Spokes n rims?

I have a few rims with rusted spokes. It's cleaning the spokes or replacing the spokes with new ones. Is there a trick to lacing rims?

take out the old ones and put in new ones

been since 1972, haven't had to do one since
but watch a video on it, it was not really that hard

It could be a difficult task depending on which wheel. The Husky "odd ball" has 5 different spokes in the rear. I have done a couple of rears. I don't advise a total relace. It is a chore. The front is not as bad. If you just need to replace a few, go ahead. You may have to put a slight bend to get them in place.

Like Zp mentioned, watch a how to video on it….. Then with a bit of time and patience it’ll come together. The only trick that I have some times used is to loosely tie the spokes to the pattern before lacing up the rim.

Using tape or twine like in the picture above is the only bit of information I had before doing it. Once you get the rim in place with the spokes through the holes I pick four spokes in four places like 12,3,6.9 on a clock face and use those to get the rim where it is desired, right to left and centered. Then the rest so they are all sort of loose then go around in a manner that seems sensible so they are properly tight.

The nipples seem chrome plated brass, usually I wreck a few per wheel. Making a screwdriver with a notch in the middle if needed to twist at the same time as the spoke wrench, making a spoke wrench sort of like a flare nut wrench, or use vice grips were in my bag of tricks. I really wonder how it in now with aluminum nipples. Or the tubeless that essentially have a turnbuckle in the middle hence two sets of threads to break free.

If you are looks fussy probably should get stainless spokes. If the spokes are plated chances are the plating once compromised is going to make the steel at the damage spot corrode worse than plain uncoated steel. I only was worried about broken spokes, or changing rims/hubs so my intents were different.

I generally use non conical rear wheels all the spokes the same, All angles drilled in the rim the same. I considered it an upgrade, one of the lesser things on the 420 auto was the conical hub.

The husky service manual gives detailed lacing instructions.

Some rims I have one broken spoke. I hate removing one spoke from one rim to fix another. I may buy new spokes. How good are the plastic spoke covers?

Aluminum nipples?

I have had a bad experience with aluminum steering tie rod ends on my '94 Polaris quad. I wish I could meet the engineer who designed it. I hit a hole in the ice and the tie rod broke. My ribs, both shoulders too their first hit. When the slow motion started I looked rearward and seen the back horizontal rack vertical. My thoughts were oh crap this is gonna hurt.my first trip over the bars with no pilots license. NASA couldn't do the launch better. I don't like aluminum parts on any steering not even spokes. Funny the factory replacement tie rod ends wee steel.

The dealer at the time spoke of replacing one spoke by bending it but I resorted to loosening up all the spokes to get in unbent. A spoke was $4.00 and a nipple was $2.00 at the time probably around 1995. I did not have spare wheels at that time. The same spelling of spoke has different meanings.

You watching the televised supercross series that is about half done. The hot Husky rider Anderson got tangled up and had front wheel spokes tore up last race or the one before it. Footpeg of another rider's bike. I think he ended up about 15 th which I think is pretty amazing to pit and change wheels.

Trick don't use twine. Use rubber bands. They stretch.

Offset is key. must have the right offset. Watch were you start and which side you start. rims are cut to fit/ install one way only

Like Houredout said above, the service manual gives good detailed instructions, including how to get the offset correct ("Put the wheel rim over the hub in such a way that the holes in the rim with the greatest inclination angle is directed against the brake drum. See fig. 10.4”). Only instruction I’m not sure about is “Assembling of spokes: Find the place of the hub where the cast-joint is in the right part of the nearest spoke attachment. See fig. 8.3. Then follow the joint up to the hole for the sprocket which is situated just in front. See fig. 8.4.”.
Anyone know what this means? ...where the cast-joint is in the right part of the nearest spoke attachment...??

I read those instructions and then sent my wheels of to Buchanans...

I'm guessing something was lost when the manual was translated to English.

You have to learn to reconfigure the text in your mind . Translations that are direct but not in proper English context are confusing.

chinglish manuals leave me in fits of laughter

The cast-joint should be the parting line on the casting. Pictures save 1000 words.

I take many pictures of spoke placement prior to despoking. If I do not do that, then I happen to have a duplicate wheel for reference as in the case of the newer 1983 conical hub. I have one on my 84 250WR, another that I got from eBay for another build, and a third where I got the hub and a new rim, Then I bought SS spokes from Buchanans. I have it laid out and someday will get it together.

this thread has got me thinking about lacing wheels by myself for the first time ever. i recently had my 76 250 spokes re-plated and decided today i would try to at least get a wheel on my 76 250 laced, then true it if it works out. following the instructions from the manual for the front wheel (which was more straight forward than the rear) i got the spokes laced. i wouldn't say it looks perfect, a few are arced in an odd way, some are tight, some are loose. it probably just needs to be worked out but some of the spoke ends protrude out the top of the nipple, while some are still below. does this sound like a good starting point to start a truing or should i rework the lacing? also, is there a specified offset for both front and rear wheels? i didn't measure it before disassembly.

It sounds like you need to re-lace some at least, there should not be any arcing of spokes, it sounds as though you have some spokes going around others.

It is a bit of a test of patience but it should go together evenly without stressing any spokes, start with roughly the same amount of thread in each nipple and slowly tension.

It helps to have a pointer clamped to the swingarm so that you can detect any side to side run-out as well as any vertical run-out and tension the opposite spokes while loosening those closest to the run-out.
Tony.

I don't have a lot of patience. I never done replacing spokes. (Whole rim)

Somehow you have the indexing off a hole or two. I would take it back apart and start over. The spokes should be all about the same in the nipples. If not you are off somewhere.

i agree, indexing is off or something is crossing where it shouldn't. the hub is not even in the same plane as the wheel and can't be moved. i'll take them all out and do it over and see if i can get better results. thanks guys!