Wheel truing help
#1
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Wheel truing help
I'm attempting to teach myself to true wheels. I successfully trued the front, but I made a complete mess out of the rear. I'm thinking of backing the tension off all the spokes and starting over. Would this be a good idea. Can i mess up the dish doing this.
Thanks
Thanks
#2
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Any adjustment can mess up the dish if it's not done right. I would start by plucking the spokes and listening to the pitch, then loosening the tightest ones (or tightening the loosest ones if the spokes are generally too loose). See if that brings it closer to true. Assuming the rim isn't bent, the spoke tension should be fairly even around the wheel and the pitch of each spoke should be in the same ballpark, probably not exactly the same but close. Obviously, the drive side will be of higher pitch than the non-drive side because of greater tension and shorter spokes. Do not try to make both sides the same. Once the pitch is in more or less the same range all the way around on either side, then start checking visually to see where the extremes are and adjust accordingly. Keep doing that until the extremes aren't extreme anymore and then fine tune. I'm sure others with more experience will have suggestions to add, but that's what I do and it takes a while but it works.
Also, releasing the tension all the way around won't fix the problem, it will just make it out of true and loose. It's all about balancing tension, so if you release the tension there is nothing there to balance.
Also, releasing the tension all the way around won't fix the problem, it will just make it out of true and loose. It's all about balancing tension, so if you release the tension there is nothing there to balance.
Last edited by Sprint75; 11-11-10 at 12:42 AM.
#3
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Aaron
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Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
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Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
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If you completely untension the wheel, yes, you'll screw the dish (for the most part, except the amount of dish provided by longer NDS spokes) and you'll essentially be wheel building. Lacing will be the only thing left
It would help to know if you have a truing stand and which one.
It would help to know if you have a truing stand and which one.
#5
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I do have a truing stand, a broken spoke, and a little frustration. It's a spin doctor, i have reference point to the center. I rather not become a wheel builder today.
Last edited by brian3069; 11-11-10 at 09:04 AM.
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Yes, you can mess up the dish by doing this, not to mention other potential problems. Even so, I don't see any alternative to backing off the tension on all the spokes. Don't go too far. At some point you will have to check the dish, and correct it if necessary.
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If the rim is FAR out of true the only reasonable way to fix it is to detension the spokes and retrue. If you have a center reference point on the stand dishing the wheel is really no different than lateral truing...you're just truing to a center point rather than against the rim itself, if that makes sense. To try to minimize the amount of effect on the dish detension slowly, half turn per spoke and keep going around the wheel until it starts to loosen. If the dish ends up being far off I don't kow that you can do it right without loosening the wheel all the way. I'm afraid that with a little ternsion left in it you'd end up with too much tension before the dish came back for you.
Also, we're not talking about a bent rim at all here are we?
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BTW, I tend to do my final dish adjustments in the frame its going into, assuming I've already aligned the dropouts.
As you work on the wheel, occasionally squeeze parallel spoke pairs together all around the wheel. Occasionally take the wheel out of the stand, set it upright on the floor and lean all you weight on the rim, rotating over and over all around. Both these actions will help set the spokes and relieve windup. As you get close to perfectly trued and tensioned, the amount you're turning the spoke wrench should be really minute.
Truing a wheel is a slow, methodical process. It should be gentle and uniform throughout, as you bring the wheel up to tension and true. Actually, very Zen like I think.
I have another to build today...
#9
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After loosening the spokes, bringing the tension up and truing the wheel went smooth. The tension on each side seems reasonable consistent, I'm cautiously optimistic. The wheel's going on a flip, i would hate for a wheel to self destruct on a bike that I sold. I'm thinking about mounting the wheel on my bike and riding a few miles to see how it holds up. If it has flaws how long will it take for them it show up. Would it be better to have the wheel inspected at a bike shop before riding.
Thanks
Thanks
#10
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I think if it's true and the dish is right and the tension is consistent, your test ride will be pretty much what you need. Check it again after some miles and see what's up.
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