Spoke tension? (Tools needed or feel)

Bgammon
Bgammon Posts: 22
edited August 2015 in Workshop
Have just had to true my front wheel, after a spoke loosened and the nipple went inside the rim.

Fished it out and have re attached the spoke and tried to true it the best I can looking at gap to brakes pads whilst on the frame and spinning the wheel.

Is there a general rule of thumb for acessing the spoke tension?
Have looked at how much thread has been taken by screwing it back in place. Pinged the spokes to listen to the note they make.

Can see you can get spoke tension gauges? Are these really needed or can it be done on feel? Or is there some general rule of thumbs to follow?

Comments

  • 964cup
    964cup Posts: 1,362
    Can see you can get spoke tension gauges? Are these really needed or can it be done on feel? Or is there some general rule of thumbs to follow?
    You can get spoke tension gauges, like the Park TM-1. Whether you need one partly depends on how much you had to do (how many nipples you turned) to bring the wheel back into true - the more you did, the more likely tensions will be out across the wheel now - and partly on how good your ear is. You can do it by feel, or by tone, but a) you need to know the right feel/tone for a correctly tensioned spoke (which will vary depending on what spokes you have, what rim you're using and whether it's a front or rear wheel) and b) you are unlikely to be as accurate as you would be with a meter.
  • dgunthor
    dgunthor Posts: 644
    for replacing a single spoke listen/feel should be fine
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,248
    If you replace one spoke, once the wheel is true, then the spoke is at the correct tension, within the context of the wheel. That doesn't mean that the wheel as an average is at the correct tension, given a spoke managed to break, but this is a different matter.
    left the forum March 2023
  • Bgammon
    Bgammon Posts: 22
    There where a couple that needed adjusting, but have tried to match to tone of all spokes evenly.
    Is it fairly normal after trueing for a couple of pings as the spokes bed in tension wise?(when riding). Literally one revolution then silence.

    It is for a training wheel that hasn't been used in a year. Assume with anything under tension over time they loosen.
    Do people generally advise a little bit of lock tite? Or is this overkill.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,248
    There where a couple that needed adjusting, but have tried to match to tone of all spokes evenly.
    Is it fairly normal after trueing for a couple of pings as the spokes bed in tension wise?(when riding). Literally one revolution then silence.

    It is for a training wheel that hasn't been used in a year. Assume with anything under tension over time they loosen.
    Do people generally advise a little bit of lock tite? Or is this overkill.

    Yes, it is normal if you don't destress the wheel when you work with it. Nothing to worry about
    left the forum March 2023
  • dgunthor
    dgunthor Posts: 644
    There where a couple that needed adjusting, but have tried to match to tone of all spokes evenly.
    Is it fairly normal after trueing for a couple of pings as the spokes bed in tension wise?(when riding). Literally one revolution then silence.

    i'd just worry about the sound of the replaced spoke but really it's about getting the wheel as true as possible. the noise just assures you it's somewhere near the same tension
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    There where a couple that needed adjusting, but have tried to match to tone of all spokes evenly.
    Is it fairly normal after trueing for a couple of pings as the spokes bed in tension wise?(when riding). Literally one revolution then silence.

    It is for a training wheel that hasn't been used in a year. Assume with anything under tension over time they loosen.
    Do people generally advise a little bit of lock tite? Or is this overkill.

    Yes, it is normal if you don't destress the wheel when you work with it. Nothing to worry about

    I'm not a master wheel guy by any stroke of the imagination but when I learned the basics of it I was told that you true the wheel, then distress it, then put it back in the truing stand to see if it "stands"(is exactly the same before and after distressing). If it doesn't "stand", then it needs a bit more truing, another distressing, and back up on the truing stand to check again. If after the distressing the wheel "stands", it's done and ride-able. Mine have never given me so much a a pop or snap upon first ride, but I'm kind of anal when it comes to building and spend lots of time on them.
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Spokes will only loosen where the rim is under stress - if the wheel's not being used, then it should remain as-is.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..