Wheel Truing

tim_wand
tim_wand Posts: 2,552
edited March 2012 in Workshop
Just got some cheap MTB wheels of Flea Bay for a build, Theres a very slight wobble towards the drive side when I spin them up in the frame.

Reckon I could true this out with the spoke key, been round the rim and checked tightness of the spokes,

Just remind me/ put me straight on this?

If the movement in the wheel is toward the driveside, do I tighten the driveside spokes, or do I tighten the opposite side (non drive side spokes) ?

Comments

  • rake
    rake Posts: 3,204
    back away and put the wrench down.
  • tim_wand
    tim_wand Posts: 2,552
    Sure I m heading for a whole world of Woe Rake as I m no Gravy and I know wheel building/ Truing is a dark art, but If I never try, I ll never learn.
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    Plenty of guidance on line. As long as you don't round off the nipples I don't see you can do much harm - a friendly LBS ought to be able to sort it for a tenner with or without your input so you might as well see what you can do.

    As for direction - if the bend is to the right when looking at the wheel, then the right side needs to be slacker and the left side needs to be tighter (ie you are pulling the right side kink to the left). Irrc, the convention is to correct by tightening (rather than loosening - but following my advice here is dangerous! I have improved a wheel but not got it good enough).
    Faster than a tent.......
  • tim_wand
    tim_wand Posts: 2,552
    Thanks Rolf F , found some stuff on line including on here in workshop articles, so I m going to have a play and see what I can learn,

    Probably end up costing me a £5 and a box of Jaffa Cakes down the LBS anyway so dont really matter if they're correcting my booged attempt or the original kink, as you've said.
  • rake
    rake Posts: 3,204
    its not too hard really dude. have a felt pen and mark where the runout is easier to see where your going. put a line along the brake track where its off line.
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Keep any adjustments small and work with opposing pairs of spokes i.e. if pull is to the DS, then slacken-off the DS by say half a turn and tighten the NDS by a similar amount-turn rather than just cranking up the nippless. Because of the respective angles of the spokes on the rear wheel, for the same lateral movement, you need to give about 0.75 turns on the DS in comparison to 0.5 on the NDS.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • onbike 1939
    onbike 1939 Posts: 708
    If you are intent on doing this then remember to de-stress the spokes after adjusting.
  • hulla the hulla
    hulla the hulla Posts: 338
    Even spoke tensions (on the same side) is preferable, you can pluck them with your finger nail, hopefully when the wheel is true they will sound similar. More tension on the drive side (assuming rear wheel) means a higher pitched "ping" than the NDS. Front wheel should all sound the same. If you haven't got finger nails, a gentle tap with a light blunt instrument (tyre lever) as if you were "playing" the spoke will do.

    NB, they will not all necessarily sound exactly the same, the above is a general guide.
    A person who aims at nothing is sure to hit it

    Canyon Aeroad 7.0 summer missile
    Trek 2.1 winter hack

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