Wheel buckled past repair?

[swee'pea99]

A friend had an unfortunate encounter with a ridge on the towpath in his wheelchair yesterday, and it's left his wheel with a humungous buckle in it. Not easy to photograph, but...

I'd say the 'wobble' is at least 1.5-2cm, and early efforts to straighten by the usual spoke tightening/loosening have pretty much run aground. The spokes on the 'concave' side are now beyond further tightening, and the wobble seems pretty much aswas. It's knackered isn't it? Or might it be retrievable, and if so, any tips?

Thanks.

 

[Drago]

I'm not an expert at this sort of thing. I can true a typically wobbly wheel, but that looks beyond my abilities. How about whipping the wheel off and taking it to an LBS for a nosey?

 

[swee'pea99]

I'm not an expert at this sort of thing. I can true a typically wobbly wheel, but that looks beyond my abilities. How about whipping the wheel off and taking it to an LBS for a nosey?

Good idea - ta.

 

[Stephen Piper]

I fixed a buckled wheel by loosening all the spokes then force-ably bending the wheel back (roughly) into shape. The spokes were then tightened to true the wheel to a better shape. The result was not a perfectly true wheel but at least use-able.

 

[swee'pea99]

I fixed a buckled wheel by loosening all the spokes then force-ably bending the wheel back (roughly) into shape. The spokes were then tightened to true the wheel to a better shape. The result was not a perfectly true wheel but at least use-able.

Thanks. I shall give that a go!

 

[arch684]

Place the wheel across 2 pieces of wood with the buckled part overhanging the wood by about 8 inch then use your weight to push the buckled part of the rim back over,then true the wheel as normal,wont be perfect but it should be usable

 

[swee'pea99]

Thanks for all suggestions. I put the ball back in my friend's court and he has decided to take it back to the wheelchair shop (he was going anyway apparently, to pick up a new off-roader!) and see if they think it's salvageable. Like I say, many thanks.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Here's the rule-of-thumb for deciding whether a rim can be saved or not. Release the spoke tension in all spokes and see if the rim returns to straight. If not, replace, because you'll never be able to get it straight without some spokes being at the limit of tension and others still loose. Take the tyre of when judging for straightness.

 

[swee'pea99]

Here's the rule-of-thumb for deciding whether a rim can be saved or not. Release the spoke tension in all spokes and see if the rim returns to straight. If not, replace, because you'll never be able to get it straight without some spokes being at the limit of tension and others still loose. Take the tyre of when judging for straightness.

Thanks. Worth knowing for future reference.

 

[overmind]

This is quite a useful video. The Bikeman4U IBM method.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i73vVq7t138

 

[si_c]

Here's the rule-of-thumb for deciding whether a rim can be saved or not. Release the spoke tension in all spokes and see if the rim returns to straight. If not, replace, because you'll never be able to get it straight without some spokes being at the limit of tension and others still loose. Take the tyre of when judging for straightness.

Would it be possible to compensate for this by changing the spokes? I appreciate that at that point replacing the rim might be just as easy. I'm just curious.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Would it be possible to compensate for this by changing the spokes? I appreciate that at that point replacing the rim might be just as easy. I'm just curious.

No, the original spokes have not altered (yielded) in any way. It is the rim that yielded by bending and different spokes will give the same result.

 

[QFour]

Spokes are doing what they are supposed to do holding the rim. Problem is to bend the rim you need to undo the spokes. It would be quicker just to remove all the spokes and see if you can straighten it. Holding it in a vice is just going to distort the alloy section so you will probably have to do it by adding weight. Support the rim and carefully stand on it. If you cannot get it anywhere near straight I don't think the spokes will be able to pull it back.

 

[Spoked Wheels]

Here's the rule-of-thumb for deciding whether a rim can be saved or not. Release the spoke tension in all spokes and see if the rim returns to straight. If not, replace, because you'll never be able to get it straight without some spokes being at the limit of tension and others still loose. Take the tyre of when judging for straightness.

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