Wheel Truing

markybains17
markybains17 Posts: 21
edited June 2018 in Workshop
I recently bought a spoke tension meter and wheel truing stand after snapping a spoke on a front wheel.
The wheel is now true but some spokes are tensioned greater than others.
Say about 20% measure about 45-48 and 80% 50-55. The numbers are those on the gauge - can be converted to kgm force (if that helps) via the calibration. I am wondering if anyone has experience with wheel truing and what their view is on uneven tension? Note: more equal tension renders the wheel out of true.

Comments

  • Vino'sGhost
    Vino'sGhost Posts: 4,129
    Im not a wheel builder and used to get my knickers in a twist about this until i realised that my wheels were remaining true in all planes and had no creaking or annoying stuff happening.

    Perhap Nirvana is everything the same but after a year or two of riding, cashing, pedals in spokes pile ups etc thats never going to happen.
  • markybains17
    markybains17 Posts: 21
    Vino'sGhost wrote:
    Im not a wheel builder and used to get my knickers in a twist about this until i realised that my wheels were remaining true in all planes and had no creaking or annoying stuff happening.

    Perhap Nirvana is everything the same but after a year or two of riding, cashing, pedals in spokes pile ups etc thats never going to happen.


    Thanks. Are you saying that you think it’s okay and not unsafe?
  • ridgerider
    ridgerider Posts: 2,852
    I was once told by a wise man that the better the quality of the rim, the more even the spoke tensions will be...
    Half man, Half bike
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,810
    Trying to answer this as best I can but I'm no expert and it may be a case of a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
    If the rim is bent then you will not be able to get even spoke tensions. What sort of wheels and how many spokes? Are the spokes with low tension evenly distributed around the wheel or are they all in the same area on the same side? Assuming it's not a wheel with a low spoke count and they are dotted about the wheel you should be able to get them closer by tightening the loose spokes whilst loosening the adjoining ones that are on the same side. Start with the loosest one, mark it with a piece of tape and tighten it a little and back off the ones either side of it on the same side by half as much as you tightened the loose one. Only make small adjustments and check as you go to ensure you're not making it worse. Then pick the next loosest one and do the same again until they are all close enough.
    Alternatively, if the wheel is true and there is enough tension in them do as VG says. If it worries you check it's still true every now and then.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    The spoke failure is likely to be down to uneven tension putting undue stress on some spokes, resulting in premature fatigue failure. If spoke tension is uneven across a wheel, I'd probably wind-off the tension in all the spokes and then retrue / retension like a fresh-build. With the rim de-stressed, you'd also see if the rim is distorted - if the rim is 'off' by more than about 20mm, then it probably needs replacing as you're having the over-stress the spokes to pull it true.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • Vino'sGhost
    Vino'sGhost Posts: 4,129
    markybains17 wrote:
    Vino'sGhost wrote:
    Im not a wheel builder and used to get my knickers in a twist about this until i realised that my wheels were remaining true in all planes and had no creaking or annoying stuff happening.

    Perhap Nirvana is everything the same but after a year or two of riding, cashing, pedals in spokes pile ups etc thats never going to happen.


    Thanks. Are you saying that you think it’s okay and not unsafe?
    That’s what I’m saying :)
  • markybains17
    markybains17 Posts: 21
    Thanks Chaps!

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