Darn Spokes!

Post by **Indawoods** » 12:32 am Mar 19 2005

So guys... when you have loose spokes, what is your procedure to tighten then. I go by sound, but my rears spokes are spinning when I try to tighten the loose ones. Should I hold the base with some vise-grips or what?

Post by **KDXGarage** » 12:46 am Mar 19 2005

Hold the spoke with some vise-grips and turn the nipple. I went through my wheels last year with the tires and tubes off checking for stuck nipples. I got most of them unstuck with the pliers technique.

I try to turn them until they are snug. You can put the bike on a crate / work stand and then put a marker of some kind to check for side to side warp, then axial warp. An unsharpened pencil, or a pencil eraser sounds OK.

m0rie · Post by **m0rie** » 02:26 am Mar 19 2005

Can you un-tweak a wheel? My rear wheel was a wobbler when I bought it and i've just been living with it until I can snag a clean rear from e-bay. But if it can be tweaked back into shape i'll give that a whirl while i'm waiting for a wheel to show up.

-Maurice

Post by **KDXGarage** » 02:35 am Mar 19 2005

Is it warped or dented??

m0rie · Post by **m0rie** » 02:42 am Mar 19 2005

Warped

Post by **KDXGarage** » 02:48 am Mar 19 2005

Warped, yes. Dented, no.

Is it warped "side to side" or "up and down"?

m0rie · Post by **m0rie** » 02:52 am Mar 19 2005

Side to Side

Post by **KDXGarage** » 02:55 am Mar 19 2005

When you spin the wheel, how many spokes can you count when it wobbles out? An estimate is OK.

Also, is it warped to the left or right?

m0rie · Post by **m0rie** » 02:58 am Mar 19 2005

Jason wrote:When you spin the wheel, how many spokes can you count when it wobbles out? An estimate is OK.

Off the top of my head i'd have to guess its maybe 1/3 of the wheel that is out of true? I'll take a look when I get back from vacation (leaving tomorrow morning) and post back the exact amount.

-Maurice

Post by **KDXGarage** » 03:08 am Mar 19 2005

Holy cow! What did you hit?!

The thing you need to do is loosen the spokes on the warped side and tighten the ones on the other side. Do about 1/8 turn near where it is straight (still in the warped area, just close to the straight area) and 1/4 turn in the warp. Do this and then reevaluate. If it is warped bad, you may have to loosen a LOT of them, then physically bend it back. Hopefully, it is just a slight warp.

wsjkawasaki and I spent about an hour on his front wheel one time. As soon as we got done, he went 200 yards into a wooded area, hit a stump and flew over the handlebars. The wheel was OK, and he was just a little bruised.

m0rie · Post by **m0rie** » 10:21 am Mar 19 2005

I didn't hit anything...the previous owner must have had a talent for breaking things. The rear wheel was just one of the many broken things...

I'll try your suggestion on the wheel when I get a chance and see how it does.

-Maurice

Post by **Indawoods** » 10:28 am Mar 19 2005

Jason wrote:wsjkawasaki and I spent about an hour on his front wheel one time. As soon as we got done, he went 200 yards into a wooded area, hit a stump and flew over the handlebars. The wheel was OK, and he was just a little bruised.

That's funny!

That is if no one got hurt!

skipro3 · Post by **skipro3** » 11:49 am Mar 19 2005

I hit a stump as well without any harm to the front wheel. My spokes are always coming loose. I just tighten for "sound", in that; I listen for a ring and not a dull thud. Using any object like a pencil attached to the swingarm for the rear or fork for the front so it lightly rests the tip on the rim, then spinning slowly will highlight the warp. Also, my local bike shop will true the wheel for about $20 I think. If your's is way off or you are just to unsure of the task to do it yourself, then that would be an option.

On the subject of stuck nipples, try and avoid water based lubes in mounting your tire. Soapy water for example. The water stays in the rim and corrodes the nipple. Also the nipple and rim are dissimular metals and will corrode over time even without water, so inspect them and clean them when you change tires.

Use an honest to gosh spoke wrench when adjusting spokes. A 12 inch cresent wrench is NOT the proper tool.

Post by **Indawoods** » 01:47 pm Mar 19 2005

skipro3 wrote: Use an honest to gosh spoke wrench when adjusting spokes. A 12 inch cresent wrench is NOT the proper tool.

No... but a 6mm wrench works just fine.

Colorado Mike · Post by **Colorado Mike** » 03:51 pm Mar 19 2005

No... but a 6mm wrench works just fine.

Hmmm, that's the same size as the KIPS actuator shaft. How convenient. I was going to buy a new spoke wrench, thanks for saving me the money.

Post by **KDXGarage** » 03:59 pm Mar 19 2005

If they are real rusty or stuck, a 6mm wrench won't work as well as a spoke wrench. The one that came with my '87 KDX200, plus the one that is supposed to come with the newer ones is 3 sided. 3 sides grabbing is better than two.

The nipples are 6.0 mm.

skipro3, what do you use as a tire mounting lubricant? A couple of strips of duct tape will help to keep the water from getting to the nipples from the inside of the tire.

skipro3 · Post by **skipro3** » 06:47 pm Mar 19 2005

I've used duct tape over the nipples in conjuction with the rubber band that came with the tube, but I don't think it is a water tight fit. Anyways, mine were still corroding. I use WD-40. Anyone have thoughts on that? (Like I need to ask)

I just checked and indeed a 6mm wrench will work but I still prefer the spoke wrench. Besides, what do you tell the folks who want to buy you gifts at birthdays, Christmas, etc.? I keep a list of items like that handy for those times. I certainly don't want a non-rider to pick out anything too important for my bike. Actually, what I really do is put tags on the pages of my Rockymountain catalog and circle the item in the page marked that I am wanting. I just got a pair of Moose Sahara riding shorts that way. Best riding britches I've ever owned, but my wife thinks it's a girdle and is starting to wonder about my riding buddies. Look here:
http://www.rockymountainmc.com/Product_ ... d=00042768
P.S. They come in black if you ask. But I kinda like the girdle look. I'll post photos if you want.

Post by **KDXGarage** » 08:30 pm Mar 19 2005

Doesn't WD-40 break down rubber? I am not sure. I have used the dishwashing liquid and water method. I didn't think about it corroding stuff. I suppose it could. Thanks for the tip.

skipro3 · Post by **skipro3** » 09:38 pm Mar 19 2005

I've heard rumors on WD-40 affecting rubber but in all the years I've been riding, (knock on wood) I've never had a flat while out on the trail. I always use a new tube when I put on a new tire and I go through 3 rear tires and 1 front one each year.

Riding Buddy Doug does the same thing but he's had 3 flats while out on the trail in the past year. 'Course his KX500 destroys tires pretty quick, so that is a big consideration I suppose.

Post by **KDXGarage** » 11:37 pm Mar 19 2005

If you are going through tires that often, then spray away.

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Darn Spokes!

Darn Spokes!