Spoke nipples breaking
11-17-16 | 06:41 AM
#1
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From: Rhode Island (sometimes in SE Florida)
Bikes: Several...from old junk to new all-carbon.
Spoke nipples breaking
On a road wheel that he build/laced himself, my brother has recently had a few spokes break. Or rather spoke nipples. All on different spokes. The breakage is happening right at the rim. The spoke head parts from the rest of the nipple/spoke. Actually...the spoke is remaining in tact. That seems like an odd place for the break to be happening. He thinks it's possibly being cause by extreme corrosion there due to the dissimilar metals...brass nipple, aluminum rim, steel spoke. I think it could possibly be a result of over tensioning. He's very meticulous about even tensionion when he builds a wheel. So I'm sure the tensioning is even...but just maybe excessive. The wheels are a couple of years old. Never ridden in wet conditions. Bike is stored indoors. Any ideas what could be the issue?
Dan
Dan
11-17-16 | 06:44 AM
#2
Senior member
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 8,380
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From: Oakville Ontario
On a road wheel that he build/laced himself, my brother has recently had a few spokes break. Or rather spoke nipples. All on different spokes. The breakage is happening right at the rim. The spoke head parts from the rest of the nipple/spoke. Actually...the spoke is remaining in tact. That seems like an odd place for the break to be happening. He thinks it's possibly being cause by extreme corrosion there due to the dissimilar metals...brass nipple, aluminum rim, steel spoke. I think it could possibly be a result of over tensioning. He's very meticulous about even tensionion when he builds a wheel. So I'm sure the tensioning is even...but just maybe excessive. The wheels are a couple of years old. Never ridden in wet conditions. Bike is stored indoors. Any ideas what could be the issue?
Dan
Dan
11-17-16 | 06:50 AM
#4
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Atlantic Beach Florida
I once bought some nipples and they all started breaking from extreme corrosion. Turned out they were Aluminum nipples as opposed to the normal nickel-plated brass nipples.
You can easily tell the difference by the weight, unless you're not paying attention. I now pay attention and make sure no one inadvertently gives me aluminum nipples.
You can easily tell the difference by the weight, unless you're not paying attention. I now pay attention and make sure no one inadvertently gives me aluminum nipples.
11-17-16 | 11:00 AM
#5
Really Old Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Mid Willamette Valley, Orygun
Bikes: 87 RockHopper,2008 Specialized Globe. Both upgraded to 9 speeds. 2019 Giant Explore E+3
The head of the nipple is "the nut".
The barrel of the nipple is an assembly aid. (else you would not be able to get all the "nuts" started)
The spoke end should reach the bottom of the screw driver slot of the nipple.
The barrel of the nipple is an assembly aid. (else you would not be able to get all the "nuts" started)
The spoke end should reach the bottom of the screw driver slot of the nipple.
11-17-16 | 11:59 AM
#6
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From: Sacramento, CA
Bikes: old ones
.
...sometimes you can get enough extra insertion of the spoke by further tensioning them, if the wheels are tensioned pretty low. But otherwise there's no real easy fix for this.
...sometimes you can get enough extra insertion of the spoke by further tensioning them, if the wheels are tensioned pretty low. But otherwise there's no real easy fix for this.
11-17-16 | 01:36 PM
#8
Senior Member
Joined: May 2016
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From: Weschester NY
Bikes: 2013 Specialized S-Works Roubaix, 1980 Colnago, Litespeed Ocoee
I once bought some nipples and they all started breaking from extreme corrosion. Turned out they were Aluminum nipples as opposed to the normal nickel-plated brass nipples.
You can easily tell the difference by the weight, unless you're not paying attention. I now pay attention and make sure no one inadvertently gives me aluminum nipples.
You can easily tell the difference by the weight, unless you're not paying attention. I now pay attention and make sure no one inadvertently gives me aluminum nipples.
11-17-16 | 02:56 PM
#9
glorified 5954
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 736
Likes: 49
From: Zurich, Switzerland
Galvanic Corrosion
Nipple related link
I rebuilt a wheelset a few months ago that was almost unused, yet the nipples were crumbling when I tried truing the wheel. I did a lot of research and have since installed brass nipples. I don't expect the problem to come back.
The voltage difference between brass and stainless is lesser than that of aluminum and stainless, making the two metals when in contact with one another more corrosion resistant.
Nipple related link
I rebuilt a wheelset a few months ago that was almost unused, yet the nipples were crumbling when I tried truing the wheel. I did a lot of research and have since installed brass nipples. I don't expect the problem to come back.
The voltage difference between brass and stainless is lesser than that of aluminum and stainless, making the two metals when in contact with one another more corrosion resistant.
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