Loose spokes

wishitwasallflat
wishitwasallflat Posts: 2,927
edited August 2012 in Workshop
I have a problem rear wheel - Tiagra hub, 32 spoke, J bend spokes, mach1 Omega rim - which I don't think has ever had a high enough spoke tension. Feeling the spokes they feel slacker than new bikes in shops I have checked against. Its has been back twice to be trued but literally every time I ride it it still goes 2-3 mm out of lateral true - it always seems to move towards the non drive side. I can (and have a few times) tightened up the offending DS spokes to pull it back after each ride but I am thinking maybe I should try to tighten all the spokes up to try to prevent this?

Now I do realise this is a factory built (was sold to me by an LBS as handbuilt by Raleigh but I must admit I doubt that) cheap wheel but I really want to get some use out of it. I just don't think its worth putting it in to a decent place for a re-build - so my questions are -

If I keep going and just re-true as it goes out is it possible I will eventually get it tight enough all round that it will be ok?

Should I tighten every spoke by the same amount once its true?

If I should should I tighten the DS and NDS spokes different amounts, or the same, to keep dish correct and radial true?

Would say half a turn added to each nipple be liable to help or would it need more?

I don't have a tension meter or a dishing tool so this has to be a by hand and eye job or its not possible - and yes I know the best answer is probably bin it and buy a decent hand built wheel but money is the answer stopping that !

Any advice gratefully recieved.

Comments

  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    Tightening every spoke by the same ammount is the way to do it so you figure right. You will need to remove any wind up by grasping pairs of spoke and true. How much you need to turn each spoke is down to you but when graping spokes it should hurt then they have enoygh tension. What you are looking for if you can get acess to tension meter the at least 1100N DS.. NDS tension shoulod be at least 550N but NDS tension is set by the DS tension and hub geometry.

    You may need to put more than half a turn on. It sounds like whatever you do you will find it hard to make ther wheel worse.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • Thanks cycleclinic
    How much you need to turn each spoke is down to you but when graping spokes it should hurt then they have enoygh tension

    If there was any doubt then this advice confirms these spokes are all way way too loose and always have been!
  • racingcondor
    racingcondor Posts: 1,434
    A wheel like that should be pretty bomb proof.

    I would put 1/2 turn into each of the drive side spokes and then 1/4 turn into the non-drive side and see how tight they feel after that, then dish/true it between the brake pads. Once you have done that, go around the wheel squeezing pairs of spokes to stress releave and to see if you can feel any individual spokes which are loose.

    If the drive side still feels soft (flexes a lot without leaving lines across your hand) then repeat.

    The reason I would do it that way is that adding tension to the NDS spokes will have a lot more impact on dish (due to them being angled more steeply) so it's easier to redish using the NDS (especially without a tension meter).
  • Thanks racingcondor that makes good sense.