Lacing spokes your self

electronicx · Posted: March 13, 2008, 10:17 pm Post subject: Lacing spokes your self

Links on lacing spoke wheels
ikes sells the spokes. Why not lace them your self.

www.instructables.com/...nfield-Bu/

blog.makezine.com/arch...el_re.html

www.bmxonline.com/arti...type=howto

TheDude · Posted: March 13, 2008, 11:37 pm Post subject: Re: Lacing spokes your self

thanks, the only local shop that will even do it charges over $200/wheel for labor alone.

Cooltouch · Posted: March 14, 2008, 12:50 am Post subject: Re: Lacing spokes your self

Here's a couple more links on lacing wheels. The first is the best article I've seen on the subject, although both are outstanding. The second is specific to the BMW /2, but much of what is written there will apply to any bike. One of the things mentioned in the /2 article that is not mentioned in the Web Bike World article is where the spoke must be rapped with a hammer and punch to make sure it's seated.

www.webbikeworld.com/m...ke-wheels/

agwalker.com/wheelbuilding.html

Best,

ichael

dwyatt · Posted: March 14, 2008, 4:13 am Post subject: Re: Lacing spokes your self

Give it a go, it is much easier than you'd think. Also, the biggest help I found was taking a good picture of the wheel BEFORE taking it apart. The picture makes a great guide to putting the new spokes in the proper hole when you start relacing. Also, as in the guide articles, slowly tighten the new spokes around the whole wheel to avoid high/low spots and big side-to-side wobbles. Just go slow and do it, you'll be glad yo did it.

I just rebuild both wheels, and changed the front to an 18, which required slight drilling to change the angles for the spokes in a rim from a rear wheel as well as using spokes from an XS360. I hadn't respoked a wheel in 30 years, so needless to say, I was puckered, but an hour after I started, I had two fresh wheels, boh running true. If you start to get anxious or tired, step away and come back to it fresh.

georelle · Posted: March 14, 2008, 8:19 am Post subject: Re: Lacing spokes your self

Those web links look very helpful. Thanks. I cut the old spokes out of my rear wheel last week and am polishing it up now. Luckily I have another set of rims to copy off. If this works out I will be doing the rest of the rims as well.

Georelle

royfisk · Posted: March 14, 2008, 9:18 am Post subject: Re: Lacing spokes your self

4 count . I do wheels for 100 a wheel.

5twins · Full Member Joined: Aug 05, 2006 Posts: 1616

Seating the spoke is only necessary when using straight pull spokes like on the BMWs and that Velorex side car wheel in the link. Actually, you don't even need to do this. Straight pull spokes are stamped or pressed out which leaves a ridge on both sides under the head. Rapping them with a hammer drives and seats this into the hub. If you don't use the hammer, that ridge will seat itself into the hub over time and the spoke could loosen up slightly. As I said, you don't really need to do this as there is already a depression in the hub spoke hole from the last spoke. Simply rotate the new spoke slowly while pulling down on it until you feel it drop into the existing notch. The 650 uses spokes with an angle bend at the top so you needn't do any of this with them.

pumps · Posted: March 14, 2008, 2:16 pm Post subject: Re: Lacing spokes your self

I spoke to a local shop and they quoted $40 a wheel labor..makes me think it would be easier to let them do it but then I wouldn't have done it myself. It's a pride thing.

After reading all the links, I think I might have a go at it.

jetmechmarty · Posted: March 14, 2008, 3:20 pm Post subject: Re: Lacing spokes your self

Where are the best places to source stainless spokes for the "rain catcher" rims?

arty (in Georgia)

Tomterrific · Posted: March 14, 2008, 6:56 pm Post subject: Re: Lacing spokes your self

Bucannan's has stainlees spokes but they are pricey.

I'll add this to relacing instructions. I stamped the rim and the hub to index them A tiny R for right at the valve hole on the rim and directly above it on the hub. Then I used dry erase marker to number 1 to 18 on the hub and 1 to 36 on the rim. I then drew a picture of the wheel noting whether the spoke was an innie or outie. I probably didn't need this kind of detail when I did the job as most every set of instructions desribed how to get the lacing correct with a new hub and rim starting from scratch. But the drawing gave me confidence that I could get everything back the way it was after I cut off all teh old spokes. I just renumbered the rim and hub after I polished them and connected the spokes to the numbers like the picture.

Tom Graham

Cooltouch · Posted: March 14, 2008, 10:05 pm Post subject: Re: Lacing spokes your self

I don't know of anyone else besides Buchanan's for stainless. Anyone?

They're pricey, but when you're done with them, you're done for life is the way I see it.

Best,

ichael

tintin · Full Member Joined: May 07, 2007 Posts: 96

Let me ask you fine folk a question. I just put my newly laced rear wheel into my 1972 swingarm/frame setup, with what I believe are the correct spacers in the right place - everything fit into the swingarm like a glove.

BUT, the rear wheel is off-centre in the swingarm. It's off to the right a good 1/4 inch I'd say.

I haven't gotten sprockets on to check chain alignment. So, the question is if there is any 'dish' to be put into the rear wheel? Or is it possible that my later model rear wheel (shouldered alloy rim) in the 1972 swingarm/spacers is just not the right combination?

I have a couple of later model swingarms, which are wider than the 1972 arm, so can go that route if that solves the problem. I just assumed that the rear hubs on these bikes might actually have been the same.

This isn't the best picture in the world (don't mind my arse) but you can make out the dust cover/spacer on the left and the little spacer on the right. Only parts I haven't polished yet. You can't see the offset of the wheel in this picture unfortunately.

Any thoughts? BTW - the spokes are stainless nipple/spokes from Buchanans - ordered through East Coast Wheels which offered better pricing/shipping to Canada than going to Buchanan's directly. Go figure.

5twins · Full Member Joined: Aug 05, 2006 Posts: 1616

Well, it's not so much the offset of the wheel in the swingarm, it's the alignment with the front wheel that counts. Some wheels run way over to one side in the swingarm so they will align with the front. And .... did you check the rim offset to the hub on the original before you dismantled it? That's like the NUMBER ONE THING you do before taking one apart.

tintin · Full Member Joined: May 07, 2007 Posts: 96

Nope - the wheels are a mishmash of different hubs/rims.

18" shouldered alloy rims front and back, XS1 drum hub up front and standard rear hub in the back.

So, yeah, I'm a noob - I'll freely admit that when it comes to wheels. In your picture there, what is the offset you've measured? I can check mine to see if it's different.

I'll of course be confirming things, but the rear wheel doesn't line up with the centre of the frame, so it seems clear that it's off.

royfisk · Posted: March 25, 2008, 8:51 am Post subject: Re: Lacing spokes your self

Wheels should be centered to the hub if laced correctly. It does not matter if the drum side is differant from the backing plate. The only thing i see are you useing a xs-1 axle on a later tx or special swingarm? If so that is probably the problam you are haveing. The wheel hubs are the same but the axles are not either are the spacers. But the wheel should be centered to the hubs lacing spool. Offsetting a wheel , you will never be able to ballance it correctly, this is why the fat tired rear wheel chopper guys cant just offset a wheel and through on a 200 mm tire to the back of a bike.

tintin · Full Member Joined: May 07, 2007 Posts: 96

The swingarm is a 1972 model, and I thought the spacers looked exactly like the ones in the parts manuals for the 1972 rear wheel. Will have another look.

5twins · Full Member Joined: Aug 05, 2006 Posts: 1616

The offset of the wheel in my picture probably won't help you. Almost every wheel is different. You'll need to do a little math to find yours. Find the distance from the center of your hub to the top of the brake drum and subtract half the rim width from that. If you had the wheels laced professionally, they probably took care of that.

The wheel in my picture is a TX750 rear and has a 4mm offset. The hub is different than the 650's (larger). On the several 18" alloy rim 650 rears I've done, there was no measurable offset. A straight edge laid across the brake drum just touched the outer high edge of the rim. If your rear is a standard 650 hub and rim, I would think it should be the same.

tintin · Full Member Joined: May 07, 2007 Posts: 96

Great - thanks a lot! The wheels were laced professionally. I'll measure the current offset, and more importantly confirm alignment of the sprockets.

I figure if the sprockets are lined up, then the hub is in the rights spot and the rim needs to be adjusted over a bit. It's only off by about 6mm or so I would think from centre.

From what I understand that can be accomplished by adjusting spokes to pull the rim over a bit.

5twins · Full Member Joined: Aug 05, 2006 Posts: 1616

As I mentioned, you really shouldn't be concerned if the rim is centered in the swingarm or not. Many bikes aren't. More important is the sprocket alignment, as you mentioned, and the front to rear wheel alignment. The wheels have to be in line for the bike to track properly. To check that, you can lay long straight boards along the sides of the front and rear wheels or use string lines. Here's a link .....

www.yamahafz1oa.com/sp...thod.shtml

tintin · Full Member Joined: May 07, 2007 Posts: 96

Yep - I'll be confirming sprocket and wheel alignment with things as-is, but I'm sure there must be some 'standard' specific to the XS650 (which is why I posted the issue on this board) with regards to if the wheel is centered in the swingarm.

I'm quite sure it is, as the frame/swingarm/forks are symmetrical from what I can see. The front tire is centered in the forks clearly enough, so the rear tire should be centered in the swingarm.

xsjohn · Posted: March 25, 2008, 8:31 pm Post subject: Re: Lacing spokes your self

Could measure one of the cast wheels that were made specific for the XS.....

xsjohn

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