BREAKING

Tech Tips/ DIY

Wheel Wright

Lacing And Truing Basics

Article By: Daniel Donley At Pandemonium Custom Choppers www.pandemoniumc2.com

Originally Published in The April 2013 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine

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By now, all of us are elbow deep into our winter projects. With bike week & summer just around the corner, it’s time to get things wrapped up. This month’s tech comes from Chris’s ‘49 Panhead, “Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride,” project and the book Custom Bike Building Basics published by Wolfgang Publications. We’re gonna build the front wheelwright!

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We started off with a 21” H-D style wheel for this chopper project. After we got to looking at it, I was not satisfied. I decided to unlace the hub from the wheel and then install a spool hub and new polished stainless spokes.

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We purchased the spool hub from Warren at Jr’s Cycle Products. They pointed us in the right direction to purchase quality, polished stainless spokes and nipples from Buchanan’s Spoke & Rim Inc. that would work with the Jr’s Cycle Products’ hub and Chris’s rim combination. We sourced bearings from a local bearing supply store.

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We used an arbor press to install one bearing into the hub. Then we turned the hub over, installed the inner bearing spacer and then pressed the other bearing in.

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With the hub finished up, it was time to install the spokes into the hub. The spokes are two different lengths on the throat. The throat is the end with the bend on it. The short throat spokes go to the inside of the hub and the long to the outside.

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With all the spokes laced into the hub, we laid the spoked hub into the wheel. With this wheel/spoke configuration, a 3 cross pattern was used. This part can get confusing quick. Buchanan’s Spoke & Rim Inc. was quick to answer our questions; they have great customer service. Just be sure to take your time and be patient here.

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With all the spokes in their proper rim holes, it’s time to install the nipples onto the threaded ends of the spokes. Be sure to apply spoke nipple assembly lube to all of the threads; this will keep the spokes and nipples from galling during the tightening process.

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With the nipples started onto the spokes, evenly turn in the nipples a little at a time until they are all finger tight.

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At this point, the wheel is starting to feel tight, so it’s time to go to the truing stand and get this baby trued up. Working slowly and evenly around the wheel, tighten the nipples in small increments by lightly tapping the spoke with your truing wrench. You will hear a tingeing sound which indicates your spoke is tight. Hear a thud sound, and the spoke is loose and needs tightening.

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By using dial indicators on the rim, one for sideto- side measurements and one for up and down measurements, you can now check your work. Example: If the rim wobbles to the left, loosen the left and snug up the opposing right to make it run true. This applies to an up and down wobble as well. Building a wheel from scratch can be quite overwhelming, but with time and patience, you will be rewarded with one sweet wheel!

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