spoke wheel adjustments

[Joelb]

I'm looking for someone around the Nashville area who knows how to tighten spoke wheels. Is this something that can be done at home?

 

[Steve_S]

Yes and no. If you don't know what you're doing, you may do more harm than good. You may be fine, it just depends on what the wheel needs and what you do to it in your attempts to straighten it out. If the overall spoke tension is loose, you can simply tighten spokes. But be prepared to break a few if the wheel is old and rusty.

 

[Keoke]

Hi JoelB, Check Hendrix wire wheel he is located over there on the right coast.---Keoke

 

[Jim_J]

Hendrix is located at
1551-B W. Lee St.
Greensboro, N.C. 27403
336) 852-8909

I posted his web address below.

https://www.hendrixwirewheel.com/

 

[Joelb]

Thanks for the input. I will try to tighten them myself and when I get them good and screwed up, I will call Hendrix!

 

[Lynn Kirkpatrick]

I have a '68 MGBGT with wire wheels. From my experiences of building bicycle wheels, I wouldn't even try to fix my B wheels. Even tension in all off the spokes is a MUST. Loose spokes will cause runout (wobble and hop). Overtight spokes will break. If you don't have the machine that pulls the spoke to the right tension, and then you tighten the nipple, you have to rely on torque of the nipple. If the spoke threads are rusty, you will need a lot of torque to overcome the rust and you won't know what the real tension is in the spoke.

If the rim is bent even a little, you won't be able to remove it with spoke tension, and still have evenly tensioned spokes. Many people think to adjust a spoked wheel, you only tighten spokes. Not true. If there is wobble, treat the spokes like guy wires, loosen one side and then tighten the other, to move it. But again, if the rim is bent, you'll have to tighten the heck out some spokes and you probably won't be able to straighten it.

Wheel builders will remove all of the spokes, check the rim for flatness and roundness before they do anything.

Good luck.

 

[Steve_S]

True on many points. However on a bicycle wheel, a bent rim is not corrected with spoke tension adjustment. The rim is replaced. Normal lateral runout is typically caused by spoke stretch, rim eyelet stretch or loosening nipples (always use thread prep! )

On a car wheel, precise spoke tension balance is not as critical, and the strength of the spoke allows rim misalignment to be corrected to a certain extent. I fully agree that the more balanced the spoke tension is, the longer the wheel will remain straight and the better it will perform.

To my knowledge there is no tensiometer for wheels of the type found on our cars. The spoke is simply too short to accurately place a tool and measure tension by flex.

I have successfully trued quite a few very old wire wheels. Sometimes they last and sometimes they require periodic adjustment. It simply depends on the age of the wheel, how it has been used and how much weathering it has suffered.

I figure it's always worth a try before rebuilding, provided the rim isn't physically bent, especially vertically. A vertical misalignment can be straightened on a bicycle rim, but it takes a large specialty tool to properly straighten a car rim! And when you're done it may or may not be perfect.

I've written a few articles on this basic subject. One that may be of interest is here: https://www.mgnuts.com/mg/tidbits/wheeldish/

 

[Roger]

When I was young and totally impoverished, I had a succession of Austin Sevens, all with wire wheels.
Achieving correct spoke tension was done by ear - tweak, tap, listen.
Taught to me by a service garage old-timer, I used this technique several times. When all same-length spokes gave the same note, you were about right.

 

[DrEntropy]

I went thru an old kit we used to travel with: all the "onboard spares". Found a set of genny brushes inna box and several spokes and nipples, along with the wrenches.

Funny what ya stash and ignore for years. Even had an old bronze second gear balk ring in there.

 

[Steve_S]

The "tap with a wrench" method is accurate enough.

 

[MGTF1250Dave]

I recently replaced a few broken spokes is some wheels. If not replaced, a broken spoke will lead to more broken spokes. In order to lace some of the new spokes in, you may have to undo some surrounding spokes. Before you start, use some PB Blaster or other penetrating oil on the spokes and nipples of those you are working on or may have to undo. You will probably break a few during this process. Those that are removed without breaking, use a tap through the nipple to clean up the threads. After replacing the spokes, tighten and use the "tap" and listen to set the spoke tension. Compare same Length spokes running in the same direction by tapping the center. Good luck.

 

[Ed Kaler]

Roger wrote and I quote:
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:] I had a succession of Austin Sevens, all with wire wheels. [/QUOTE]

If you would like to stir up some of those OLD memories, visit my site and check out Special Cars & Special Cars, Roger!! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/angel.gif

Austin 7s on the Mother Road!! NEAT!!

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cheers.gif
Ed

 

[Steve_S]

Ed, I didn't know you hosted the Austin group. So did I! What a great bunch of people!

See HERE and HERE and two pictures HERE.

 

[Joelb]

Thank you everyone for your input and suggestions. For now I am going to carefully tighten the loose spokes. This winter I will send off the wheels to have them respoked and trued. Right now I have a nasty vib at 55mph, maybe a balance wouldn't hurt either.

Today was the first time I had my midget on the road! My cherry has been popped and I'm hooked!