Building & Adjusting Wire Wheels

#1
I posted a pic in another thread of my setup for truing wire wheels. @45t asked about the process but I didn't want to hijack that thread with my reply.

Here is some info that you might find helpful. I have only built and adjusted motorcycle wheels, but the steps are identical for wire wheels from a minibike or mini cycle.

I used to think that building and adjusting with wire wheels was some kind of black art or rocket science that I could never figure out. Wrong! It's really quite easy. Anyone can do it. You just need to be patient and methodical. Dirt bike wheels are easier than street bike wheels because the tolerances are looser. Once you know how to do this your friends will be amazed.

I needed to replace the old corroded spokes on my '75 Yamaha RD350 street bike that I was preparing to show. I scoured You Tube for the best tutorials and played them repeatedly while I worked. A wheel stand and spoke wrench kit and dial indicator popped right up on Amazon for not much money.

In order of importance:

1) Tutorials - Critical.
2) Proper spoke wrenches - Very important.
3) Wheel stand - Quite helpful, but there are workarounds.
4) Dial indicator- Optional.

You can get away without the wheel stand if you raise the bike off of the ground and hold the steering very steady while you adjust the front wheel. It might take a few tries and some bungee cords to get it really stable. You can also skip the dial indicator if you devise a way to hold a pointer near the rim. You only need to get the rim within 2mm of true on a dirt bike wheel. It will be easier if you remove the tire and put the bare wheel back on the bike. Drip some WD40 on the nipples and let it sit for a day before you start turning wrenches. Work the wrench back and forth a little bit at first to break the threads loose, as you would with any old fastener. For the rear wheel, the frame or swing arm acts as a natural wheel stand.

On the yellow Yamaha enduro in the photo below I trued the front wheel on the stand. Its spokes were very loose and it was way out of true. The rear wheel was already pretty close to true and the spokes were just a little bit loose, so I did that one right on the bike without removing the tire.

You really do need a good spoke wrench. Don't try to MacGyver it or you'll damage the nipples.

Here's a link to wrenches similar to mine. $22.50 on Amazon.

Amazon Spoke Wrenches

These are my favorite tutorials for building and truing wheels. One thing that I do which is not mentioned in the vids is that I use little pieces
of masking tape to mark the high and low spots around he rim to help me keep track of where I'm at.



 
#4
Tom the pictures of your shop would get the Good House seal of Approval and that is a desirable attribute
Haha! Thanks, @steven Durham. Y'know, I worked in there for years w/exposed studs and wiring and insulation, but there were lots of posters and signs and maps and such hung on the walls. Now that I've got sheet rock and paint I cannot bring myself to put any of it back up or make too big of a mess. I've enjoyed having the bare painted walls and painted floor to use as a photo backdrop. :p

 
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