Building a bike wheel?

i replaced the nipples of my bike wheels
as i tighten them up ,all are tighened to the same lenth, but some are looser than others and it is really getting on my nerves (i aint taking them to a bike shop they rip u off and charge u over the top)
why are they like this?
how can i know there the same tension?

the bike shops near me say 拢22 per set of wheels minimum it could go up over 拢30
ive red how to true a wheel so ill give it a go but its gonna take a ling time

The small variations in the rim and the spoke lengths cause this. Once you have the wheel spokes where some are getting tight, check for roundness. Tighten to keep it round, now it's time to snug up loose spokes while the wheel is round and before the spokes are moderately tight. As you reach the point were all spokes are snug you now need to pay attention to trueness.

BTW if your lacing up a used rim the variation could be quite large due to flat spots etc.

If you just replaced the nipples and used the old spokes, then what you're seeing is the result of "worked" spokes and/or deformities in the rim. As the metal in the spokes gets stretched and manipulated during tensioning and riding the bike, it changes a little. Even with brand new components, building a wheel is almost never just as simple as tightening them evenly (although I did have one wheel that did exactly that..sweet!).

I don't know if you're actually using a truing stand and know how to do it, or what.....but you have to. There's no good way (and no safe way, either) to get your wheel proper without it. A stand and a dishing tool are vital...after a "rebuild" like this, using the brake pads as a truing indicator isn't enough...you have to do it properly. Most bike shops will only charge from $10-$20 for truing a wheel. If you're a regular customer and/or bought your nipples from them, they may even finish up your wheel for free.

Hope this helps some. Without typing a lot of stuff, I can't explain how to true a wheel on here. There are some decent books with instructions though, and you might find them at the library or Barnes & Noble, etc. Good luck!

you can by a tension gauge that is a must for wheel builders. the other method is to pluck the spokes and listen for the tone. what you have to do is bring them up to tension and then true the wheel. it isnt a matter of tightening them to the same length, whatever that would mean.

honestly you really messed up and need pro help. if you dont know what you are doing the wheel will fold in a corner and cause one nasty wreck. over or under tensioned wheels are very dangerous.

the way you might have gotten by with it is to do one spoke at a time. i can't really figure out why you were replacing just the nipples anyway?

I have customers just like you, always think you can do a job better than someone who has been doing it for years.
Building and truing wheels is a skilled job, which takes practice, if its just an ordinary bog standard wheel, it probably wasn,t very good to start with, if its a quality wheel, grit your teeth and get it done properly.

You would be ahead to just pay the money to have it done right the first time.
Rebuilding of just building a wheel is much more difficult than most people think.
Getting a true wheel is easy, Getting a ROUND and true wheel is where the talent and skill come in.
It takes practice, skill and know how. Just reading about it will not get you there.

Truing your wheels is seriously like one of the hardest things, I have very few friends in the group I ride with who can do it. I always take mine to the lbs and have them do it, they get it done fast and it generally only costs five bucks. It would be worth it, having a tru wheel changes everything.

If you do not have a truing stand, it is going to be a very hard job to build a wheel your self. You can use the bike's frame, and a couple of zip ties as a caliper, but this too is difficult. Building and truing wheels takes practice. So if you do not have it, I recommend bringing it to a professional. Sorry.

Happy riding!

i know what you mean about costs that price seems over the top. not sure whats involved but I gues you would need a jig to do it properly.

if you want answers on how to do it properly then find a good book or search the internet or do one of those workshops where they teach you how to do it.

Sorry, but I have rebuilt a motorcycle wheel and it is a helluva job. Fork out the money and get it done by an expert.

Sorry, although nipples are one of my favorite subjects I cannot come up with an answer to this question.

In the Bike shop they are put together on a JIG... You will never do it correctly without one...

Sorry mate but you will just have to pay the Shop.

so 30 is too much for peace of mind? sounds like a bargain to me.....no way I'd would take off on a ride if I had doubts about my wheels...........