How hard is it to straighten wheels?

[sophie]

Ive Just replaced my off road tyres for on road type tyres and when adjusting the brakes ive noticed my wheels are not quite straight, ive had a look on youtube and it looks easy to adjust the spokes and re-straighten the wheel,

now i do understand that its not as easy as they make it look but how hard is its to do?
as i would like to have a go myself and dont mind spending a couple of hours playing around with it or is it just best to take it to a bike shop?

thanks,
sophie xx

 

[tyred]

It depends how bad they are. Patience and help from any number of online guide will sort minor wobbles. Check for loose or broken spokes first of all.

If the rim is actually bent or flat spotted, it becomes much more difficult and you will rarely get it completely right but should get it usable.

A "blip" on the braking surface can usually be removed with a hammer and dolly.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Mickle has written an excellent guide in the tech section on here.

 

[sophie]

i dont think there that bad id say less than a CM wobble, the rest of the wheel it self is fine, a little old with a little rust but nothing major thats why i was tempted to have a go as ive been using the bike for about 2 weeks and hadnt even noticed

 

[sophie]

cool i had a quick look but couldn't see any thing, i'll try having a proper look then thanks andrew

 

[Globalti]

It's defintely a skill worth learning and a very rewarding one at that.

Spin the wheel in the fork or frame and work out where the wobble is. Then tighten the spokes that will pull the rim that way and loosen their opposing spokes by the same amount. About a quarter turn is best and you need to take care that you really do turn the nipple on the spoke and don't just twist the spoke a little. Usually the bond between nipple and spoke will give way with a little crack. It might help to drip some oil on both ends of the nipple before starting - something like WD40 or GT85. At first you may have to twist the nipples beyond the quarter turn just to break the bond and then return them a little to un-twist the spoke.

Go slowly and carefully and be sure nobody distracts you. Once you're happy you need to untwist any twisted spokes and you can do this by laying the wheel on the floor on its axle end and pressing down on the rim, working your way around. You'll hear some plinks as the nipples pop back. Do the same for the other side. If you don't stress-relieve you'll hear worrying plinking noises when you first ride the wheel.

Once you've sorted this, you can rebuild your own wheels by taping a replacement rim alongside the old, transferring the spokes over one by one then re-tensioning. For rebuilds and big adjustments a dishing gauge is useful, you can buy them or make one out of some batten and three bolts.

Lastly, open a bottle or Merlot and sit down and enjoy the cosy glow of achievement!

 

[fossyant]

What Globalti says.

Remember to tighten one spoke but loosen the next spoke on opposite side - this stips the wheel becoming egg shaped. You also need to stress relieve the wheel - pop wheel on floor, lean heavily on rim with arms at opposite sires, rotate wheel as you go round, then flip over and repeat. The spokes will ping as you do this. Check for trueness and repeat if needed.