Trueing wheels

[Yellow Fang]

I'm trying to true up a buckled wheel, thanks to an incident at the railway station, which I won't go into

Anyway, I've evened it out a bit, but I am hampered by not knowing for sure which way to turn the spokes. Anyone have a good way of remembering?

 

[PJ79LIZARD]

Left to loosen!

 

[Chris James]

Left to loosen!

Um, no.

You turn the nipples, which have a right hand thread. If you are truing with the tyres still on then anticlockwise actually increases spoke tension.

 

[Yellow Fang]

Left to loosen!

I thought this. I thought right is tight and left is loose. Then tried it and it seemed not to work. But in the end I was not sure which way it was supposed to be. Another complication is that you've got the spokes close to you and the spokes on the other side.

 

[JonnyBlade]

Left 'loosey' me thinks

 

[John the Monkey]

I'm trying to true up a buckled wheel, thanks to an incident at the railway station, which I won't go into

Anyway, I've evened it out a bit, but I am hampered by not knowing for sure which way to turn the spokes. Anyone have a good way of remembering?

Imagine looking down on the top of the spoke nipple from the rim.

These have a slot in them that you turn with a nipple driver when building the wheel - I find it easiest to visualise that, picture turning the nipple from the top, as you would tightening or loosening a screw.

A disc shaped spoke key (like a Spokey) can be marked - fit it to the nipple, and with the nipple highest, and you stood to the right of the wheel, mark the left half of the key's face with a dot. You turn TO the dot to tighten.

Or, again with you on the right of the wheel, and the spoke key fitted with the spoke nipple facing up, holding the key with your right hand, remember that you turn to your thumb to tighten.

 

[Yellow Fang]

Imagine looking down on the top of the spoke nipple from the rim.

These have a slot in them that you turn with a nipple driver when building the wheel - I find it easiest to visualise that, picture turning the nipple from the top, as you would tightening or loosening a screw.

A disc shaped spoke key (like a Spokey) can be marked - fit it to the nipple, and with the nipple highest, and you stood to the right of the wheel, mark the left half of the key's face with a dot. You turn TO the dot to tighten.

Or, again with you on the right of the wheel, and the spoke key fitted with the spoke nipple facing up, holding the key with your right hand, remember that you turn to your thumb to tighten.

Cheers, I think I get that

 

[mcshroom]

Video speaks a thousand words: -

link

 

[John the Monkey]

Cheers, I think I get that

Easier to show you than to say!

Here's a Spoke Key;


15-05-2011 by John the Monkey, on Flickr

Any clearer? The nipple would fit in the opening at the top so the hub is below the picture, and the rim above.

 

[Yellow Fang]

Easier to show you than to say!

Here's a Spoke Key;


15-05-2011 by John the Monkey, on Flickr

Any clearer? The nipple would fit in the opening at the top so the hub is below the picture, and the rim above.

Yes, that's clearer. I have a different type of spoke key though. It's a triangular one with three notches for different size spokes. That confirms my 'right is tight, left is loose' aide memoire is wrong, but I can't think of a correct aide memoire that's as good. I think I'll just have to remember that 'right is tight, left is loose' is wrong.

 

[PJ79LIZARD]

Well I remember it as left to loosen. Your looking at the nipple from the tyre side, you turn it anti clockwise which to me is my thumb going left. Clockwise to tighten. Well I am part Irish.

 

[John the Monkey]

I think I'll just have to remember that 'right is tight, left is loose' is wrong.

Pretty much!

(Unless you're tightening by using a screwdriver on the slot in the top of the nipple).

Visualising the motion of the nipple head in the rim helps me (as does marking the spoke key).

Essentially you're tightening a nut from its underside.

 

[Yellow Fang]

Well I remember it as left to loosen. Your looking at the nipple from the tyre side, you turn it anti clockwise which to me is my thumb going left. Clockwise to tighten. Well I am part Irish.

I suppose if you're looking edge on to the wheel then left is anticlockwise. If you're looking side on to the wheel, left is clockwise. So clockwise is tight, anticlockwise is loose.

 

[Dayvo]

This explains it very well:


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU2yKPRglaM&feature=fvwrel

 

[fossyant]

Always adjust spokes at the top of the wheel, not bottom.

And tighten one, loosen another - keeps the wheel round - ideally do a set of 4 or 6 spokes. Quarter turn only, then spin. Stops the egg shape.