[chainsaw]

Well, you all have been kind enough to steer me in the right direction so many times in the past, I gotta ask this question: I'm dealing with a slightly out-of-round rim, which was probably that way from day 1. I haven't got that resolved, but I'm leaning toward going back to the knobbies I had and love so dearly. Once I put the knobbies on, will that pretty much negate the need for balance and a rim truing?

 

[srs713]

I don't know what the tolerance is for out-of-round. I haven't had any experience with out-of-round rims, but if they are like un-balanced wheels then there will be a speed range where the bike will vibrate, and probably affect traction & handling while turning corners.



This is gonna depend on your definition of "slightly".

 

[davidsonsgccc]

i wouldnt get to comfortable with the title of the forum idiot. as with any competition the lead can often change. i think i just passed you with this reply.

p.s. on wheels generally you dont feel the side to side wobble it is the up and down hop that causes most of problem. as you tighten a spoke it pulls the wheel in direction of hub so if you can elevate the bike or wheel and safely spin it to reveal a significant high spot when rotating you may be able to adjust it out by tightening the high side spokes and maybe have to loosen spokes directly opposite of high side to even out pressure. it takes a little practice to get a wheel even but it isnt hard just pay attention to the way the spokes push and pull when tightening and loosening.



good luck and i hope this helps.

shawn

 

[davidsonsgccc]

just now saw mudpuppy's post. told you it is a tight race for the title.

 

[chainsaw]

Thanks, guys. After being admonished by the local bike expert for "screwing around with the wheel" and being informed that it would be a two-week wait just to see him, then $80/hr, I'm gonna take another stab at it. I've got the "psychology" of the spokes down pat - clockwise=loosen, counterclockwise=tighten, and armed with that arsenal of knowledge, I should be able to adjust it out. To be honest, unless I'm waiting for it to happen, I don't notice it.



Yeah, I'm just a little bit anal...but if there weren't any of us around, nobody would know who the normal folks are.



Thanks again,

Thom

 

[Jay64]

.....

Yeah, I'm just a little bit anal...but if there weren't any of us around, nobody would know who the normal folks are.



Thanks again,

Thom

Abnormality IS the normality at this locality.

 

[mudpuppy]

When I found and read the information I posted for you in the article How to: Spoke and Wheel Truing http://tw200forum.co...uilding-truing/ it kind of scared the hell out of me. I really had never given any thought to the whole subject, and had no idea of how tedious and finicky it might be. I realize now that I have probably been riding bikes for years that had slightly loose spokes or slightly out -of-round problems, but I guess "ignorance is bliss", as they say. At least your wheel is still fully assembled and just slightly out -of - round, so you are starting towards the end of the process described in the article. Maybe with just a little luck and patience it won't be too hard to accomplish---- being anal sounds like a necessary trait for this task.



You might want to look around a little and see if you can find someone that would charge less than the $80 per hour if your project does turn out to elude you. I've got a friend who runs a small, independent cycle repair shop, and his labor rate is $45 per hour compared to the $70 per hour of the 'brand name' dealers in my area. Another prospect would be finding someone who isn't affiliated with a shop at all. Another friend of mine has done local Hare Scrambles dirt bike races for years (likely banging up his wheels many times), and now meticulously restores old Penton dirt bikes as a hobby --- I've seen wheels torn apart in his garage. Maybe there is someone in your local ' dirt-bike club' that also is skilled at the process and would help you out for a few bucks or a couple cases of beer. That type of person might also provide you with a good answer to your original question about whether putting on a set of knobbies would affect your problem in some way. Good luck with your project, and be sure to let us know what you find out / how your project goes.



Corey

 

[peruano]

I've said it before on a different thread, but old guys are allowed to repeat themselves, right? Truing a bicycle is wheel is possible but once they get so bad they are nasty and tricky. Truing a motorcycle wheel has got to be worse, and probably deserves to be done by someone with more than just casual knowledge or experience. Flat spots on the wheel are always hard to remedy. They can cause the tire to wear in specific spots (potential for early failure if ignored). Were it my bike, I'd decide whether I heard, or felt that flat spot, or detected its effect on tire wear. If none of these were obvious I'd ignore the flat and stay aware. If its detectable in a significant way, I'd take it to someone who could demonstrate experience, knowledge, and a willingness to remedy your problem. A failure or damage to the wheel in the wrong hands, could mean a highway accident (usual price much higher than $80/hr - equipment, ambulances, orthopedic surgeons, you know the drill). One possible non-invasive cure to think about would to use the balancing beads to see if they would happen to take out some of the vibration, bump, or skip that is likely to be there if the flat spot is bad. The rubber can take care of some flatness, but it might be time for a new wheel if the flat is so bad that it does not. Good luck and act wisely when possible. Tom

 

[qwerty]

A rim with a flat spot is probably damaged and needing replaced. It is about impossible to take a flat spot out of a rim and still have equal spoke tension all around.

 

[Bagger]

Sure don't want to be in a hurry when trueing a wheel, and I completely agree with haveing a back up plan!

I really wanted to comment on the balance beads.... I suppose this will get me whacked, but I have tried them in a couple of differant bikes (MUCH smoother running and MUCH MUCH faster) and I will never spend money on them again.



I"m just sayin'.....





Bag

 

[Gerry]

As a bicycle 'mechanic' for many years, I have got to true lots of wheels (bicycle). Though I have a spoke wrench, I have done nothing with a motorcycle rim, but will share my thoughts. As Qwerty said, a 'real' flat spot indicates you have a damaged rim that needs to be replaced. You can however have a rim that appears to have a flat spot, but it may be that an impact has only damaged the sidewall area and the rim over all is still round. In this situation, I have been able to 'reform' that zone with a section of hardwood dowel (broom handle) and a heavy hammer. As well, many times when I thought a rim may be askew it was a matter of the tire not being seated properly. From my bicycle days, I will say, before trying to true a wheel, "the best thing to do is remove tire and rimstrip, then apply penetrating oil to both ends of the spoke nipple, then give the rim a good spin and let it set for a few minutes". Spoke nipples can be easy to deform or damage so use a good tool (not pliers) and go slow. Gerry

 

[qwerty]

Good advice, mrgizmo. I'd like to add that a real spoke wrench is pretty much mandatory to avoid damaging the nipples. Also, it may be necessary to apply penetrating oil and let it soak in several times before the nipples will turn. Sometimes the spokes and nipples are different metals and galvanic activity can "weld" them together, and the nipples to the rim.



If the flat spot is from the rim sides being bent out, a c-clamp and a couple 1Xs will sometimes fix it right up.