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Rim ERD difference ...
 

Rim ERD difference - new spokes or not?

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I need to rebuild the SO's rear wheel, as it's developed a radial crack in the rim. The wheel supplier is sending us the current version of the rim, but it has a smaller ERD than the original - 562.55mm -v- 566.5, so 4mm difference/2mm per spoke near as dammit.

Will I get away with that, or are we into new spokes as well? I'd rather not get 3/4 the way through retensioning the wheel and discover I've bottomed out the nipples.

Thanks!


 
Posted : 04/03/2025 11:30 am
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Always best to use new spokes due to tensioning, dropping tension and then retensioning.

on top of the 4mm is a big difference so deffo new spokes.


 
Posted : 04/03/2025 11:32 am
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That's quite a difference. I generally go 1mm either way if that means all the spokes can be the same length.

I was watching part 2 of the GCN Tech YouTube channel wheel build series, they got sent too long spokes for one side of the rear wheel so used washers to push the nipples out a bit.ย 

You should measure the ERD too rather than just rely on the manufacturers specificationย 

ย 


 
Posted : 04/03/2025 11:39 am
 Gaah
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Depending on how deep the spoke ends reach in the nipples on the original build 1mm nipple washers could save you having to buy new spokes.


 
Posted : 04/03/2025 11:49 am
 Gaah
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Alternatively DT Squarx nipples and washers will definitely allow you to use 2mm longer spokes. But then you'd need to fork out for a new spoke tool.ย 


 
Posted : 04/03/2025 11:53 am
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You'll almost certainly bottom out the threads if the wheel was built correctly the first time.ย ย 


 
Posted : 04/03/2025 12:00 pm
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I've already got the DT Squorx tool, and was planning to buy new nipples anyway (current ones are ally, so would replace as a matter of course). Do the DT nips/washers work OK with other rims then - I've only used them when building DT rims.

"built correctly the first time". Hmm. Jury is out on that one.


 
Posted : 04/03/2025 12:20 pm
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What length nipples did it have originally?ย  A lot of machine build wheels use 14mm nipples, if they've not used spokes that go right into the slot of the nipples then you might get away with 12mm nipples.ย  The DT calculator seems to split the difference and shortens the spoke by 1mm for each 2mm added to the nipple.ย 


 
Posted : 04/03/2025 12:54 pm
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i`d try a rimswap before committing to new spokes or nipples. but i am a tightarse - haha!ย ย 

ย 

ย 


 
Posted : 04/03/2025 1:00 pm
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OK, panic over - they've actually sent an identical v1 rim, not the v2 they said they would on the phone, so it's an easypeasy rimswap.


 
Posted : 04/03/2025 3:19 pm