Nipple Washers
 

I have researched this subject pretty thoroughly but find no definitive answer. Please help.

I'm going to build my first wheels for use on my son's 1984 Fuji Opus III. The original rims are Ambrosio 19 Elite Extra double wall clinchers and have low, low miles. Yet, over the years, they have developed cracks in multiple radial locations at the 90 degree bend of the wall.

Replacement rim will be mid/late 1980's era red label Araya double wall clincher which has NO, repeat NO, eyelets (rivets) installed in the spoke openings. The holes are naked.

Do I need nipple washers for reinforcement strength or to ease metal-to-metal contact? Where can I buy them (or suitable substitute)? The secondary opening is 6.5-7.0 mm with the nipple opening being 4.0 cm.

Sounds painful...

I don't have an answer for you but you sure know how to word a thread to get someone to pull it up!

That is a very good question, and I'm wondering the same thing. I'm about to build up an Araya tubular rim (the exact model escapes me off hand), and it has no eyelets. I'm going to be using it almost exclusively on a track (not exactly a velodrome, but not on the street), so I'm not overly concerned, but I'd rather not have the rim crack on me.

I'd use nipple washers. The washers are there to let the nipple turn without grinding away the aluminum rim. Makes for much smoother truing at higher tensions. As a bonus, if you use aluminum nipples, you won't grind away the nipple either.

Most shops will either have them or be able to get them. I think DT makes them.

The (brass) eyelets on eyelet'ed (sp?) rims serve the same purpose.

cdr

As said above^^^It's always a good idea to use washers on older non-eyelet wheels. Eyelet wheels were developed to eliminate the need for washers.

Thats what she said?

Use washers. I probably have some extras -- how many do you need?

You should ask Farmer Fran . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMJjj...eature=related

Yeow.

I thought about the "prurient" possibilities of the phrase as I posted. And decided against it.

I actually found some items on a Swedish site. Imagine, Swedish nipple washers.

Sounds like a psuedo-swear I'd use when my nephew was around and was censoring myself.

Easy, big feller! LOL.

Any other ideas about sourcing? I've tried multiple LBS and have dug deep on the internet; DT, Sapim, Wheelsmith, etc., all the usual suspects. Closest I could get is a catalog listing with notation, "out of stock".

I readily found some spoke washers. Not the same thing as my need.

You can go to a car parts store and get spring washers. Not sure what size, but either measure your rim or bring it with you and find the largest size that will fit. You might need two washers per hole since they are thin.

I've got a bunch of those Araya rims, in both 27x1 and 700c, and maybe I'm confused because of eyelets/washers. Am I correct in thinking (always a problem) that the eyelets are built into the rim and the washers are outside the rim under the spoke flange?