What could possibly go wrong.....

Discussion in 'Wheel Building' started by Lost Kiwi, Sep 2, 2021.


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  1. Lost Kiwi

    Lost Kiwi Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Portola Hills
    Name:
    Simon
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    I'll get the list of excuses out of the way first:
    1. I haven't built a wheel in over 20 years
    2. I made my own tools
    3. I will be drinking whilst doing this
    On the plus side I have plenty of time to kill (can't ride again due to medical reasons :() and the bike shop have stopped returning calls to give me a new ETA on the frame that these wheels are for so if I mess it up and have to start again then no problem. :D
    Here's what I'm working with, try not to laugh to much!
    Wheels.jpg
    Paul Components hubs (Boost), Mavic 430 rims, Sapim race spokes and brass nipples.
    Home made truing stand and gauges.
     
  2. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    I’m embarrassed to say I bought a truing stand. :oops:

    That’s impressive… :thumbsup:
     
  3. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    Your list entries sound like advantages to me.

    :cool:
     
  4. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower
    It's like riding a bike.....you relearn really quick.

    I like the truing stand.

    Honestly, of all the dozens of wheels I have built, I have never used a dishing tool.
     
  5. Danimal

    Danimal iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Mission Viejo
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    Epic Evo
    I know....for me to build that I'd have to buy most of the tools. Good job Kiwi!

    Now about doing the build on the dining table...:eek::cool:
     
  6. Lost Kiwi

    Lost Kiwi Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Portola Hills
    Name:
    Simon
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    I don't recall using a dishing tool in the past either, however I had the materials lying around to build one and thought it'd be interesting to have.
     
    Danmtchl, mike, mtnbikej and 3 others like this.
  7. Redman

    Redman iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Henderson, Nv
    Name:
    Kevin
    Current Bike:
    SC OG Hightower 29'r
    The only time I used one was when I worked at an LBS. I always have WAY MORE trouble with "hop" than "dishing". Several times I've had to back out all the tension on all the spokes and start over. :bang::bang::cautious:
     
  8. Runs with Scissors

    Runs with Scissors iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    West Anaheim
    Name:
    Mark Whitaker
    Current Bike:
    Giant XTC with pedals
    This is where the term "persnickety" originated. :p
     
    Danmtchl, mike, Danimal and 3 others like this.
  9. Lost Kiwi

    Lost Kiwi Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Portola Hills
    Name:
    Simon
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    Yeah, had a change of venue tonight, the one that wears the pants in this house was not impressed.
    I had to look that one up, thats a word that does not translate at all!

    In tonights installment I'm all laced up, one spoke installed backwards (I blame the beer). I'll start tensioning mañana. Excuse the mess, its a man cave.
    Have to say the truing stand is rock solid and the radial and lateral gauges work excellently. No affiliation but totally worth the few quid (12 usd) for the instructions https://www.wheelpro.co.uk/wheelbuilding/book.php a proper no bs guide to help anyone learn (or relearn) the art of wheelbuilding.
    Laced.jpg
     
    Cyclotourist, RIGID, bvader and 13 others like this.
  10. Obsidian

    Obsidian iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Costa Mesa
    Name:
    Obsidian
    Current Bike:
    27.5 Intense Tracer
    I am currently riding with a broken spoke and wobbly wheel. How much do you charge? :Roflmao
     
  11. Lost Kiwi

    Lost Kiwi Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Portola Hills
    Name:
    Simon
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    Its an hourly rate, about 2 beers an hour, I start charging less after the second hour :D

    In all seriousness though if you're coming out to Whiting/Luge to ride and have spare parts then I'd be more than happy to throw it on the stand and take a look at it for you.
     
  12. Obsidian

    Obsidian iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Costa Mesa
    Name:
    Obsidian
    Current Bike:
    27.5 Intense Tracer
    I was joking, but I might take you up on that offer. Wheel truing and derailleur adjustments are dark arts to me. And I am a beer specialist.
     
  13. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower

    Internal nipples on Enve’s….not enough money to do the work. :sick::gag:
     
  14. Danimal

    Danimal iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Mission Viejo
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    Epic Evo
    Is it worse than fishing for dropper cables though little holes in the frame? That was a PITA for sure.
     
    Danmtchl, mtnbikej and Obsidian like this.
  15. Rumpled

    Rumpled Well-Known Member

    Location:
    OC
    Name:
    Jim Martin
    Current Bike:
    2018 Specialized Epic Carbon C
    I found a tip to use a vacuum and string, worked great.
     
    Redman, RIGID, Danmtchl and 3 others like this.
  16. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower

    Could be worse.
     
    Danimal and Danmtchl like this.
  17. Lost Kiwi

    Lost Kiwi Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Portola Hills
    Name:
    Simon
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    With oldest son packed off to bed and youngster on the end of a drip down at the hospital I managed to make some in-roads on tensioning up the wheels. Getting close, wheels are running pretty much spot on for trueness and dish. Think I'm about one more lap of 1/4 turns from complete. Just keeping an eye on the spoke twist now.

    Little mans on his way home from hospital and I'm knackered. I'll leave the final finishing till tomorrow.
     
    mike, Cyclotourist, Danmtchl and 8 others like this.
  18. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    Hope the little one is ok...

    Nice job on the wheels. Something tells me you're a natural at it... :thumbsup:
     
  19. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower
    Relieve the tension on the spokes/wheel should take care of any spoke twist.
     
    Danmtchl and Lost Kiwi like this.
  20. Lost Kiwi

    Lost Kiwi Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Portola Hills
    Name:
    Simon
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    2.5 bags of fluids and the little guys bounced back fine @Faust29 . They are resilient buggars!
    :thumbsup: Definitely been doing that @mtnbikej, I'm just keeping an eye on it now as I ran the measurements spot on for a 12mm nipple and apparently should have taken a mm of for the 14's. So I'm a little worried I'm going to bottom the thread. Looking at the back side of the nipples through the rim it looks like everything is working out fine and I'm probably being overly-cautious.

    Do have to say its been fun to get back into this side of things again. Now I feel like I need to trash some wheels so I've got an excuse to build more :Roflmao
     
    Redman, Faust29, Old&InTheWay and 7 others like this.
  21. Agent Orange

    Agent Orange Member

    Location:
    Antelope Valley, CA
    Name:
    Yokel Legend
    Current Bike:
    '98 Specialized FSR Comp
    I don't mean to steer the thread off its rails and taco a new wheel, but is that a Triumph GT6 back there?
     
  22. Danimal

    Danimal iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Mission Viejo
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    Epic Evo
    Good eye, didn't notice that. So yeah, spill the beans @Lost Kiwi ! I always liked the looks of the triumph cars, but reliability was not their strong suit.
     
    Lost Kiwi likes this.
  23. Lost Kiwi

    Lost Kiwi Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Portola Hills
    Name:
    Simon
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    Wow, good spotting! Yeah thats my GT6. Early mark 3 from 1972. Its been pretty much completely rebuilt / reconditioned. As is usual for me its not exactly stock and is currently spending most of its time as a childs play toy. I decided to move the battery to the back to free some space up on the bulkhead, but now its transitioned to a re-wire of the front end when I realized what a mess previous owners had made splicing in various things over the years. I've also accumulated a full PI kit which I want to use to change the car to EFI and ditch the twin carbs.
    When its running its a lot of fun. Not exactly much of an exhaust system, plus a bit of a cam means it crackles and pops nicely on the over-run.
    I've probably owned about 4 or 5 Triumphs over the years, mostly mk 2 sedans and a wagon. Always wanted a GT6 but in NZ and Oz they are rare things. I got the GT6 when in the UK and bought it with me when we shifted. Shipping worked out cheaper than storage and with some creative use of emissions stickers I might be allowed to put it on the road here one day.
    @Danimal I guess some think this is how they are commonly seen! Have to say my experience of them has been quite the opposite. Mine have all had a tendency to soldier on even when not in the healthiest of states. I can't actually recall any of them ever leaving me stranded on the side of the road. I have had to limp a couple home but that was more due to my fault rather than the cars!
    Not broken.jpg
    Tiny cars, took a friend for a drive once and he bailed after 10 minutes, got to claustrophobic! I've got the seats pretty much on the floorboards and still nearly touch the headlining. Its a cosy (warm) place. Here it is parked up next to another little 2 seater :D
    Dwarfed.jpg
    Splashing round Silverstone circuit on a typical British summers day (yes I was driving and taking photos at the same time but we weren't racing)
    Silverstone.jpg
     
  24. Lost Kiwi

    Lost Kiwi Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Portola Hills
    Name:
    Simon
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    Well I'm calling the wheels done, took 2 more quarter turns to bring them up to what feels like a good final tension. Spokes finished up in the perfect spot, they are all playing a similar tone when plucked, the lateral wobble is easily less than 0.5mm and the radial trueness is spot on apart from the joints which I can do sfa about. Got excited and threw the white industries freewheel on (sounds really nice). Going to order up some tape (DT Swiss) and valves (Muc-Off), chain and tyres are on their way from ol' blighty. Went for an Aggressor on the back and a DHF for the front.

    Tomorrows job is to call the Path back and give them sh!t for not returning calls like they promise to tell me how much longer I have to wait for my frame :rolleyes: Getting a bit impatient now. Pretty much all the parts are here and the docs given me clearance to ride again..... well he told me I'd find out in the first 5 minutes whether I'm ready or not! If not its only another week away at most. If the frame gets delayed much longer I'm going to mount up tyres and single speed the Izzo :devilish: that could be an interesting experiment!
     
    stevers, Redman, Faust29 and 5 others like this.


As a former Amazon Associate I continue to get screwed trying to stay qualified as an Amazon Affiliate. So I quit!


Want to donate to imtbtrails?