first dumb question - spokes & tie wraps

[Shovelhead]

y'all say to zip tie the spokes where they cross.
Would that be where they cross towards the rim/tire, or towards the hub, or both?

 

[Bikedude987]

in the middle (both doesn't hurt, just more ties). the point is to keep them from flopping around should one break.

 

[Shovelhead]

hmmm, I know what the point is, but seems to me you'd tie wrap towards the rim, that's where they are closest when they cross.
And the front wheel spokes actually cross at 3 points.
Tie wrapping every point they cross is gonna really look like shit.

 

[greg the pole]

there you go:
https://thetenerist.wordpress.com/2013/11/10/fork-rebuild-v2-0-steering-head-grease-up-and-front-rim-grease-spoke-tigtening/

 

[Checkswrecks]

You only need one crossing for each spoke to keep it from flailing and cutting anything within reach. On the Tenere, the spokes generally come loose at the hub. You do not need to do every crossing, and a lot of folks only do the more stressed rear wheel. You do want the spokes to have a little ability to still flex.
Safety wire on the Tenere:

Ty-wraps on the bent spokes of my WR250:

 

[Shovelhead]

I'd seen those photos before and that's where I placed the tie wraps.

Good write ups there Greg. ::008::

thanks men

 

[greg the pole]

thanks,

btw...a bit of green loctite never hurts...it has next to nothing for holding ability, but does the job

 

[Spaggy]

I "ting" my spokes with a wrench to see if they're loose. Doesn't the tie deaden the "ting"? What do you guys do to check your spokes before a ride?

 

[greg the pole]

once you ping them once, tie wrap them, and be done with it.
I have not touched my spokes in 35 km, with zero issues.

 

[rotortech71]

I left the zip ties slightly loose when I did mine. I read somewhere on here that it was a good idea, to allow the spokes to flex a little, rather than pull the zip tie down really tight. Maybe it doesn't matter, I don't know..... Back to my cup of coffee......

 

[munsterlander]

" I use a torque wrench and tighten spokes every 4000 miles or so."

What kind of torque wrench and to what spec? Seems I remember exploriing this idea but finding I either did not have, or could not get a wrench suitable for the task.

 

[shrekonwheels]

once you ping them once, tie wrap them, and be done with it.
I have not touched my spokes in 35 km, with zero issues.

With any luck you will make it another 34065 km without any issues, that would be significantly more impressive than cruising the drag. ::013::

 

[trainman]

my view would be that if you are doing a high risk ride then its a good safety measure, but for those of us not doing the Paris Dakar I cannot really see the gain over routine maintenance and pinging (easy for me as mine has the main stand),
I also imagine that the spokes flex in normal use and maybe you need to be careful if you did this with over tight lock-wire as you may move any high loads along the spoke and actually put more pressure on the ends? just a thought? :question:

 

[Checkswrecks]

my view would be that if you are doing a high risk ride then its a good safety measure, but for those of us not doing the Paris Dakar I cannot really see the gain over routine maintenance and pinging (easy for me as mine has the main stand),
I also imagine that the spokes flex in normal use and maybe you need to be careful if you did this with over tight lock-wire as you may move any high loads along the spoke and actually put more pressure on the ends? just a thought? :question:

We've had a number of folks lose a nipple by not checking often enough, and it would be easy to miss.


One thing which could be really hard on rims was pointed out by Old Git Ray, in that the spokes have subtly different angles on the ends.


Another would be using the tougher Woody's spokes in a stock rim. The Woody's spokes are more stout, meaning more load on the flange in the rim.