Wheel building

[Ivor]

Right... following yesterdays wheel incident, I've got a new rim on the way to rebuild.

so novices wheelbuilding question - when building a rear wheel do you put different tension on the drive side spokes to the non-drive side? or should they be the same?

[Grahame]

It's all to do with basic geometry of triangles.

The lateral forces have to balance (that's the side-to-side bits) for the wheel to stay true. The drive side spokes are at a more acute angle than the non-drive side ones. So the drive side spokes need a higher tension in them to resolve the same lateral component.

Or in easy words: The drive side spokes need more tension to keep the rim where it should be.

[url=http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html]Sheldon Brown knew all[/url]

[Ivor]

ta. that's friday evening sorted then.

[ben instone]

you will end up with different tension either side anyway, dont worry about it, just build it so the rims in the centre and the tension will work itself out

if you need a hand let me know, ive got a decent jig here etc

[Ivor]

Brilliant thanks for the tips. I'll give it a go and let you know how I get on.
I'll repeat the technique Grahame demonstrated of lacing the new rim along side the old one, moving the spokes across - reckon I can't get it too wrong if I do that!

[Ivor]

okay! new rim all laced up, all ready for truing now.

[Ivor]

It's round! Will give it a tentative test tomorrow.