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Best way to straighten bicycle rim tightening the spokes? |
just wondering about the warped area if you tighten and loosen that side or the opossite side or both, thanks. p.s instructions would be nice The simple answer is that you tighten left-side spokes to pull the rim to the left and vice versa, but it's not a one-step process. For instance, a good way to approach a small wobble (say, a three-spoke area) is to loosen the middle spoke a little and tighten the other two a halved amount, or whichever the wobble requires. Rear wheels are much more difficult to true and tension properly. Also, keep in mind that if the rim has bent much, you may not be able to true it with spoke tension, or if you can, it may not hold for long because you won't be able to get even spoke tension, and you could get spoke breakage or start ruining your nipples, etc. Describing how to true is a lot to type. You can get decent instructions on Park Tool's website and several others if you search Google. The DT Swiss website used to have a good photo essay but I haven't visited that site in a long time. You might also check the library for a copy of Zinn's Mountain Bike Maintenance book, or the Bicycling Magazine one.....good illustrations and instructions in those books. You have to think abstract when you true a wheel. Each time you turn a spoke nipple, you affect lateral and radial aspects, and you also have to keep wheel dish in mind (and check it after you're finished truing). If you focus on just one aspect such as left-right, chances are that the wheel won't stay true for long.....it's gotta be done right. Truing is fun to learn, and it'll mark you as a skilled cyclist. When I've shown people how to true, I've had good luck snagging wheels from bike shops to let friends practice on before tackling their own. That way they don't really screw up a good wheel while they're figuring things out. Hope this helps some. Just remember, if you can't get it right, any decent shop can get it fixed for you for cheap. best way is to buy a new rim TRUING UP A SPOKE WHEEL IS A VERY TRICKY THING TO DO IF YOU DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT. You need the proper tools, too. There ia a special stand that holds the axle, of the wheel to be straightened, in a way that you can readily check if you are making the proper adjustments. A top quality spoke wrench is a good thing to have too. The cheap ones will just ruin the nuts on the end of the spoke. Usually, you will just need to tighten the spokes close to the warped area, plus maybe one or two to either side of the warp. Be careful not to tighten them too much, they will send the end of the spoke through the rubber band on the inside of the rim, and puncture the tire. Sometimes, you need to loosten a few in the area, as well. You start by putting the wheel, minus the tire in the stand. Then adjust the "fingers" on either side of the rim, so that they just touch the widest part of the rim, on either side, at the warped area. Then spin the wheel in the stand and carefully observe the warped area as it goes by the fingers. Do a bit of fine tuning on the fingers so they just touch the rim as it wobbles by. You can then see at any point on the rim which side the rim is warped to. Then you start the slow process of turning the spokes tighter or looser to coax the rim back to it's original position. Note that if you tighen a spoke that starts at the left side of the hub and ends up on the right side of the rim, the rim will pull a bit to the left, an vise-versa. You just have to be patient, and know what you are doing, and you can make a rim as true as it was when it was new, providing the rim was only warped, not bent too severely. This is very tricky, as I said. That is why there aren't very many people doing this type of thing, and the ones who are can get some top dollar for thier work. Good luck. Stevo. bike shop tech a long time ago..... if the rim is just untrue then you can fix it. you always want to tighten. your spokes should be stretching and working loose, not getting tighter. if you have to loosen spokes to get it back in line it is a sure sign the wheel is damaged and not just out of true. you want to do it slowly. each time you move a spoke it doesnt just move that spot, it effects the entire rim. do it in about 1/8 turns, then recheck it. you are less likely to develop and egg shaped wheel if you do it slowly and watch as you go. you can do it on the bike using the brake pads as guides, and you will get it pretty close. you can invest in a truing stand if you want to get better results. i usually spin the wheel and watch to see if it is just one section, and see which way it is off. i tighten the spoke in the center of the off section and then maybe the adjoining two. watch, as you do this all of the spokes should be roughly the same tension. uneven tension is a sign again that the wheel isnt just untrue, but damaged. you want to note about how tight things are before you start. overtightening spokes to compensate for a damaged wheel can cause the spokes to break or the wheel to completely fail. it really isnt that hard for someone with a little mechanical inclination. all it takes is practice. if you have an old beater wheel, that would be perfect to practice on for a while before jumping into your good set. |
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