# Re-dish the rear wheel.... Or just use loads of spacers?



## Andrew_Culture (8 Apr 2013)

When I first had my SS converted the fellow who helped me redished the rear wheel but I never really asked why. When that wheel died I replaced it with another wheel and used loads of free hub spacers to get the chain alignment straight, which to my mind is far simpler than re-dishing the wheel.

So what exactly is redishing, and why is it done when spacers make the job easier?


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## Dan_h (8 Apr 2013)

In order to accommodate the width of the gear cluster on the rear wheel the hub is moved off center away from the cogs. This means that in order to get the rim in the middle of the wheel it is offset towards the cogs. In effect this means if you look at the rear wheel of a geared bike you will see that the spokes on the drive side are almost vertical and the ones on the other side are at a steeper angle.

Redishing is basically removing the spacers from the hub so that it sits centrally then realigning the rim into the center of the wheel by adjusting the spokes. This is why if you look at the spokes on a singlespeed wheel they are at the same angle on both sides.of the rim. The reason this is a good thing is that it is generally stronger as the load is spread evenly between both sets of spokes.


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## Old Plodder (8 Apr 2013)

He was centralising the hub to get even tension to both sides of the spokes & making the wheel stronger, not too essential if you're not carrying a heavy load, but always looks better.


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## Andrew_Culture (8 Apr 2013)

Thanks to both of you, now I get it!

I only use my single speed for carrying me, and I'm not too heavy these days


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## derrick (8 Apr 2013)

How does re dishing the wheel help line up the chain, surely this is to do with the hub, re dishing will get the wheel rim centered. or am i missing something, ?


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## Dan_h (8 Apr 2013)

derrick said:


> How does re dishing the wheel help line up the chain, surely this is to do with the hub, re dishing will get the wheel rim centered. or am i missing something, ?


 
You take the cluster off first so if you only had one gear it would be where the largest cog sits closest to the spokes. Without the other cogs this will move the chainline inwards towards the spokes. To correct this you remove the spacers from the drive side and put them on the opposite side to move the hub over until the chainline is straight. Because the hub has moved to where the gears used to be the rim will now no longer be central to the wheel so the re dish will move it back to the middle... there must be a picture out there that explains it clearer somewhere!


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## Dan_h (8 Apr 2013)

This seems to explain it quite well, and has pictures! http://www.63xc.com/dennb/redish.htm


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## derrick (8 Apr 2013)

Dan_h said:


> You take the cluster off first so if you only had one gear it would be where the largest cog sits closest to the spokes. Without the other cogs this will move the chainline inwards towards the spokes. To correct this you remove the spacers from the drive side and put them on the opposite side to move the hub over until the chainline is straight. Because the hub has moved to where the gears used to be the rim will now no longer be central to the wheel so the re dish will move it back to the middle... there must be a picture out there that explains it clearer somewhere!


That's what i said.


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## marzjennings (8 Apr 2013)

Re-dishing the wheel only make sense on a threaded hub, where the hub can be centralized to the frame. It's a pointless exercise with a cassette body hub.


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## Andrew_Culture (8 Apr 2013)

marzjennings said:


> Re-dishing the wheel only make sense on a threaded hub, where the hub can be centralized to the frame. It's a pointless exercise with a cassette body hub.



Exactly what I wanted to hear


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