Spoke persistently working loose

andyeb
andyeb Posts: 407
edited February 2013 in Workshop
I have a spoke in my front wheel which keeps working loose, to the point I can hear it rattling and when I stop, the wheel is out of true. I tighten the spoke until the wheel is true each time, but within a hundred miles or so, it works loose again.

Any tips for sorting this out? Worried about trying thread lock in case I then can loosen it in the future.

Thanks,

Andrew

Comments

  • 16mm
    16mm Posts: 545
    I've heard some people dip the thread in paint. Threadlock _will_ come undone, and you can always remove the spoke with some wirecutters, assuming you can buy another of the same type easily.
    It's odd though. When you ping the spokes are they all roughly the same tension? It could be that with the build this spoke is not under enough tension.
  • thistle_
    thistle_ Posts: 7,219
    I'd try the threadlock.

    Is it definitely the same spoke that keeps coming undone?
  • gozzy
    gozzy Posts: 640
    Are you de-stressing the wheel and taking any twist out of the spokes after tensioning?
  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    Are the front wheel spokes radial or crossed. Radial spokes can come undone more easily. Spoke should be tensioned to 900-1000N. this is sufficent to stop them unwinding. check the threads on the spoke or nipple. Ensure tension is even.
    Threadlock should not be needed. I never use it even on radial builds and do not get a problem with unwinding spokes. Lack of tension is the issue. Sort that out before even thinking about threadlocking.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    Maybe the spoke has gone plastic, in which case you'll have a bit of a job getting it to hold tension. I'd change it.
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  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    If the spoke isn't retensioned enough, it will continue to work loose. I'd get your LBS to replace spoke and nipple and retension the whole wheel.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • andyeb
    andyeb Posts: 407
    thecycleclinic wrote:
    Are the front wheel spokes radial or crossed. Radial spokes can come undone more easily. Spoke should be tensioned to 900-1000N. this is sufficent to stop them unwinding. check the threads on the spoke or nipple. Ensure tension is even.
    Threadlock should not be needed. I never use it even on radial builds and do not get a problem with unwinding spokes. Lack of tension is the issue. Sort that out before even thinking about threadlocking.

    Thanks for the informative reply. It's a radial spoked wheel. I take it the stated spoke tension is for the wheel in isolation with no load on it?
  • andyeb
    andyeb Posts: 407
    Gozzy wrote:
    Are you de-stressing the wheel and taking any twist out of the spokes after tensioning?

    I've just been tightening it up until the wheel is true and/or the spoke tension feels similar to others in the wheel. What's the correct procedure here? Thanks!
  • zippy483
    zippy483 Posts: 104
    I had something very similar going on on my bike aswell, my spokes are white and it seems that some of the white coating had got onto the spoke thread, cleaned it up dab of loctite no problems
  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    Tensioning buy feel will get you so far but just because a wheel is striaght does not mean it is has even tension. That were a spoke tension gauge comes in handy.

    Spoke tension is always measured on an unloaded wheel as the lod on a wheel varies quite alot when riding.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • gozzy
    gozzy Posts: 640
    andyeb wrote:
    Gozzy wrote:
    Are you de-stressing the wheel and taking any twist out of the spokes after tensioning?

    I've just been tightening it up until the wheel is true and/or the spoke tension feels similar to others in the wheel. What's the correct procedure here? Thanks!


    Once you've tightened the spokes, pick the wheel up and place it so the hub rests on your chest/stomach and grasp the rim at opposite sides, now pull it quite firmly against your body (so it feels like you're slightly bending the rim) and you should hear the sound of spokes pinging, slide the rim round say a bit and do it again, keep going till you're back at the start/ don't hear any more pinging. You can also do this by placing the hub against a wall or on a hard floor and pushing against that.

    The thing to remember is, as you tension spokes you'll inevitably twist them a little, which if left will cause them to unwind as you ride and so the spoke will loosen off. Basically, as the wheel rotates it will have two low tension spots at any given time - where it contacts the road surface and directly opposite that point, as a result of this lower tension any twist in the spoke will be able to unwind and cause your spoke to loosen off. If you apply pressure to the wheel after adding tension you'll remove any twist that you've built up and your spokes shouldn't unwind as you ride.

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