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So I took a punt on a set of wheels which the previous owner said would probably need a new set of bearings & maybe a freehub.
Putting them in the stand the wheels are a bit out of shape, have a couple of flat spots. Quite a few (alloy) nipples have seized or rounded so it looks like a rebuild is needed.
How do you know if the rim will be fine once you detension and then try to relace with new spokes? Could it all spring hideously out of shape? If so might just cut my losses....
Stans olympic rims on AC hubs.
If the flat spots are minor, say 3mm and spoke tension is even, it's prob ok, and even if it's not, if you can get it within that it'll be fine to ride imo.
NOrmally you could detension it and see how it spins with no tension.
You can line the rim up against a good wheel/rim once dis-assembled. I've had some success straightening cent rims.
Thats good to hear, not sure whether to throw more money at them by buying the spokes / nipples.
Whats the best way of removing the spokes with rounded / seized nipples? One of them has actually cracked and broken away to.
If the nipples are rounded or seized the only way to get the spokes out is to cut them.
Be carefull when you do this, the spokes will be under tension and may ping out. Wear safety glasses and gloves and try and support the spokes when you snip them to avoid letting them go flying.
If you CBA you can mash the nipples and save the spokes.
Really hard to say what to do without seeing the wheels. One would hope a good lbs could advise, where are you?
Southampton plenty of shops around but I was kind of hoping to try to do it myself so I learn how to build wheels at the same time. Sounds like it might be too big a job for a first timer.
May have been a little hastey in my innitial just cut them out.
It could be a worthwhile but time consuming task to use a pair of pliers or mollgrips to grip and undo the nipples to save the spokes if they are in a decent condition. This would then mean the minimum purchase of spokes(thoes that simply won't come out) and nipples which are only pennies.
Not if the rims are ok. New spokes are easier to use.
I'd bins the old ones and line us the rims against good ones by eye then report back...
Have you tried to get at the nipples from the other side? Alu nipples break and round very easily with a spoke key but a quality screwdriver will often shift them.
Hmmm ok, job for my next free weekend it would seem. How hard can it be?!
Any suggestions for the best place to get spokes, and what ones I should get? Plan is the wheelset will be my race wheelset so light but not at silly prices.
I think sdeals is the cheapest. I'd stick with regular butted spokes rather that lighter ones for your first build.
Post up on the day for advice (I'm out in the days this weekend tho 🙁 ).
A large soldering iron (75w ish) held against seized ally nipples often expands them enough to get them moving.
Had a similar problem with a wheel lastnight all the nipples were seased on and would not turn with a key, think some numpty built it with locktight on the treads. Was going to cut my losses and snip all the spokes for a rebuild but then found if the spoke was gripped with a pair of mollgrips as close to the nipple as possible to stop them winding up, a decent screwdriver would shift them from the other side. Also sprayed all nipples with penatrating oil and let them soak overnight.
I just built my first set of wheels a few weeks ago, I went for DT Swiss Competition spokes (double butted) and brass nipples. I wanted black spokes and also needed a nipple driver so searched around for ages and in the end got it all from Rose Bikes as they were way cheaper than any one else and still a good bit cheeper after the £5 delivery charge.
They sell spokes in packs of 20 and nipples in packs of 40 so you will end up with a good few spares which was good for me as i managed to knacker 2 spokes in the lacing process and 2 nipples when truing. They sell alloy nipples too in various coulours but as it was my first wheel build i wanted the durability of the brass ones.
Delivery was pretty quick, i ordered friday night and they were delivered tusesday morning with a free mug 🙂