reusing spokes

[yello]

I'm rebuilding a front wheel; new dynohub, same rim - but should I reuse the spokes?

The rim/spokes have done 15000km, wheel has never needed truing in all that time.

Googling around, opinion is divided. Jobst Brandt (quoted on Sheldon Brown's site) says it's okay with this caveat...

The spokes should, however, not be removed from the hub because they have all taken a set peculiar to their location, be that inside or outside spokes. The elbows of outside spokes, for instance, have an acute angle while the inside spokes are obtuse.

Obviously, I've had to remove spokes from the hub to replace it!

I'm inclined to reuse anyway. Cost is not the issue, it's more one of time. I want to get the wheel rebuilt for Sunday and won't have time to source new spokes.

Your thoughts?

 

[I like Skol]

I have re-used spokes before without any problems and I would say as long as there are none with kinks or nicks then go ahead. the only other condition I would put on this is how good are the existing spokes? Obviously no point re-using a set of nasty cheapo ones when you have the chance to upgrade to something better. It's been a while for me but are DT butted stainless spokes still the ones to have?

 

[yello]

Yes, should have mentioned that - the spokes are DT stainless double butted.... though I don't know if they are still the ones to have.

 

[PpPete]

I've successfully re-used even cheapo ones.

Would have no hesitation re-using DT d/bs - they are too expensive not too.

Whilst I would hesitate to disagree with Sheldon and Jobst Brandt I don't really buy the acute / obtuse angle thing. You should have enough tension in there to set in a new angle, it's not as if stainless is suddenly going to work harden or fatigue because you have moved it a little bit.

 

[Amanda P]

Unless you're replacing a dynohub with another dynohub, or the hub you're replacing had a large flange exactly the same diameter as the dynohub, the old spokes are unllikely to be the right length. So you'd need new ones anyway, wouldn't you?

 

[yello]

Unless you're replacing a dynohub with another dynohub

I am... same flange diameter and centre to flange.

 

[yello]

...frickin' academic anyhow... I've got the sodding 32 hole version hub, not the 36. My sodding stupid bluddy mistake too. Fortunately, I've got a 32 hole rim (Mavic Open Pro) but I'll definitely need new spokes now. Also means I'll have to ride 36 rear, 32 front... not that it really matters. Reckon I'd best get someone to build it up for me too as I'm having a bad time of it at the mo.... everything I touch seems to be going breasts up.

 

[andrew_s]

look on the bright side - at least the front spokes might be close enough to the rear spokes that you don't have to take an extra length of spare when touring.
(290.6 front, 289/288 rear, Open Pro, 3N70 & XT M756)

 

[MikeMc]

BTW your old dynohub: what type did you have and what went wrong with it?

Commiserations on the 32/36 hole thing. Been there, done...

 

[yello]

A Shimano DH-3N71, I broke the (fragile!) copper wire when replacing the bearings, rendering it useless. Useless as a dynohub that is, still functions as a hub. Which is no consolation!

I still haven't quite decided what to do; build a 32 spoke wheel, buy a 36h dynohub, give up entirely and take up knitting...

 

[mickle]

I'd never re-use spokes. I'm no great wheel builder, it's simply because every decent wheel builder I've ever asked has strongly advised not to.

A 'rim-swap' is a different matter. Where you are re-using the spokes in their original positions the build will fall easily into place. Building with a randomly assorted pile of uswed spokes though is a nightmare - the old bends get in the way of finding the correct tension and the wheel will never settle down.

 

[MikeMc]

I've no knowledge of the 3N71 but can't the wire be soldered?. I've seen electronics jobs involving hair-thickness wires being soldered so why can't the hub be fixed?

If I was a professional wheel builder I would not re-use spokes as I would not want to be associated with the increased chance of spoke breakage. If I was building them I would re-use them and if something went wrong I'd complain to myself.

 

[andrew_s]

The trouble with soldering the wire is that you've got to do it without making the wire significantly thicker or changing the length much. It's also still got to be flexible enough to thread back where it's got to go without breaking the join. It may be doable if the wire is trimmed back to inside the cone and a new section added rather than just soldering the broken ends together.

Shop wheel builders always using new spokes is like shops always fitting a new inner tube when fixing someone's puncture. They have no knowledge of the history of the wheel, and if it gets brought back with a broken spoke they lose money on the repair as the fix has to be free.

 

[yello]

The trouble with soldering the wire is that you've got to do it without making the wire significantly thicker or changing the length much.

That's it in a nut shell really. I tried soldering an extra bit of wire on (not that it is anything I am skilled at) and the result was both too thick and too long; that is, it would not fit back in the connector housing. I'm sure it could be done by someone skilled, but finding that person and just how long the result would last is another thing. I'd guess there's not enough wire to work with to make a secure and functioning repair.

Re the spoke reusage, I would always bow to Mickle's knowledge (hello there btw, it seems ages since I've read anything from you!) and would report that some of the removed spokes definitely have a 'shape' to them. Not bent as such, certainly not buckled, but something that I thought would pull out under new tension.

 

[Ian H]

I'll happily re-use spokes for front wheels. I'm less likely to for rear ones, where there's a lot more stress. My two Schmidt 28s have withstood years of potholes and rough roads with needing even a tweak. One was rebuilt after a hub repair: new rim, old spokes.