replacing a rim

[alecstilleyedye]

i've been quoted about £80 for replacing a rim (£40 for the rim, £40 for the build), but i'm toying with buying a rim online and loosely attaching the spokes to hub and rim, and then letting the lbs true it all up (the less they have to do, the cheaper it is).

should be able to do the whole thing for a lot less than £80 that way, but is it as straightforward as that?

 

[drummerbod]

Do it yourself - what you got to lose? If you can't get it true then take it in to Halfords - they true wheels for £11.

 

[goody]

You could tape the spokes together where they cross then put a bit of masking tape on each one numbering them clockwise from the valve hole before you take the old rim off. This should make sure the spokes go in the correct holes, then take your wobbly wheel to the bike shop who might charge a bit more than a normal re true so you'd probably not save that much. I think I'd let them do the job.

 

[mcshroom]

Tape the rims together and move the spokes one by one over to the other rim. Then true it up and it's done )

 

[Profpointy]

Although I've never done it, I know people who've used 'schroom's method above, and that's what I'd do, and indeed, will be doing when the time comes. You can always take it in to the shop to get 'em to sort it out if it isn't quite right.

That said, £40 labour doesn't seem that bad - couple of hours I guess, so I'd only do the above if you want to do it yourself "just because".
(which is the very reason I'd do it )

 

[User6179]

Depending on mileage if I was getting a new rim I would want new spokes as well .

 

[RebornBumbler]

I've replaced rims on a (relatively new) pair of wheels after a crash very successfully.
Loosen all the spokes, and sit the wheel on top of the new rim in your lap - then just go around swapping the spokes over one at a time. There are plenty of wise words on the net regarding the process.

Truing (initial stages particularly) is a bit tricky - but stick with it and you'll probably surprise yourself.
(A couple of cable ties around the forks and stays with the brake calipers removed makes a pretty good truing stand)

As already pointed-out - you can take it to a shop for the final tweaks.

Don't bother if the spokes are ancient or any are badly bent, though.

 

[albion]

I did one last week.

I started near the inner tube hole and soon found that I needed to loosely do the new RIM side spokes first.
I did not use tape, simply doing one each of a north south east and west spoke first.

Make sure you grease the spoke before putting each nipple goes back on. A clicking noise after first using a trued wheel is caused by corrosion at the nipple head and, by experience, causes premature spoke failure.

 

[Mobytek]

Most shops would either a) not touch it if you said you just wanted them to finish it off, or b) would chargeyou full whack stating that they want to start it from scratch (also gives you the guarentee for parts and labour). Yoi wouldn't find a builder that would finish off what someone else had started.

£40 for a build a bit steep but if you;re not buying anything off them then they have no profit margin.

Give a good mechanin a hub, a rim, spokes and a tub of nipples (hehehe) and should be done in 15, precision true another 10. you re paying for the knowledge, experteese and that they have the right tools - need a stand, gauge probs a spoke tension meter, and what you going to do if you snap or thread a spoke?

Support your LBS's (the good ones) and they will support your back. Turn up with CRC parts and a half done job and they'll remember you for the wrong reasons.

 

[Cycleops]

£20 an hour labour sounds cheap to me, compared to around a hundred quid or more at your local garage. Mind you I had a second hand rim laced onto an existing hub last week and it cost me 35cedis (about £7 50).

 

[alecstilleyedye]

well having tried to get the old rim off, i've decided to get a new rim and let the lbs do the work. the hub is a shimano 561, and the spokes are not conventionally laced where the nipple grabs the spoke at the rim, so having managed only to loosen a few but not get them out, i'll leave it.

the spokes are ok; the rim was trashed by using a metal tyre lever at the join whilst trying to get a difficult tyre off

 

[Arjimlad]

I take it that the new rim has to be the same size internally as the old rim ?

I have my original Giant wheels with worn rims. The Shimano hubs are fine though. Often wondered how to measure the rims to buy replacements.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

I take it that the new rim has to be the same size internally as the old rim ?

I have my original Giant wheels with worn rims. The Shimano hubs are fine though. Often wondered how to measure the rims to buy replacements.

Rim size for wheelbuilding is measured as the Effective Rim Diameter or ERD. Not to be confused with ERTRO, this is sometimes provided on a sticker on the rim. Have a look at see if the ERD is mentioned on your rim. Otherwise, tell me what type of rim you have on there (Giant is not good enough, I want to see a photo and a photo of the sticker) and I'll look up in my database if I can find a similar ERD'd rim for you. Measuring it yourself requires more explanation that I want to type right now, so maybe Google it.

 

[Arjimlad]

Thank you very much.