Spoke Truing - A How-To guide

[stevepsd]

All,

I have attached a GREAT article on spoke wheels from Motorcycle Consumer News, published in January 2006 titled 'Spoke Wheel Building & Truing'

It will help you understand what you are doing when you are tweaking those nipples (spoke nipples that is > ).

Read it and understand it, before you muck with your spoke wheels.

Here is the direct link to the list of Technical Articles (the spoke article is in 5 parts on the site)

http://www.mcnews.com/mcn/technical.asp

Hope this will help.

-steve

P.S. I have a single .pdf of the 5 pages but it is to large to post here (1Mb)

Edit: Single file: http://www.yamahasupertenere.com/downloads/Spoke_Wheel_Buliding_Truing.zip

 

[colorider]

Thanks for posting this Steve!

::008::

 

[trinc4me]

Thanks for posting this Steve!

::008::

::026::

 

[plugugly]

Could a moderator post the whole 1mb PDF? It would be nice to get the whole thing in one shot, I don't know how to edit them together myself.

 

[troll]

Right-on Steve ::008:: very nice primer on wheel trueing. The article does a very good job of describing the tightening sequence of the spoke lacing pattern. I don't think one can understate the patience needed to do a good job of trueing. ::012::

 

[stevepsd]

Right-on Steve ::008:: very nice primer on wheel trueing. The article does a very good job of describing the tightening sequence of the spoke lacing pattern. I don't think one can understate the patience needed to do a good job of trueing. ::012::

Patience is a virtue, especially when it comes to spokes.

Just remember that spoke wheel truing is 75% art! (just like dealing with pouring concrete).

 

[stevepsd]

Could a moderator post the whole 1mb PDF? It would be nice to get the whole thing in one shot, I don't know how to edit them together myself.

Just let me know, as I have the combined PDF ready.

-steve

 

[jajpko]

Just let me know, as I have the combined PDF ready.

-steve

Hello Rod.. How about if you pin the 1mb pdf in the Tech forum with the same subject line. This would be very helpful to many peeps..

 

[plugugly]

I think he can't because of size restrictions, which was why I suggest a mod might be able to.

 

[jajpko]

I think he can't because of size restrictions, which was why I suggest a mod might be able to.

Rod is a Mod..

 

[plugugly]

Sorry, I didn't follow. I guess I thought that might be his real name, but that makes "Stevepsd" seem a bit odd, huh?

 

[stevepsd]

Rod is a Mod..

Or is Rod a Mod mod?

 

[stevepsd]

I just sent the spoke truing guide and the Yamaha Tech Bulletin on the O-ring replacement to Venture. Hopefully they will be posted soon.

-steve

 

[3putt]

Cool.

 

[Koinz]

Or is Rod a Mod mod?

Or maybe Rod is in the "mod squad"

 

[colorider]

Rod is a mod in the Mod Squad..... ::003::

But at this point, only Chris can do anything with the large (1M) file.

Hang in there folks....l


Rod

 

[Yamaguy55]

Sadly, I am very familiar with this task. I lived in the desert years ago, and had an uncanny habit if finding grapefruit and larger sized rocks with my wheels. I became so well versed in rim relacing that I thought that was my primary purpose in life. Practice makes perfect, you know. I could pull a wheel, tire, etc, swap the rim and have it rued up in about two hours, start to finish, back on the bike. What a way to spend your time. I don't miss it. A simple true is usually much easier, if you take your time and don't try to get all of the adjustment on one spoke, but spread it out amounts several in small doses. The only time a true up is a real pain is if you actually put a dent in the rim and you are under the belief you can remove it with a spoke wrench.

It isn't as tough as some make it, it really is just care and slow steps. If you think you need to turn the spoke nipple one turn, try 1/4 to 1/2 half first. Most people take too big a bite, just like levering tires off rims with tire irons. Small bites make the job much faster. Remember, if you tighten a spoke, the adjoining one to the other side of the hub will either have to be loosened the same amount you tightened the first one, or you'll create runout in the side to side plane. The same is true for keeping it round: you need to work 180 degrees around the rim from the first spoke and go back and forth to keep it round. A touch up is very easy if you do it in very small increments. It is not a task that goes well with soothing libations, unless the end result isn't important to you. Sort of like roofing: drink your beer after you're done.

Those Rowe 6 size wrenches are really nice. I bought one from Webco years ago and I still have it. The real advantage is that it is short, which keeps you from playing gorilla man and rounding off the nipple. Be very careful not to do that, or next time will require vice grips. Not pretty. You should replace any nipples that you manage to round off enough that a regular spoke wrench won't turn.

I like to put a drop of TriFlow on each nipple before I start. If you're worried about dirt sticking to it, use brake cleaner when you're finished. Sparingly. Otherwise, you remove things you don't want removed.

Thanks for the very valuable post. Wheel guy or not, I downloaded it and have it handy. Actually, I like wire spoke wheels, but can't say I'm fond of tubes. Which was one of the selling points of the Tenere to me. The only advantage of tube type wheels is that you can run rimlocks.

 

[Venture]

Here ye are:

http://www.yamahasupertenere.com/downloads/Spoke_Wheel_Buliding_Truing.zip

 

[Yamaguy55]

Here ye are:

http://www.yamahasupertenere.com/downloads/Spoke_Wheel_Buliding_Truing.zip

Something you can use after a few more trips to the rocky trails. I'm very surprised that the WRR hasn't needed much attention, I've ridden there almost exclusively since I bought it. If any place will loosen up your spokes, that's the place.

 

[DuMar]

Here ye are:

http://www.yamahasupertenere.com/downloads/Spoke_Wheel_Buliding_Truing.zip

Now that was easy.

Thanks, Venture.

::026::

Mike