Wheel surgery

[Nick Kew]

Help!

I have a front wheel that no longer runs true. Specifically it has a
big kink that is incompatible with having brakes. It seems to have
happened when I came off last week (see "sheer stress" post).

I've tried with a spoke spanner to adjust it, but at the kink I can
loosen the spoke on the bulge side indefinitely and maximally tighten
the corresponding spokes on the inside and the kink is marginally
smaller, but still too big to be really usable.

There is nothing visibly wrong with any of the components: the rim,
hub and spokes all look good.

Should this be recoverable? Any tips and tricks for when the spoke
spanner has failed?

--
Nick Kew

Alex Salmond - thank you for saying the obvious. Can you repeat what
James VI did, for us poor sassenachs with no acceptable leaders?

 

[James Annan]

Nick Kew wrote:

> Help!
>
> I have a front wheel that no longer runs true. Specifically it has a
> big kink that is incompatible with having brakes. It seems to have
> happened when I came off last week (see "sheer stress" post).
>
> I've tried with a spoke spanner to adjust it, but at the kink I can
> loosen the spoke on the bulge side indefinitely and maximally tighten
> the corresponding spokes on the inside and the kink is marginally
> smaller, but still too big to be really usable.

How good are your truing skills? In order to straighten a bend, you
should be adjusting the spokes some way to the side of the bend itself.

You could try loosening all of the spokes to see how bent the rim really
is (and try flattening it by force in the untensioned state).

James
--
If I have seen further than others, it is
by treading on the toes of giants.
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/julesandjames/home/

 

[Simon Brooke]

in message <[email protected]>, Nick Kew
('[email protected]') wrote:

> I have a front wheel that no longer runs true. Specifically it has a
> big kink that is incompatible with having brakes. It seems to have
> happened when I came off last week (see "sheer stress" post).
>
> I've tried with a spoke spanner to adjust it, but at the kink I can
> loosen the spoke on the bulge side indefinitely and maximally tighten
> the corresponding spokes on the inside and the kink is marginally
> smaller, but still too big to be really usable.
>
> There is nothing visibly wrong with any of the components: the rim,
> hub and spokes all look good.
>
> Should this be recoverable? Any tips and tricks for when the spoke
> spanner has failed?

It's usually not a matter of adjusting the one spoke immediately at the
point of distortion, but of adjusting it and the two or three either
side of it. However if it's as abrupt as you are suggesting I would
look for a broken spoke, and if you do not find one, consider replacing
the rim.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Iraq war: it's time for regime change...
... go now, Tony, while you can still go with dignity.
[update 18 months after this .sig was written: it's still relevant]

 

[Nick Kew]

In article <[email protected]>,
James Annan <[email protected]> writes:
>
> How good are your truing skills?

Pretty negligible (like my skills in other mechanical jobs).

> In order to straighten a bend, you
> should be adjusting the spokes some way to the side of the bend itself.

Indeed, that much I'm aware of, thanks. Originally it did have a
smaller neighbouring bulge the other way, but I managed to smooth
out that one.

> You could try loosening all of the spokes to see how bent the rim really
> is (and try flattening it by force in the untensioned state).

Hmmm, that's a thought. A rather frightening one:-(

--
Nick Kew

Alex Salmond - thank you for saying the obvious. Can you repeat what
James VI did, for us poor sassenachs with no acceptable leaders?

 

[David Nutter]

Nick Kew <[email protected]> said:
>
> I've tried with a spoke spanner to adjust it, but at the kink I can
> loosen the spoke on the bulge side indefinitely and maximally tighten
> the corresponding spokes on the inside and the kink is marginally
> smaller, but still too big to be really usable.

Try taking the tyre off and looking at the rim. Ensure that the two edges
run parallel to each other (and thus the bulge is caused by a bend in the
entire rim that can be corrected by adjusting spokes). If one edge bulges
out where the other doesn't, it's new rim time because spokes don't pull on
the rim wall directly and so can't correct the problem.

One of the few (only?) advantages of steel rims over alloy is that you can
hammer such bulges out of the rim wall with the help of a body hammer and a
piece of wood...

Regards,

-david

 

[wheelsgoround]

"Nick Kew" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Help!
>
> I have a front wheel that no longer runs true. Specifically it has a
> big kink that is incompatible with having brakes. It seems to have
> happened when I came off last week (see "sheer stress" post).

Take it to someone who knows how to true wheels. (Seriously)


Ian

 

[the.Mark]

wheelsgoround wrote:
> "Nick Kew" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Help!
>>
>> I have a front wheel that no longer runs true. Specifically
>> it has a big kink that is incompatible with having brakes. It seems to
>> have happened when I came off last week (see
>> "sheer stress" post).
>
> Take it to someone who knows how to true wheels. (Seriously)
>

Or learn to true it yourself it's not too hard.
--
Mark

1x1 wheel, 3x2 wheels & 1x3 wheels.