[adrenalinerush]

For you serious wheelbuilders that tension you wheels with a guage(sp) what to you tension them to? I have a DT-Swiss spoke tension gizmo and it reads in Newtons, so if you could tell me your reading in Newtons that would be great. Thanks

O yea the front wheel is a disc as well as the rear.

 

[SirChomps-a-Lot]

tensiometers are roadie bull-crap.

Tension them as much as you possibly can without stripping nipples.

 

[Jm_]

"ping"

 

[Rik]

Originally posted by Jm_
"ping"

ping3 sharp above middle ping

I'm thinking that "optimum" tension is going to be based on ALOT of factors, ie triangulation of spokes, rim material, spoke material, lacing, etc. Just get the wheel "ping" tight and use the metre to check for eveness moreso than outright tension.

 

[adrenalinerush]

Now there is a smart thing to do, go until your strip them. I mite aswell play Russian Rulet. The idealy thing to do is to tighten them as much as u can, but you realy dont no when they are going to go. I was told like 90-110 lbs is a good tension for your spokes.

 

[Dirty]

i read in one of those wheel books like 1000 newtons. thats more like 200 lbs .....at least htas what it said for the ideal drive side spoke tension of a rear wheel was....

 

[ChrisKring]

Tension until the nipples start to round out. Use the tension meter to get the spoke tension even.

 

[adrenalinerush]

Now I was told since a rear wheel isnt dished evenly u dont tension the spoke the same for the drive side vs. non drive.

But since my hadely is symtric(sp) I can tension the same for each side. Is that the same for front hubs that have disc brakes, do you tension each side the same?

 

[HippieKai]

have u ever tried to "tension" a wheel by using the tension gauge...it doesn't work at all. I'v built A LOT of wheels and i just go off feel and so far i havn't had a single wheel loosen up or blow up or anything!

 

[Jm_]

Originally posted by HippieKai
have u ever tried to "tension" a wheel by using the tension gauge...it doesn't work at all. I'v built A LOT of wheels and i just go off feel and so far i havn't had a single wheel loosen up or blow up or anything!

Yeah, ditto on the "feel". High tension is what you need, not so high that you are rounding out spokes or some crap like that, but it is just a "feel" that you get after a while.

 

[HippieKai]

Originally posted by Jm_
Yeah, ditto on the "feel". High tension is what you need, not so high that you are rounding out spokes or some crap like that, but it is just a "feel" that you get after a while.

werd

 

[zedro]

'A' sharp

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Originally posted by adrenalinerush
...I was told like 90-110 lbs is a good tension for your spokes.

1 pound force = 4.44822162 Newtons so 90-110 lbf => 400-490 N, call it 400-500.

 

[Kornphlake]

Is there really a need to have the spokes tight enough that you'll round out the nipples with one half turn more? Maybe I'm just missing the sarcasm here but I thought that it is possible to make the spokes too tight. I usually tension the spokes until they ping about the same as the spokes on other wheels. Definately not so tight that I'm worried about anythign stripping or rounding. Since the spokes are actually pushing the rim out not pulling the rim in you only need the spokes tight enough that they won't buckle under small compressive deflections, or maybe I'm misunderstanding the entire concept of a spoked wheel which isn't as simple as it may appear.