blown240

I have laced dozens of wheels. I just finished swapping a hub on my buddies bike and have run into an odd problem. As I am drawing the spokes up every 2 spokes is loose.

To clarify, starting at the valve hole the spokes are 2 snug, 2 loose, 2 snug, 2 loose, etc. Its a 3x pattern.

Any idea what could cause this? All the spokes are the same length, the new hub has a slightly larger flange, but even that wouldn't explain the problem.

Could it be that I need to swap the direction of the spokes on 1 side of the wheel?

Thanks!

FBinNY 

This may be the issue, but the usual issue is that one flange was laced one hole out of phase with the other.

Pick a spoke, carefully sight across the hub to find the nearest one headed in the direction. Now if that spoke is 1/2 hole to the left of the other, then it goes one hole to the left in the rim. Likewise if the far spoke is to the right by 1/2 hole, then right one hole in the rim.

Usually the problem can be corrected by reversing the direction of the spokes on one flange, but then you lose the benefit of "mirrored" flanges where all the outside spokes go one way and all inside go the other. So My suggestion (if the flanges are now mirrored) is to remove all the spokes from either flange and put them back one hole over.

blown240

Thanks. I tried what you said and it didn't fix the issue. Then I took a closer look at the hub and I see that the stupid holes are not offset from one side to the other! SO, I get to deal with that!

FBinNY 

What hub is that? Something is very wrong, because all normally drilled hubs have the flanges phased 1/2 hole apart. If the hub is new consider sending it back as defective, but take another look to be sure.

Otherwise, if your sure the hub is wrong, not you, but returning isn't an option, then you have to split the difference as well as possible, and corss your fingers that the nipple threads have enough latitude, to accommodate the hi-lo pattern.

blown240

Thanks so much for your help. The hub is from Choppersus.com Its a rear freewheel/disc hub with 170mm spacing. I took a close look at it, and its just pressed together. I was able to fix it.

Heres what I did. I unlaced the disc side of the hub. Then I put 2 bolts into the disc mount, clamped it in a vise, and gave it some persuasion.

I relaced it, and now its fine. I knew I wasn't crazy!!!


Thanks again for the help!

FBinNY 

This is very bad in a disc hub. It means that the flanges and the pokes attached to them each carry either driving torque or braking torque alone. This increases the stresses on the spokes and shortens the wheel's life.

What's done is done, but I suggest that you take a pass on these hubs next time around.

blown240

I agree!!! I may weld the flanges on but its not my wheel, so I need to make sure he is cool with me ruining the chrome finish!

bikeman732

Funny, I just had a similar problem with old trike hubs that had welded on flanges and no (or little) offset in the opposite side spoke holes . Instead of cutting and re-welding , I ended up using shorter spokes for the ones ending up too long! I Have built many wheels over 30 years time and first time I ran into this.

Kimmo 

There was no emoticon for that.