Rear wheel re build

jgsi
jgsi Posts: 5,062
edited April 2017 in Workshop
Is it worth it , I'm asking myself.
It is a cheap chinese carbon rim that now creaks like hell despite wheel being true and the spokes as dammit correct.
I do blame the spokes as quite a few have had the nipples break on them during the winter.
To replace the spokes with DT Swiss stainless will cost £30 for the parts and £50 for a tension meter.

I'm not using the wheel but it is nice to have a back up.. especially a rear wheel....

is it worth it... will it actually cure the damn creaking?

What costeth a rebuild anyway?

Comments

  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,353
    Rather than buy a tension meter there is a spoke tensioner app you can get for your phone. Works using the microphone, you put in the length and gauge then ping each spoke. Not sure how accurate it is in numerical terms, I use it more to check the tensions are even.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • fudgey
    fudgey Posts: 854
    I rebuilt a rear wheel on my holiday bike that after a year the alloy nipples started to snap when the bike was parked in the garage. Turned out the spokes were a couple of mm too short and wernt passing thriugh the shoulders of the nipples.
    So i bought slightly longer spokes for the drive side, swapped the driveside spokes to the non drive side and replaced all nipples with brass ones.

    Rebuilt the wheel and used my fingers as a tension meter.
    It was perfect last year and ill find out in august if it still is.
    My winter bike is exactly the same as my summer bike,,, but dirty...
  • keezx
    keezx Posts: 1,322
    Well done @fudgey.......
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    A bit of shopping around should get the spokes cheaper than that.

    A tension meter is certainly not needed!
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    Seen enough Sapims on Ebay for under £15 now.. I'll give it a whirl at some point.
  • fudgey
    fudgey Posts: 854
    Keezx wrote:
    Well done @fudgey.......

    Thanks. The point i was getting at was the spokes were too short causing the nipples to break, but failed to say it cost about £18 for spokes and nipples.
    My winter bike is exactly the same as my summer bike,,, but dirty...
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    Well, shiny new Sapims didnt help.
    Spokes replaced and wheel/spoke creak just the same.

    It is the wheel before anyone decides it must be other bits of the bike.
    That I have proven to myself.

    Typical, I cannot find my 11mm allen key.... so when another on order, will strip the hub.. Novatec.. and check all is good up to the sealed bearings.

    Everything is tight.. true etc etc... cant work this one out.
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    Update:
    Dis assembled the rear hub. The freehub just needed a 10mm allen key luckily. Everything was spot on and clean but re greased with fresh. Bearings still 100%.
    Re assembled
    Tested.
    Not a squeak!
    Like new.
    The skewer went in cleanly to give a clue that something was amiss with the hub previously.
    The skewer had been reluctant to go in cleanly before.
    Well at least the spokes will last a lifetime.
  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    alloy nipples should not break. They break if the spokes are too short, they break if a corrosion inhibiter is not used on the threads, they break if they are distorted by a 3 sided nipple key - a 4 sided one should be used. used 10,000's of sapim alloy nipples they dont break if used correctly. Also alloy nipples cause less spoke wind up (almost zero) and when building with thin spokes this is useful. You can use self locking alloy nipples easily, self locking brass even with good thread lubricant can cause cronic windup that means the wheel is difficult to build or spokes get so twisted they have to replaced.

    I am just trying to counter the anti alloy nipple threads out there. There is nothing wrong with them if used properly.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • keezx
    keezx Posts: 1,322
    Didn't know about alloy nipples causing less windup.
    Would be the only reason to use them (for me)
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    Spokes too short... good point. something learnt
    .. hence the replacements I bought and used as replacements , 2 mm longer.
  • fudgey
    fudgey Posts: 854
    Im sure i read somewhere about spokes being to short causing alloy nipples to break..

    Oh yeah, post #3
    My winter bike is exactly the same as my summer bike,,, but dirty...

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