Truing the wheels

[cwah]

Hello there,

My both wheels are not true and I'm looking for true them. The problem is that I don't have a truing stand and I'm not sure I want to invest on that.

How do you guys true your wheels? Do you have a truing stand?

 

[JuicyBike]

Your local bike shop should offer this service at around £10 to £15 per wheel.

 

[Scottyf]

If you have v brakes you can use them as a gauge. Not as accurate as a stand but will do it.
If not strap a pencil to the fork and use it as a gauge. As long as it's at a fixed point you can do it.

 

[cwah]

Ok thanks, so a pencil should be fine. But should I have 1 pencel to each side of the wheel for truing? Otherwise I won't know if the wheel is straight?

 

[Scottyf]

Just the one will do. You can do both if you like but you only need one fixed point to do it.

Do to you tube and type in truing for wheels or wheel building and you can watch how it's done n

 

[NRG]

Yes, thats the way I've done mine, one pencil a blob of blue-tac to secure it so it touches the rim and tweak away...

 

[cwah]

Thanks guys. I tried to do 1 wheel today but it's really difficult. I have problem to see how the wheel is shapped when I turn the nipple.

Will try again...

 

[Scottyf]

It takes a bit of getting used to.
Turn the bike upside down.

Position pencil or look at the v brakes. Spin wheel slowly. When the rim moves away from the pencil stop the rim. Find exactly where it moves.

Now to bring the rim closer to the pencil yo need to find the spoke that's laced on the rim closest to the pencil. If the spokes are arranged in a single cross pattern. Tightening the spokes laced on the right of the rim moves the wheel to the right. Tightening the spokes on the left of the rim moved the rim to the left. Loosening them does the opposite.

You'll probably have to do 2-3 spokes on the right or left to move the rim slightly. It won't just be one spoke that needs a little tweaking.

Mine are also out which I am found today.

 

[wurly]

One peice of advice i can give you is, identify the area that shows a deflection, tightened one or two spokes loosen the opposite spokes 1/4 turn at a time, don't check what you have done. Spin the wheel and move to the next area. Repeat the process. Eventually you will end up with a trued wheel.
To quote from Jobst Brandt book on wheel biulding
'Instead of focussing on the effect of a correction, proceed as if that error had gone away, rotate the wheel and look for the next largest error'

 

[flecc]

In the bike or in spare forks in a vice, I just use the spoke key held against the frame or fork tube as the truing guide in both planes.

 

[Biker44]

Hello there, My both wheels are not true and I'm looking for true them. The problem is that I don't have a truing stand and I'm not sure I want to invest on that. How do you guys true your wheels? Do you have a truing stand?

First of all, everyone who reads this need a cycle stand that raises the machine to eye-level (mine is the Park Tool Home Mechanic Repair Stand which is boringly missing the tray that takes your tools and parts).

Secondly you need a spoke key.

Thirdly, you need to fix the up'n'down movement first (loosen 3 spokes half a turn on one side and tighten 3 spokes on the other side).

Only once you've done that do you fix the side to side movement.

 

[NRG]

nah, turn the bike upside down and use a pencil as above, I don't even use a spoke key

 

[Scottyf]

Word the best ways are the Bodge ways!

 

[cwah]

Thanks for all these advices guys, I'll do that tomorrow

Biker44, what is the up'n'down movement?

 

[flecc]

what is the up'n'down movement?

Up'n'down movement = radial deflections, rim distance from the spindle varying

side to side movement = axial deflections