I'm wondering if the OEM spoke's rolled threads are the same pitch and diameter if buying Stainless Buchanan's nipples for the same gauge of spoke (I believe it's 9G butted on the OEM spokes) ????
Buchanan's stainless (1st) and aluminum (2nd) nipples:
I've got a '99-'03 KX125/250 wheel with a cracked D.I.D. rim and the factory optional alloy nipples. A few of the nipples are seized, and I noticed that the Kawasaki alloy nipples have a massively tall profile protruding into the rim's drop center versus the OEM steel nipples. After mounting front tires on a Tubliss system on the stock KDX front wheels and having one hell of a time spooning on the last bit on, I'm thinking those thick tall alloy KX nipples on the same rim will make it even more of a nightmare.
On front install, the Tubliss bladder assembly seems to be mostly occupying the drop center space in the front rim that the tire bead needs to slip down into in order to allow enough slack on the opposite end to spoon the last bit of the final side of the front tire on. With taller spoke nipples (the thick OEM aluminum KX alloy nipples), that will definitely add more difficulty to the Tubliss install.
Here's the OEM Kawasaki alloy nipples in question, especially in-person, they look to be quite the fat boys up top in the drop center of the rim area:
I think the Buchanan's nipples, both the stainless and their alloy nipples, will be lower profile heads vs the OEm KX125/250 alloy nipples, to allow a little more slack in the front tubliss/tire install... The fronts are a nightmare to install, but a dream to ride in rocky technical terrain.
I'm just wondering if anyone has tried this before, and if the 9G Buchanan's nipples were an exact fit for the threads on the OEM Kawasaki spokes. They are both rolled threads, I've determined that. It's $130 for the full stainless front set or stainless/aluminum front wheel spoke/nipple set from Buchanan's, or $69 for just the nipples.
I might just have to follow their advice and send them a spoke to check the thread size, or just order 1 of each nipple to test myself.
I'm getting conflicting info on standardized gauge sizing in decimal inch measurements, as it seems to vary based on sheet steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and copper... Some some say my .157" plated steel OEM KX250 spokes are 8g, some charts say .157" or thereabouts is 9g...
Buchanan's says:
It sounds like the wire diameter of the spokes that you have is an 8gauge (.157”) for which we do offer .320” body diameter stainless steels nipples. The thing that we are not 100% sure of is if the threads will match. We use rolled threads on our spokes but I’m not sure what Kawasaki uses. You are welcome to send us a nipple sample to see if it matches our threads.
Thank you,
Angel
BUCHANAN’S SPOKE AND RIM, INC
805 W. Eighth St.
Azusa Ca, 91702
(626)969-4655
www.buchananspokes.com
