I recently built a wheelset using a front disc hub laced to a road rim, specifically a Shimano XT-M756 , 32 DB spokes, laced 3x to a Kinlin XR-300. Everything went fine (or I thought so) and I've been riding it and it has held up very well, no truing needed since the build.

Anyway, I noticed while doing a little cleaning the other day that I laced the spokes incorrectly as far as head in/out. I think when I laced, for some reason I thought the rotor side was laced the same as the drive side for the rear wheel. Well, I see now that is not correct.

How bad is this, and should I re-build it correctly? Spokes were dipped in spoke-prep if that matters. Thanks.

I think my opinion is going to be different from most everyone else here, since most follow the direction of Sheldon Brown and Jobst Brandt on this stuff.... The book that I learned wheel building from taught to lace so that the pulling spokes (trailing on a rear wheel [and the leading spokes on a front disc]) should be laced heads in. The purpose of this is to provide the elbow of those highest torque spokes with proper support coming off of the flange. Lacing the opposite will leave the elbow somewhat exposed in it's exit from the flange.

The counter-argument usually has to do with the amount of "deflection" created by the tightening pulling spokes under torque and the possibility that they'll be pulled outward and contact the rear derailleur cage. It's my belief, though, that this does not typically happen, so this argument in most cases is somewhat moot, and completely so when talking about front wheels where there is nothing for deflection to come in contact with. I would rather have well supported spokes where it matters.

I built my last wheel-set with the pulling spokes heads in and have had no issue whatsoever with derailleur clearance. I should also say that if all of the other methods of proper building are used, including stress relief, eliminating spoke twist, proper and balanced tension etc., the style of lacing (heads in/out on leading/trailing spokes) will make extremely little difference in the final product. Certainly not enough to necessitate a rebuild. Hope this helps.

-Jeremy

At this point if it ain't broke don't fix it.

leave it alone. while spoke head orientation is considered specific based on application by some, i have found over many years that it will make little or no difference in the long run as long as the wheel was built "correctly" otherwise.

As above, but I have built disc wheels contra to what Shimano specs on spoke patterns for disc wheels, and have no issues with them twisting, although I try to follow their specs now

Thanks all. I figured the consensus would be to leave it alone. Just wanted to check though.