My rim on my mountain bike wobbles and hits the brake..whats wrong with it?

The rim is obviously bent..im not stupid..so if you say "the rim is bent" i will be very disappointed. So, the wheel hits the brake everytime it goes around. My friend told me to tighten the spokes or something. What should I do to fix this problem?

Thank you.

I think the most important thing is to have the actual size spoke wrench,don't use plyers.You'll go crazy and it will strip the spoke nipples.
Make sure the wheel itself is secured into the drop outs perfectly.Wiggle the wheel to make sure that this is not a wheel cone/bearing problem before moving on.
As well take most the air out of the tire tube .
You may also have to take the tire and tube off if the spoke nipples have to be loosened from the top for more leverage.

Understand that the nipple is just on the threads of the spoke,turn it and it will make the spoke tension less [weaker],or tighter[stronger].They go up and down.

Try to do this in half turns on the first spoke,in the worst area of the warp.Then try the other spokes on either side,but do these ones in quarter turns,but turning in the opposite direction.[using tape or a marker to recall these spokes isn't a bad idea ]
So,after one half turn and the two quarter turns of spokes the other way let's spin the wheel and watch how close the rim comes to the brake pad now.Did it get better?Or worse perhaps?
If it got better then you can try it again but this time try adding two more spokes.The two outer ones.Try turning these ones an 8th.
If it gets worse than do the opposite .
Oiling spoke nipples to help loosen them is ok.They do make loud creaky noises when turning them so don't be afraid.
Always flex [squeeze a couple]the spokes in your hand slightly after every turn of all spokes to help set the over lap angles.
Now this is the Most important step: [step m=make sure]
If you get the wheel almost to your satisfaction then pump up the tire to almost maximum pressure and then push on it ,rotate the whole wheel at least two or three times[at least 30 pushes]and listen to the creakes the spokes make.After this then let the air out again,put the wheel back on the bike and then spin it and see how straight it is.
A wheel will get as straight as you want ,but it can take a long time and many many tries.

It's up to you how perfect you want to get it.But remember 'step m' after every try at straightness.


I'm not trying to teach you how to true[straighten] a wheel.I'm just sharing with you the way I learned how to true a wheel.

It's been 15 years and I'm still trying to get it perfect.
I hope this can be of some assistance to you

It does sound like the wheel is out of true. Your local bike shop can help you out. You can have them true it for you for a fee. If they're an especially friendly bike shop and if their policies allow it, ask them to show you how to true a wheel. If that doesn't work and you still want to do it yourself you'll need to to get a spoke wrench which can cost $2-5. Be sure to get the proper size for your spoke nipples.

After you get the wrench, go home and type into a search engine "truing a wheel."

Find the resource that makes the most sense to you, and fix it. It's a really good skill to have, and it's not that difficult.

Tightening the spokes is called truing the rim. If you do not know how to do this, I recommend that you don't. It will fix the problem, but if it is done wrong, the problems will compound. If you know someone who knows how to do this, ask that person. If not have a professional do it.

Happy riding!

As your friend already told you "TIGHTEN THE SPOKES" to true, or take the wobble out of the rim. Pay attention!!