Help! Dishing without tools.
08-05-07, 07:53 PM
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Help! Dishing without tools.
I am getting my MTB ready for a tour. Apart from other modifications, I am working on the rear wheel. I replaced the 6-cog freewheel with a 7-cog one and put in fatter tires (2.1inch instead of 1.75inch). Now, the tire is grazing the seat stay because the wheel is not dished. There is no shop I know of here (Chandigarh, India) where the mechanics can dish the wheel - they will only put in some spacers on the axle opposite the freewheel to increase clearance. So, I must dish it myself.
I have no tools for wheel-building apart from a spoke key. I have done some truing of wobbly wheels myself by keeping them on the bike, but never built a full wheel. I am not planning to build one up from scratch myself, but is it possible to dish the current one? I was thinking of very gradually tightening the spokes to one side and making the opposite ones slack. I have another bike with a dished wheel and comparing with that, it appears that the existing spokes have enough thread length for this to work out.
Is this a feasible idea?
Thanks in advance.
I have no tools for wheel-building apart from a spoke key. I have done some truing of wobbly wheels myself by keeping them on the bike, but never built a full wheel. I am not planning to build one up from scratch myself, but is it possible to dish the current one? I was thinking of very gradually tightening the spokes to one side and making the opposite ones slack. I have another bike with a dished wheel and comparing with that, it appears that the existing spokes have enough thread length for this to work out.
Is this a feasible idea?
Thanks in advance.
08-05-07, 09:32 PM
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Alternate method to check dishing and centring:
Install the wheel properly in the dropouts, and check the distance between the wheel and chainstays, as well as distance between the wheel and seatstays. In either case, it should be the same left and right.
Install the wheel properly in the dropouts, and check the distance between the wheel and chainstays, as well as distance between the wheel and seatstays. In either case, it should be the same left and right.
08-05-07, 09:37 PM
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Yes, start at the valve. Tighten the drive side spokes 1/2 turn, loosen the non-drive side 1/2 turn. keep going around one spoke at a time, in order, until you reach the valve again. Check your progress. Repeat as necessary. To double check your dish you can flip/reverse the wheel in the dropouts to see if it is centered.
Last edited by SDG; 08-05-07 at 09:50 PM.
08-06-07, 01:39 AM
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I'm following Mike T.s wheelbuilding page and he suggests inside calipers for measuring dish between rim and stays or blades. I had vernier calipers and they didn't work out the best for me so I am sourcing the inside calipers.
But yeah you loosen one side and tighten the other until you measure a similar distance on each side.
Glad you got it worked out, have a good trip!
But yeah you loosen one side and tighten the other until you measure a similar distance on each side.
Glad you got it worked out, have a good trip!
