Random spoke/wheel truing question...

Gilby122
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Gilby122
If you took a complete stock wheel and replaced one nipple and spoke, tightened it down, then replaced the next spoke and tightened it down, etc., around the wheel one spoke at a time, would it stay true?
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FGR01
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FGR01 5/20/2021 3:59pm
5/20/2021 3:59pm
Kind of. You'd be better off alternating sides, more spacing, like every 5th spoke or so. Even then, you're still going to need to recheck and correct the true as you go and when done.

If the goal is simply to replace all spokes and nipples, I'd just cut them all out with a bolt cutter and relace and retrue. Quicker that way.
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Paw Paw 271
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Paw Paw 271 5/20/2021 5:03pm
5/20/2021 5:03pm Edited Date/Time 5/20/2021 5:04pm
Gilby122 wrote:
If you took a complete stock wheel and replaced one nipple and spoke, tightened it down, then replaced the next spoke and tightened it down, etc...
If you took a complete stock wheel and replaced one nipple and spoke, tightened it down, then replaced the next spoke and tightened it down, etc., around the wheel one spoke at a time, would it stay true?
On most older wheels this will be possible due to spoke layout and crossovers, but even if possible it most likely will not stay true. Newer wheels will allow for this method, but they too will in most cases not stay true during the process.

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Gilby122
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Gilby122 5/20/2021 6:57pm
5/20/2021 6:57pm
Thanks guys. I’ve never laced a wheel. Thought this might be the poor mans way to get it done. Not sure how difficult it is to do and do correctly? Appreciate the insight.
kieran_macca 5/21/2021 3:54am
5/21/2021 3:54am
Its not too difficult to true a wheel, takes patience more than anything. Check out some of the guides on YouTube. My method is to lace up the wheel, tighten every 3rd spoke until there all reasonably tight. Then put it in the truing stand and sort the side to side first, then the up/down. One last check side to side then take it off the stand and check all the spokes are tight, again every 3rd spoke.

Depending on manufacturer you may have different length spokes so just check as you are stripping the wheel.
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FGR01
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FGR01 5/21/2021 6:44am
5/21/2021 6:44am
kieran_macca wrote:
Its not too difficult to true a wheel, takes patience more than anything. Check out some of the guides on YouTube. My method is to lace...
Its not too difficult to true a wheel, takes patience more than anything. Check out some of the guides on YouTube. My method is to lace up the wheel, tighten every 3rd spoke until there all reasonably tight. Then put it in the truing stand and sort the side to side first, then the up/down. One last check side to side then take it off the stand and check all the spokes are tight, again every 3rd spoke.

Depending on manufacturer you may have different length spokes so just check as you are stripping the wheel.
Since most MX wheels are 36 spokes, be careful doing every 3rd spoke since 36 is divisible by 3. This will have you hitting the same spokes lap after lap around the wheel. If you do every 3rd spoke you have to remember to advance 1 spoke at the beginning of each lap. This is why I do every 5th spoke for 36 spoke wheels. I do every 3rd spoke for 32 spoke wheels.
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kieran_macca 5/21/2021 7:45am
5/21/2021 7:45am
kieran_macca wrote:
Its not too difficult to true a wheel, takes patience more than anything. Check out some of the guides on YouTube. My method is to lace...
Its not too difficult to true a wheel, takes patience more than anything. Check out some of the guides on YouTube. My method is to lace up the wheel, tighten every 3rd spoke until there all reasonably tight. Then put it in the truing stand and sort the side to side first, then the up/down. One last check side to side then take it off the stand and check all the spokes are tight, again every 3rd spoke.

Depending on manufacturer you may have different length spokes so just check as you are stripping the wheel.
FGR01 wrote:
Since most MX wheels are 36 spokes, be careful doing every 3rd spoke since 36 is divisible by 3. This will have you hitting the same...
Since most MX wheels are 36 spokes, be careful doing every 3rd spoke since 36 is divisible by 3. This will have you hitting the same spokes lap after lap around the wheel. If you do every 3rd spoke you have to remember to advance 1 spoke at the beginning of each lap. This is why I do every 5th spoke for 36 spoke wheels. I do every 3rd spoke for 32 spoke wheels.
Yea I should have mentioned that I start at the valve stem hole and each full rotation I skip one, on 32 spoke wheels no need to skip.
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