Broken nipples on Specualized DT wheel

vmgscot

Just looking at a rear wheel for mate. Looked a like a broken spoke but actually was a nipple cracked off. After stripping tyre, etc found another two nipples cracked but hanging on. So bunged on replacment brass nipples and just started to tweak up when another (alloy) nipple went ping.

is this a common issue? Worth coninuing to replace nipples adhoc or just do the lot in brass in a oner?
Bike is a Stumpie FSR Comp (not sure what year but recent) and wheels have DT 420SL rims (eyeletted).

nicklouse

yes replace them all.

still dont know why they fit alloy nipples.

mister p

I think the main reason is so you can have coloured nipples. I can't see any reason other than that, the weight saving is not huge. I always build with brass nipples on my own wheels.

lostboysaint

nicklouse wrote:

yes replace them all.

still dont know why they fit alloy nipples.

That.

Barely a Tuesday night ride goes past without at least one Spec owner losing a spoke nipple.

njee20

still dont know why they fit alloy nipples.

Because it saves weight. People moan that bikes are heavy, very few even realise they have alu nips, until it's too late!

vmgscot

Thanks.
Will replace all with brass and dump the nasty red ali nips

baznav73

Been using alloy nipples for 20 years with no problems, the nipples arn't the problem it's how they are looked after or not as the case may be, alloy nipples are far more succeptable to corrosion and during the building process they are scored by the rim and this is where corrosion sets in and where 99.9% of alloy nipples fail and a sure sign of impending failure is white powder substance on the nipple around the eyelett on the outside or the inside of the rim or where the spoke enters the nipple, anyone who uses their bike with alloy nipples for commuting in the winter on wet salted roads are on a fast track to failure as the salt speeds up the process ten fold.
So a bit of advise for owners of alloy nippled wheels for a far more trouble free life every time you wash your bike once it has drip dried spin the wheels up and spray the rim with gt85 ot tf2 and ensure the nipples get a good coating and rag off access 30seconds to longer lasting nipples.

cooldad

Or don't use rubbish aluminium nipples. Simple.

sloppycowpat

^
agreed, they are shoot but the anodized ones do look good

ilovedirt

cooldad wrote:

Or don't use rubbish aluminium nipples. Simple.

This. Why bother with the extra maintenance/hassle when you could just not use crap nipples?

njee20

This. Why bother with the extra maintenance/hassle when you could just not use crap nipples?

Because, as said, alu are lighter. It's similar to alu freehub bodies, they are lighter, there are performance compromises. I'd not use them for 'normal' wheels, but my race wheels use alu nips. To be fair, the only time I've ever had issue was on factory wheelsets, handbuilts have always been fine, where they've been well lubed and spoke frozen and what not.

High-Tower

njee20 wrote:

as said, alu are lighter. It's similar to alu freehub bodies, they are lighter, there are performance compromises. I'd not use them for 'normal' wheels, but my race wheels use alu nips.

Correct, there are compromises, it's just a question of weighing up the pros/cons

Pros, they're a few grams lighter.
Erm, that's it.

Cons, they're weaker, prone to galling, no matter how much you look after them they will seize up over time, making a minor wheel true impossible.

Always use brass, unless you are a true weight freak and don't want/need strong wheels. And jump on the scales yourself first, to see if you can't shift a few grams from your waistline, which'll be more benefit than alloy spoke nipples.

No, I don't like them.

njee20

Pros, they're a few grams lighter.
Erm, that's it.

Again, you can substitute aluminium freehub bodies in there, and XTR cassettes, and lightweight skewers, and aluminium bolts, and aluminium chain rings, but still a significant number of people use them!

High-Tower

njee20 wrote:

Again, you can substitute aluminium freehub bodies in there, and XTR cassettes, and lightweight skewers, and aluminium bolts, and aluminium chain rings, but still a significant number of people use them!

So would that be a triumph of marketing over practicality?

njee20

No, because they are lighter, and that is a benefit. I use all of those items (actually my chainring is ti, but same applies really, heavier than alu, but less durable than steel), they contribute to a light bike. I'm happy with the trade offs one makes for that.