Straightening a spoked wheel
- Thread starter ELT
- Start date
I made this stand out of spare parts and set it up to use a Tecumseh timing tool. You can use anything, as long as you have a way to support the wheel, and a way to accurately measure runout. You can also use a sharpy marker pen held on to a vice with tape, etc.
There are numerous on line tutorials on the subject, and once you grasp the basics, you'll be surprised at how true you can get your wheels.
There are numerous on line tutorials on the subject, and once you grasp the basics, you'll be surprised at how true you can get your wheels.
Yes, I have trued a bunch of them over the years. Tape a piece of wire to the swingarm or frame, bent so it almost touches the rim. So you can see very small changes in the roundness of the rim. WD 40 the nipples first to loosen them up. Spend a couple bucks for a real spoke wrench. You can use a cresent type wrench, but it will round the nipples and just make you mad. You are doing left to right and up and down. 1/4 to 1/2 turn tighter on one side, same looser on the other. When you get real close then go around and tighten all the spokes evenly. Take a small screw driver and tap the spokes. Tight spokes will "sing", loose ones will "thunk". Try to get them all to sing the same note. Loose ones will keep getting looser, over tight ones will break. Check for play in the wheel bearings first, if they are loose you can chase out of round rims for days. Nothing happens fast, An hour or more is not out of line. Dark beer. If most of the spokes are loose, go around and tighten them all evenly first. 1/4-1/2 turn each. Remember to pull the wheel one way, you have to loosen it the other way at the same time. 3-4 spokes tightened on the left side need the same amount loosened on the right side. Same for up and down.
If you can't find a rim band to cover the head of the spokes ( so they don't wear a hole on the inner tube, you can use multiple layers of electrical tape. Grind down any spokes that get too long and stick past the nipples into the inner tubes domain.
If you can't find a rim band to cover the head of the spokes ( so they don't wear a hole on the inner tube, you can use multiple layers of electrical tape. Grind down any spokes that get too long and stick past the nipples into the inner tubes domain.
See this at post 139: https://www.oldminibikes.com/forum/...il-bike-build-resto-kinda-sorta-maybe-14.html
Adds additional detail to what Dave and Jim have described above and shows you how to get started and work your way through--plan on a few hours to get it right.
Adds additional detail to what Dave and Jim have described above and shows you how to get started and work your way through--plan on a few hours to get it right.
