I've now built my 3rd wheelset. The first two came out really well. I've been riding them for over 2 years now with out any huge problems. I built my 3rd set 6 weeks ago and the rear wheel dish is off by 3/16th in to the left. I've got the drive side spokes tightened way down and the non-drive spokes seem very loose but the wheel just won't come over. The LBS confirmed the spoke lengths; I even called another LBS and got the same lenghts. Any tricks or common mistakes? the rims are symmetrically drilled as far as I can tell.
Rear Wheel Dish
- Thread starter aktallguy
- Start date
Are you out of thread on the drive side? If the dish is significant, you may need shorter spokes.
That's what I'm thinking the drive side spokes are getting awfully hard to tighten. I'm thinking 2mm shorter? All the threads are hidden on the spokes. I'm going to try loosening the entire wheel and tightening the drive side more than the non-drive side as I go around.
- Update: I've got the dish side tight enough that I'm going to start stripping nipples if I go another 1/2 to full turn. The non-drive side is snug, but looser than my other wheel sets. I can get my 2.3's in without rubbing the frame, but the centerline of the wheel and the centerline of the frame are off by 2.5 mm. So I'm going to stick with 2.2 tires for the time being. I did build the wheelsets from used parts I got at a Recycled Cycles so I"m not really out any cash. Just seems odd that things aren't working out. I'm wondering if the spokes I got were perhaps pulled from the wrong bin at the shop?
- Update: I've got the dish side tight enough that I'm going to start stripping nipples if I go another 1/2 to full turn. The non-drive side is snug, but looser than my other wheel sets. I can get my 2.3's in without rubbing the frame, but the centerline of the wheel and the centerline of the frame are off by 2.5 mm. So I'm going to stick with 2.2 tires for the time being. I did build the wheelsets from used parts I got at a Recycled Cycles so I"m not really out any cash. Just seems odd that things aren't working out. I'm wondering if the spokes I got were perhaps pulled from the wrong bin at the shop?
Very possible. Whenever I build a wheel, I measure at least one spoke from the bunch and make sure the rest are equal in height.
Just got done putting 19miles on the wheel. Seems to hold true and the dish, while slightly off, hasn't gotten worse.
I can't find a local shop that sells them. I've been measuring by swapping the wheel 180 deg in my truing stand and the offsets from the LH/RH stays.
Most of the bike shops use the same spoke length calculators so you will get the same results from the shops. They are not always right. A number of times I used the calculator and it was wrong. 2mm isn't much but it is enough to make the difference.
If it works now, run it.
If it works now, run it.