that hurdle when one comes to it.

Just trying to re-establish dish without over tensioning the replacement spokes may be a problem.

Did the same ting years ago. I had forgotten to reinstall the spoke protector (never leave home without it). I did not that I had grooved the 9 spokes until one broke. I replaced the 9 and still ride the wheel with a new rim because the old one wore out.

Replace the spokes one at a time if you don't want to live with them.

Starting with a true wheel having balanced tension:

Remove one nipple and spoke, replace, install nipple, tension until the wheel is true at that spot at which point it will have the same tension as the spoke it replaced.

Take the opportunity to grease spoke threads and nipple sockets.

Repeat until all 9 are replaced.

Basically I do not have a dishing tool or a bike to even put the rim in, that is why I am trying to avoid doing the whole wheel which I am sure I could do and get it close because I am awesome like that. Also I just realized I sold my truing stand a while back. I am just trying to make it whole so I can sell it, when it comes down to it I can bring it to the shop.

Eh, now that I think about it and its a cool wheelset, I'll have to gain access to some tools and do it right.



27" italian wheelset record hubs vintage aero rims

RIDING a compromised wheel is foolish... who knows when the damaged spoke lets go.. and what situation that puts you in THEN<<<. Nonsense to continue riding...

ONE at a time is simple.. retension each replacement to same tension TONE by plucking sans having the right tool.. a tension meter. If the wheel was decent prior to the mishap you'll be fine. Better yet.. find one of us hobby builders in your area and get it done right.. assuming you don't want to pay shop charges. And frankly most shops do wheel spoke repair less than first rate.

IiDepends on the wheel and type of riding.
On a 36H, short trips around home, I say it's a non-issue.
36H wheels as a rule doesn't get particularly upset by losing one spoke.
Particularly not with with the amount of dish one can expect on a 27" wheel.
The rider will stand a very good chance of finishing the ride with a broken spoke before the next one gives up.

Or.. another breaks.. he looses control and gets killed. Riding a compromised wheel is foolish.... even for those who think they can away with it. Seen this first hand.. not pretty. I know that rider will NEVER do that again.........

If the wheel is still mostly true and you've already bought the spokes, it's easy enough to replace them one at a time. If you don't have replacement spokes, the chances of a catastrophic failure of a 36 spoke wheel are still pretty low, even with damaged spokes.

em