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Building EX823's

Inclag

Turbo Monkey
Sep 9, 2001
2,750
439
MA
So I'm going to be lacing some EX823's up to some DT Swiss OEM downhill hubs (the ones that come stock on Specialized Demos). I'm fairly certain that I can spec out the appropriate spoke length using the DT Swiss calculator. Is there a specific nipple length that needs to be used with these rims? Also are there any build tricks that I need to be aware of? I figure that you would probably want to loctite the rim inserts and lightly grease the interface where the nipple interfaces with it. Anything else I may be missing or overlooking?
 
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Routier07

Monkey
Mar 14, 2009
259
0
First things first, definitely use 16mm nips(preferably brass). Install the nipples with the thread inserts into the rim and if you want to use loctite and grease go right ahead, torque them down nice and tight. Proceed to then lace up to wheel, I like to use abit of oil on the spoke threads before I tension the wheel up. Apart from the threaded inserts, it should build right up as how a standard wheel should be.
 

mattmatt86

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2005
5,347
10
Bleedmore, Murderland
I built a wheelset with 823s a few years ago and I remember something about having to use 16mm nipples because of the rim inserts. But when I was calculating I had to use 14mm as the nipple length to get an accurate spoke length because the nipple sits 2mm further down in the rim because of the inserts. I used this for the blue loctite, I think I got it from an auto parts store, it was a lot easier and quicker than the tiny tubes of loctite. For the spokes I used linseed oil and spoke prep.

I'm not 100% on the nipple length thing, it was college and I drank a lot...
 

Salami

Turbo Monkey
Jul 17, 2003
1,784
118
Waxhaw, NC
I'm fairly certain that I can spec out the appropriate spoke length using the DT Swiss calculator. Is there a specific nipple length that needs to be used with these rims?

Definitely use 16mm nipples and make sure you select 16mm nipples when you use DT's spoke calc. It will adjust the spoke lengths correctly for the longer nipples.
 

Sonic Reducer

Monkey
Mar 19, 2006
500
0
seattle worshington
remember to at least attempt to count turns on the spoke nipples when you are first assembling the whole wheel. they will get bumped some in the process but you will be time ahead to do things uniformly as possible. be careful with the threads and wrench faces on the 823 inserts. locktite the inserts to the rim. I used blue because thats what i had on hand. no problems yet. red seems like you might have trouble ever getting them off because of the weak proprietary wrench faces(stupid mavic).