Topic: lacing a wheel

[Tiek101]

Well, I'm back to the garage to give it another attempt.  Just so you guys know, Terry at tas is trying to help me via e-mail also.  Great guy.  If....When, I get this figured out I'll try and put together a how-to to save everyone else the headache.

[jevfro]

mine wasn't a 16" conversion but they laced inside and outside and looked alot like yours... Maybe yours are for a 17" rim?

I used the wheel lacing guide and some help from others on the thread below:

http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=11993.0

Hope you get it!

[Tiek101]

Well, here's my latest attempt.  I laced it just like the pic earlier in this thread (black rim).  This time was much better.  It's tightened down pretty well and I only have a bit of threads sticking through.  Looking at this rim do you think the center is dropped more than others?  I thought that could be the problem.  I think I'm going to true it up and grind down the threads and be done with it.

Thanks everyone for the replies and help.

-Keith

[heffay]

before you go destroying spokes (or at least making it very hard to remove and reinstall the spokes).  they look pretty good.  if you can't find a thick wheel liner just get the thickest piece of innertube you can find and line the wheel.  you can even use a layer of removeable glue in spots to keep it in place.

[Ernie]

do your nipples fit snug into the holes in the rim ? i was reading on the old honda chopper site they somtimes used washers cupped like the nipples if the hole were too big,im thinkin if the holes are too big that may be causing your nipple to pull through and allow too much thread showing inside the rim,i donno just a long shot 

[ohiocaferacer]

Before you grind down the spokes.....might try lacing it with the one spoke on the outside of the hub(the one with the kink).

Your spokes look just like the ones I used. Here is a pic of my hub the other day, when I did the mock up:

[mikeb4]

Does anyone have a shop or expert at spoke lacing that could set up a aluminum 16" rim on my K8 hub??  someone that would be reasonably priced??  I'm not sure I want to take that job on right now.  Also, anyone know if those $18-20 spoke kits on ebay are decent quality?? some say they are stainless steel ...... and all good feedback.  seems like too good of a deal ??  Thanks, Mike

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Honda-CB750-Drop-Spoke-Kit-CB-750-16_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ10066QQihZ007QQitemZ170050091475QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Honda-Chopper-CB450-CB500-CB550-CB750-HARLEY-Spoke-Set_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ35601QQihZ012QQitemZ220048504692QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

[lassenc]

If you lace it, I can have it trued up for under 20 dollars, otherwise, if he has to do it all, it will cost 40 dollars.

But it's in Denmark, so there are ofcourse loads of shipment costs, I would just like to give you the offer

[turtle]

My other half relaced the rear wheel for my CB350. We took lots of photos before we stripped it. He says the secret is tune the wheel by tapping on the spokes with something metal (a spanner is good).

[bryanj]

Problem is you are fitting a 16" rim, which is smaller than any standard Honda rim, and as such needs "special" spokes, I know a lot of people did this in the 70's for choppers and to use tyres that were cheaper but now you are relying on old stock parts that may, or may not, have been labeled correctly. Personally, whilst i am perfectly happy to lace and true a "standard" rim with a spoke kit, i would trust the fitting of a 16" rim to a "Specialist" who would be able to adapt/shorten spokes as necessary.

[mikeb4]

I appreciate everyones input ... as this project evolves I think I am going to go with an 18" aluminum rim laced to the stock hub.  I am hoping that stock 18" wheel spokes will fit an aftermarket aluminum rim .......    we'll see!

[bryanj]

They will as long as the rim has the holes pierced to suit the honda hub

[mkramer1121]

After trying this, I am never doing this again after this set.  Just need an opinion before I take it apart for the twelth time.  Here's my issues:

1) Is my pattern correct?

2) On the front side (the side fully spoked, away from the viewer in the pic), all nipples are pretty much flush against the rim.  On the back side (side facing viewer in pic, only 1/2 spoked), the outside in spokes nipples protrude from the rim some and there is no way in hell that I can get the inside out spokes in.  (I've tried partially spokig one side, and then the other, can't get it to work).  This is probably a simple question, and it seems correct in my head, but are the spokes on the back side one off?  If I move them all 1 over clockwise, will this fix my issues?  It seems right, but I want an opinion before I teardown again.

I am so aggravated by this.  Hopefully someone here can help.

Thanks!

[Sam Green Racing]

Take it to a wheel builder, it's your life that you are playing with.

Sam. 

[mkramer1121]

Thanks Sam, but I got it, I was one off.  The key is to label.  I am getting them trued by a professional, I just wanted to spoke them myself and save some cost.

[turtle]

I'm not sure what sort of bike yours is. I am no expert but it appears that your spokes aren't angled enough. Here are a pic of a 350F wheel before we dismantled it.

[mkramer1121]

Turtle, thanks, that was the problem, I didn't pull the one side tight.  Here's a new pic of it all laced up, as well as a before pic.  I know the new lace looks a little weird, but thats just the angle, couldn't do a straight over shot.

[turtle]

That looks better. Apparently the way to "true" it is by ear. Just hit each spoke with something like a screwdriver and "tune" the spokes until they all sound the same.

[bill440cars]

                      Nice job there Mike! Getting anxious to see the bike. Not that I'm trying to rush you
           though. Keep up the good work there and I'll catch you later on.

                                                           Bill

[bryanj]

Its a lot easier if you only fit the spokes that go from the outside in first (10 each side) and get a basic true then fit the other 20 that go through from the inside out, as you found out if you do it the wrong way roound you  cant get the outwards in ones round the others.
Sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is

[jalfonso]

Mike,

That's a nice looking rim.  Did you powdercoat or paint the rim and hub?  Keep up the good work. 

John

[spider-man]

That looks better. Apparently the way to "true" it is by ear. Just hit each spoke with something like a screwdriver and "tune" the spokes until they all sound the same.

That will help you get the spokes to uniform tension, which can get you close on truing, depending on how uniformly your spokes were cut and how round your rim is to start with. (To get to proper tension, pluck a spoke on a wheel that's already built, and tension the spokes on your in-progress wheel to that tone.) But you really need a truing stand of some sort, especially to get the wheel laterally true.

[kghost]

That looks better. Apparently the way to "true" it is by ear. Just hit each spoke with something like a screwdriver and "tune" the spokes until they all sound the same.

That will help you get the spokes to uniform tension, which can get you close on truing, depending on how uniformly your spokes were cut and how round your rim is to start with. (To get to proper tension, pluck a spoke on a wheel that's already built, and tension the spokes on your in-progress wheel to that tone.) But you really need a truing stand of some sort, especially to get the wheel laterally true.

Both of you should be playing the piano rather then truing wheels.

You need to true the wheel rotationally and laterally. The only way to do it is with a fixture to spin the wheel on and a dial caliper.

[spider-man]

Both of you should be playing the piano rather then truing wheels.

You need to true the wheel rotationally and laterally. The only way to do it is with a fixture to spin the wheel on and a dial caliper.

 

Read it with me, now. I said it "can get you close on truing," "but you really need a truing stand of some sort." And plucking spokes of the same length, gauge and material adjusting until you get an identical tone will do exactly the same thing as a dial caliper.

[kghost]

Both of you should be playing the piano rather then truing wheels.

You need to true the wheel rotationally and laterally. The only way to do it is with a fixture to spin the wheel on and a dial caliper.

 

Read it with me, now. I said it "can get you close on truing," "but you really need a truing stand of some sort." And plucking spokes of the same length, gauge and material adjusting until you get an identical tone will do exactly the same thing as a dial caliper.

No actually it won't.

Getting them to all sound the same just implies that they are all at the same tension.

While this will get you in the ball park it tells you nothing about how true the rim is about the lateral or longituninal axis of rotation.

Your welcome to use the your method. I just wouldn't recommend it at 100 mph and I sure wouldn't be recommending it to the public at large.

YOu'll never see the pluck a spoke method in any manual as a way of checking rims.