My Wheel Building Guide

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My Wheel Building Guide
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flag seraph
Posted: Jan 17, 2017 at 1:28 Quote
That "rim thickness" thing is BS. ERD will be the same regardless of the thickness of the material. Also if you subtract 4mm from the spoke length, you get close to what my calculator came out with.

But seriously, I've been using the same calculator to build wheels at a professional level (i.e. for work) for years. It's never let me down.
flag ShortBoi
Posted: Jan 17, 2017 at 16:44 Quote
seraph wrote:
ShortBoi wrote:
Hey guys, im building a wheel. I used prowheelbuilder online spoke calculator to get the spoke lengths.
So while i tension up the spokes, i follow the chart and pull them to 110kgf. But the thing is, both side cannot be 110kgf if i want the dish. If i tighten both left and right side, it will be off dished.

How do i determine what tension to run on the longer spoke side then? just pull one side till 110kgf and make sure the wheel is dished ?

You want higher tension on the drive side in the back, and on the disc side in the front.
Yes i know that. But how do i determine what the lesser tension side should be?
So long the higher tension side is pull too the rims recommended kgf and the hub dished? The lower tension can be whatever number ?
flag stymiecat
Posted: Jan 17, 2017 at 19:23 Quote
ShortBoi wrote:
seraph wrote:
ShortBoi wrote:
Hey guys, im building a wheel. I used prowheelbuilder online spoke calculator to get the spoke lengths.
So while i tension up the spokes, i follow the chart and pull them to 110kgf. But the thing is, both side cannot be 110kgf if i want the dish. If i tighten both left and right side, it will be off dished.

How do i determine what tension to run on the longer spoke side then? just pull one side till 110kgf and make sure the wheel is dished ?

You want higher tension on the drive side in the back, and on the disc side in the front.
Yes i know that. But how do i determine what the lesser tension side should be?
So long the higher tension side is pull too the rims recommended kgf and the hub dished? The lower tension can be whatever number ?

Your over thinking this... make sure that the drive side is tight and the wheel is dished. The wheel will let you know when it has had enouph. When a small change in tension has a greater impact on true... it's there. After building wheels for a while, you will trust your instinct, and not numbers on a guage.
Trust me on this.. after many years of building, I have yet to have a set fail.
flag ShortBoi
Posted: Jan 17, 2017 at 22:38 Quote
Thanks so much for your reply. I've bulit about 20sets so far. But im just following a 'formula' Eg: Hope pro 4 laced to ZTR Flow ex rear: DS 22Nm, NS 16nm on a 2mm spoke.

Also, any idea why im rounding brass nipples? Titanium spokes, carbon rims, ck hubs.
my spoke key fits them fine. I have a whole set of spoke keys from parktool and superb so they arent worn.
But upon hitting 22nm, when i want to pull it tighter to abt 23/24 it rounds. I soak the spoke threads in lintseed oil.
should i oil bath the nipples too?

stymiecat wrote:
ShortBoi wrote:
seraph wrote:


You want higher tension on the drive side in the back, and on the disc side in the front.
Yes i know that. But how do i determine what the lesser tension side should be?
So long the higher tension side is pull too the rims recommended kgf and the hub dished? The lower tension can be whatever number ?

Your over thinking this... make sure that the drive side is tight and the wheel is dished. The wheel will let you know when it has had enouph. When a small change in tension has a greater impact on true... it's there. After building wheels for a while, you will trust your instinct, and not numbers on a guage.
Trust me on this.. after many years of building, I have yet to have a set fail.
flag Nobble
Posted: Jan 17, 2017 at 23:13 Quote
ShortBoi wrote:
Thanks so much for your reply. I've bulit about 20sets so far. But im just following a 'formula' Eg: Hope pro 4 laced to ZTR Flow ex rear: DS 22Nm, NS 16nm on a 2mm spoke.

Also, any idea why im rounding brass nipples? Titanium spokes, carbon rims, ck hubs.
my spoke key fits them fine. I have a whole set of spoke keys from parktool and superb so they arent worn.
But upon hitting 22nm, when i want to pull it tighter to abt 23/24 it rounds. I soak the spoke threads in lintseed oil.
should i oil bath the nipples too?

stymiecat wrote:
ShortBoi wrote:

Yes i know that. But how do i determine what the lesser tension side should be?
So long the higher tension side is pull too the rims recommended kgf and the hub dished? The lower tension can be whatever number ?

Your over thinking this... make sure that the drive side is tight and the wheel is dished. The wheel will let you know when it has had enouph. When a small change in tension has a greater impact on true... it's there. After building wheels for a while, you will trust your instinct, and not numbers on a guage.
Trust me on this.. after many years of building, I have yet to have a set fail.
have you tried greasing the inside of the eyelet where the nipple sits? I find that it helps them come up to tension quite a bit easier.

Also, why are you measuring spoke tensions with torque? It should be Newtons or Kgf
flag ShortBoi
Posted: Jan 18, 2017 at 0:02 Quote
sorry i meant Newtons. hmmm no i have not. sounds logical. hmm but would there be any faster method? 32h and the hole being so small doesn't help haha

Nobble wrote:
ShortBoi wrote:
Thanks so much for your reply. I've bulit about 20sets so far. But im just following a 'formula' Eg: Hope pro 4 laced to ZTR Flow ex rear: DS 22Nm, NS 16nm on a 2mm spoke.

Also, any idea why im rounding brass nipples? Titanium spokes, carbon rims, ck hubs.
my spoke key fits them fine. I have a whole set of spoke keys from parktool and superb so they arent worn.
But upon hitting 22nm, when i want to pull it tighter to abt 23/24 it rounds. I soak the spoke threads in lintseed oil.
should i oil bath the nipples too?

stymiecat wrote:


Your over thinking this... make sure that the drive side is tight and the wheel is dished. The wheel will let you know when it has had enouph. When a small change in tension has a greater impact on true... it's there. After building wheels for a while, you will trust your instinct, and not numbers on a guage.
Trust me on this.. after many years of building, I have yet to have a set fail.
have you tried greasing the inside of the eyelet where the nipple sits? I find that it helps them come up to tension quite a bit easier.

Also, why are you measuring spoke tensions with torque? It should be Newtons or Kgf
flag Kober
Posted: May 14, 2017 at 17:44 Quote
Not sure whether this is the correct thread, but I've got a quick question.
I'm looking for a summer replacement for 26x4.8 150/197 wheels, and I was wondering if Framed Pro-X 29+ 3.0 F150/R197 HG Wheel Set would be a good fit (i.e. is the external diamater similiar, etc.) or would 27.5x3.0 be closer (ext. size-wise) to the original wheels?
flag npfogell
Posted: May 20, 2017 at 17:13 Quote
I am attempting my first wheel build. Industry 9 Torch Hubs...27.5 Boost 110 front and Boost 148 rear...with Spank Spike Race 33 rims. I went through a few different spoke length calculators (DT swiss, prowheelbuilder.com, etc) and came up with spoke lengths to use. I laced up both wheels and began to increase tension (starting with rear wheel) and found that I was reaching tension before reaching the end of the threads (in some cases over half of the threads were still showing). It seems that my spoke lengths were too short....

So I went and double checked my measurements for ERD, and Hub demensions from i9 website....everything was correct....

Then I noticed on QBP (Quality Bicycle Parts...I am a mechanic) that they have an ERD that is 3mm longer than the manufacturers measurement
(manufacturer ERD was 554mm)
(QBP measured ERD was 557mm)

with the longer ERD entered in I got 2mm longer spokes on rear wheel, and 4mm longer spokes for front wheel...I re-laced the rear wheel tonight and was able to get the spokes right to the end of the threads with tension just starting (which from reading a lot....referencing build guides...and co-workers who build wheels a lot....this seems like better spoke length)


Is this normal? ....from reading it seems like the manufacturers ERD is the way to go.....but it doesn't seems to be working ......should I measure the ERD myself? or trust the QBP measurement

just seems odd...
flag stymiecat
Posted: May 20, 2017 at 17:37 Quote
npfogell wrote:

So I went and double checked my measurements for ERD, and Hub demensions from i9 website....everything was correct....

Then I noticed on QBP (Quality Bicycle Parts...I am a mechanic) that they have an ERD that is 3mm longer than the manufacturers measurement
(manufacturer ERD was 554mm)
(QBP measured ERD was


Is this normal? ....from reading it seems like the manufacturers ERD is the way to go.....but it doesn't seems to be working ......should I measure the ERD myself? or trust the QBP measurement

just seems odd...

After building a few hundred pairs of wheels over many years... I will tell ya as I tell everyone I run into with spoke questions. Never use the ERD as written... always measure before buying spokes as I have had the same rims come out to slighty different measurements ver time. Nothing extreme mind you, but since I have done this I have yet to go wrong.
flag StevieJB
Posted: Jun 4, 2017 at 13:34 Quote
Great guide. Just did my 1st wheel 29er for a rigid XC bike, an old Hope Pro2 Evo hub, DT Swiss plain gauge championship spokes and Easton ARC 27 rim. Used prowheelbuilder for spoke calculation and seems to have got it bang on.
flag johan90
Posted: Jun 6, 2017 at 1:58 Quote
So I got a little inspired for my next set I am building and want something besides the usual 3x pattern but the spokes are already on their way. Is there any back of the envelope rules I can use to get some other pattern? I have another set of the hubs on 26 rims that will be replaced next year so I can just get new spokes and keep these for the next build since I will pick up the same set of hoops.
flag simplz
Posted: Jun 12, 2017 at 20:32 Quote
I need help.

Truing/Dishing done. Last step -> Stress relieving

Before stress relieving the wheel, the average tension drive side was 1100N.
After stress relieving the wheel, the average tension dropped to 950N.
Now, should the wheel be re-tension (re-tighten) after stress relieving the peak stresses?
The wheel maximum tension is 1200N as indicated by manufacturer.
Your recommendation?
flag seraph
Posted: Jun 12, 2017 at 21:02 Quote
I almost never build to maximum recommended tension. Always a bit under. Build it, ride it, check tension again later.
flag simplz
Posted: Jun 12, 2017 at 22:38 Quote
seraph wrote:
I almost never build to maximum recommended tension. Always a bit under. Build it, ride it, check tension again later.

80% of maximum tension of 1200N is around 960N. So should I tighten up the tension again after stress relieving? It was not mentioned in the steps.

How much "a bit under" will you recommend?
flag ajax-ripper
Posted: Jun 13, 2017 at 0:02 Quote
110 kg force on drive side out back and disk side up front.

 


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