Rebuild the wheel or not ?

slowbike

I have a c2011 ksyrium elite wheelset (s/h when I got them) and they were great wheels - until the rear hub fractured pinging out a spoke. Getting Mavic to rebuild was going to cost ~£200 so clearly not cost effective ..

I've now got the option of having a much older ksyrium elite hub - for cost of postage - the hub's done quite a few miles and the wheelset was replaced because of it's age - and the freehub sticks ... my wheel has done a fair few miles, but the rim is pretty much perfect.

The rim spoke attachment looks to be the same - screw in nipples - but the hub end is slightly different - going to measure the spoke length to see if it's the same on both wheels as it could just be the design of the hub - with more metal in the older hub.

On getting this hub I'm contemplating cleaning up, swapping the bearings, pawls, springs and freehub body and building up using my spokes & rim. I know it's a low spoke count so tension is more important ... am I completely mad?

keezx

I personally wouldn't consider rebuilding ANY Mavic wheel.

ugo.santalucia

It's fine... however, IME rebuilding a rear Ksyrium is as hard as it gets. Firstly, the way the spokes are held in place in the hub means you need a round stand to place the rim on horizontally, as you cannot build vertically, without the spokes popping off all the time.

Once you manage to lace it and tension it so that the spokes no longer pop out, then truing it is not that simple. I have rebuilt a couple of those and I was never particularly satisfied with the result.
They are designed to be machine built and there is something in the process which is not simple to replicate by hand.

slowbike

thanks for that ...
so probably worth it as an experiment but don't bank on the results ... perhaps, if I manage to get a working wheel - it can be a turbo wheel

Losadasusan

New, better and first the security!

ugo.santalucia

Slowbike wrote:

thanks for that ...
so probably worth it as an experiment but don't bank on the results ... perhaps, if I manage to get a working wheel - it can be a turbo wheel

I wonder if an inflatable life belt for kids might help to hold the rim horizontal while you are building.

slowbike

Losadasusan wrote:

New, better and first the security!

Replace the wheelset with new? I did - shortly after the rear fractured.. because I needed a wheelset ..
Now, it would be handy to have a spare/turbo rear wheel - I could spend £60/70 on a rear wheel - or I could build one myself using bits that I've already got.

Better? Arguably eitherway - depends what it was replaced with - I couldn't justify spending £4-500 on a like for like replacement - so I didn't.

Security? Ah, you're suggesting that the wheel build may not be secure - right to be concerned, but, a wheel has to be built by someone or something - if it's by someone, then why can't that someone be me? I've already built one wheel - just with higher spoke count - I know the low spoke counts are harder and getting suggestions from a wheel builder is good - if he'd said "don't bother" then I wouldn't ... I wouldn't if I had to spend a reasonable bit of cash to get the parts - but for postage of a hub it may just be worth it - don't think I'd go straight out and do a crit race on it - I'd probably give it a test ride or two first ....

slowbike

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

thanks for that ...
so probably worth it as an experiment but don't bank on the results ... perhaps, if I manage to get a working wheel - it can be a turbo wheel

I wonder if an inflatable life belt for kids might help to hold the rim horizontal while you are building.

got a float ring - that'll do

slowbike

Hmm ... took a spoke off last night - the one from the fractured part of the hub, so free floating ... tried turning the nipple independantly of the spoke .. nothing doing .. soaked in WD40 overnight and quick attempt this morning - still not budging. not looking good for a rebuild ...

I wonder if I apply a bit of heat to the nipple it'll expand slightly quicker than the spoke and free up that way ?

ugo.santalucia

Slowbike wrote:

Hmm ... took a spoke off last night - the one from the fractured part of the hub, so free floating ... tried turning the nipple independantly of the spoke .. nothing doing .. soaked in WD40 overnight and quick attempt this morning - still not budging. not looking good for a rebuild ...

I wonder if I apply a bit of heat to the nipple it'll expand slightly quicker than the spoke and free up that way ?

Which way are you turning? These are designed to be left handed screws, to replicate the way you would tension a normal nipple... so to undo, you will turn the tool clockwise

slowbike

Found that out when I removed the spoke & nipple from the wheel ...

This isn't siezed in the rim - this is the spoke not moving independently of the nipple.

ugo.santalucia

Slowbike wrote:

Found that out when I removed the spoke & nipple from the wheel ...

This isn't siezed in the rim - this is the spoke not moving independently of the nipple.

The spoke thread is fitted with a brass nut that sits in the alloy screw on cup. Could be that the two are a bit bonded, courtesy of some crap that cemented them... could also be that you have a bit of galvanic corrosion going on, which would be more interesting to resolve.