rm250 Loose Spokes

1/1/2014 3:54pm Edited Date/Time 1/2/2014 11:30am
So I just picked this 2006 Ricky Carmichael Edition rm250 today for $1550. Shes got a few minor problems here and there but I think I got a killer deal on the bike. I'm hoping to fix her up and sell her to a friend that's been wanting a 250 smoker(I love my yz250 so I cant sell her). My problem is that some of the rear spokes are extremely loose but will not tighten. Its almost as if the head of the spoke is locked up, and I'm afraid I'll snap the spokes if I try and tighten it too hard. Is there a way to fix this and tighten them, or do I need a whole new set of spokes?

Here she is right after I bought her. Right now Its all in pieces though
|
FGR01
Posts
5089
Joined
10/1/2006
Location
AZ US
Fantasy
1334th
1/1/2014 4:18pm
Spray PB Blaster in the nipple threads a few times over a few days. Then wipe all the excess off, get a pair of vice grips and a spoke wrench. Grab the spoke with the vice grips near the nipple. Squeeze the spoke tight with the vice grip and make sure to use the "valley" between the teeth of the jaws and not the tips of the teeth. Once you have it held tight you should be able to break the nipple loose with the nipple wrench. If the spoke snaps or the nipple strips out, oh well, now you know for sure you need new spokes!
1/1/2014 4:52pm
FGR01 wrote:
Spray PB Blaster in the nipple threads a few times over a few days. Then wipe all the excess off, get a pair of vice grips...
Spray PB Blaster in the nipple threads a few times over a few days. Then wipe all the excess off, get a pair of vice grips and a spoke wrench. Grab the spoke with the vice grips near the nipple. Squeeze the spoke tight with the vice grip and make sure to use the "valley" between the teeth of the jaws and not the tips of the teeth. Once you have it held tight you should be able to break the nipple loose with the nipple wrench. If the spoke snaps or the nipple strips out, oh well, now you know for sure you need new spokes!
Thanks for the tip! The spoke nipples are soaking with PB blaster as we speak
MXVet261
Posts
711
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Valley City, OH US
Fantasy
3973rd
1/1/2014 6:50pm
I have never had good luck getting them to break loose, maybe 20% of the time.

Honestly, spoke sets are so cheap now (like Moose racing sets for $49 retail) I don't even try anymore. I just snip out the stuck ones and replace.
CamP
Posts
6828
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Colleyville, TX US
1/1/2014 8:34pm Edited Date/Time 1/1/2014 8:42pm
I run into this a lot with vintage bikes where new parts are often hard to find. If you do it right, you'll be able to remove and re-use +90% of the seized spokes, without breakage.

The best way to deal with it is to remove the wheel/tire and soak both sides of the nipples with penetrating oil. Wait overnight. Put the wheel into a bench vise with aluminum soft jaws, and clamp down on the spoke as close as you can to the nipple. Crank it down tight, then slowly work the nipple off with a tight fitting spoke wrench, re-lubing as required. The bench vise w/ soft jaws is the key to doing the job with tearing up parts. Before discovering the vise, I used vise-grips and it's a pain to get them clamped tight enough and it tears the crap out of the spokes.

The Shop

pete24
Posts
2733
Joined
10/20/2011
Location
Marlborough, MA US
1/2/2014 6:25am
if i have the means for new parts i just cut the offending spoke out and replace but as camP said if you cant get a part or you just want to fix what u got thats a good way to do it, i also use a small adjusatble wrench, cuz the jaws are thicker than a spoke wrench and you can tighten it to fit each individual nipple, a

a Snap On adj wrench, always use good tools
FGR01
Posts
5089
Joined
10/1/2006
Location
AZ US
Fantasy
1334th
1/2/2014 9:11am
CamP wrote:
I run into this a lot with vintage bikes where new parts are often hard to find. If you do it right, you'll be able to...
I run into this a lot with vintage bikes where new parts are often hard to find. If you do it right, you'll be able to remove and re-use +90% of the seized spokes, without breakage.

The best way to deal with it is to remove the wheel/tire and soak both sides of the nipples with penetrating oil. Wait overnight. Put the wheel into a bench vise with aluminum soft jaws, and clamp down on the spoke as close as you can to the nipple. Crank it down tight, then slowly work the nipple off with a tight fitting spoke wrench, re-lubing as required. The bench vise w/ soft jaws is the key to doing the job with tearing up parts. Before discovering the vise, I used vise-grips and it's a pain to get them clamped tight enough and it tears the crap out of the spokes.
Done it many times with vice grips. If you clamp the spoke in the valley of the teeth like I said it will not hurt the spoke at all. The trick is to not let it spin in the vice grip. If you notice it slipping at all, tighten the vice grip a hair and try again. Does not hurt the spoke one bit.
CamP
Posts
6828
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Colleyville, TX US
1/2/2014 9:22am Edited Date/Time 1/2/2014 9:23am
FGR01 wrote:
Done it many times with vice grips. If you clamp the spoke in the valley of the teeth like I said it will not hurt the...
Done it many times with vice grips. If you clamp the spoke in the valley of the teeth like I said it will not hurt the spoke at all. The trick is to not let it spin in the vice grip. If you notice it slipping at all, tighten the vice grip a hair and try again. Does not hurt the spoke one bit.
I used vice-grips to do this for 20 years. The bench vice is a much better method.
1/2/2014 9:26am
CamP wrote:
I run into this a lot with vintage bikes where new parts are often hard to find. If you do it right, you'll be able to...
I run into this a lot with vintage bikes where new parts are often hard to find. If you do it right, you'll be able to remove and re-use +90% of the seized spokes, without breakage.

The best way to deal with it is to remove the wheel/tire and soak both sides of the nipples with penetrating oil. Wait overnight. Put the wheel into a bench vise with aluminum soft jaws, and clamp down on the spoke as close as you can to the nipple. Crank it down tight, then slowly work the nipple off with a tight fitting spoke wrench, re-lubing as required. The bench vise w/ soft jaws is the key to doing the job with tearing up parts. Before discovering the vise, I used vise-grips and it's a pain to get them clamped tight enough and it tears the crap out of the spokes.
FGR01 wrote:
Done it many times with vice grips. If you clamp the spoke in the valley of the teeth like I said it will not hurt the...
Done it many times with vice grips. If you clamp the spoke in the valley of the teeth like I said it will not hurt the spoke at all. The trick is to not let it spin in the vice grip. If you notice it slipping at all, tighten the vice grip a hair and try again. Does not hurt the spoke one bit.
Unfortunately my vice grips are too big to use the valley part. I'm going to take the rear tire off, and then spray them with PB blaster from the back side and front again
FGR01
Posts
5089
Joined
10/1/2006
Location
AZ US
Fantasy
1334th
1/2/2014 9:34am
CamP wrote:
I used vice-grips to do this for 20 years. The bench vice is a much better method.
Hmm, the vice grip method doesn't require a vice, soft jaws, a work bench or the wheel to be removed from the bike and it works perfect. I think your definition of "better" and mine are different.
notme
Posts
570
Joined
5/23/2010
Location
CA
1/2/2014 10:08am
I use a torch to heat he nipples, they break loose with a lot less force.
CamP
Posts
6828
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Colleyville, TX US
1/2/2014 10:42am
CamP wrote:
I used vice-grips to do this for 20 years. The bench vice is a much better method.
FGR01 wrote:
Hmm, the vice grip method doesn't require a vice, soft jaws, a work bench or the wheel to be removed from the bike and it works...
Hmm, the vice grip method doesn't require a vice, soft jaws, a work bench or the wheel to be removed from the bike and it works perfect. I think your definition of "better" and mine are different.
Different strokes...I've retired the vise-grips.
mxb2
Posts
22490
Joined
6/15/2010
Location
Bowie, MD US
1/2/2014 11:30am
save the headache, buy a new spoke kit.

Post a reply to: rm250 Loose Spokes

The Latest