Wheel Truing

[Big Kahuna]

Balancing your bicycle's wheels is an important part of regular maintenance, but it's also
something many riders forget to do. Most bikers only think about having their wheels
balanced after they begin to wobble. Truing a bicycle's wheels primarily involves adjusting
the spokes.

Instructions Difficulty: Moderate
Things You'll Need:
Truing stand
Spoke wrench
Test indicators

Step 1
Place the bicycle upside down on a truing stand. Make sure the bike is stable and will
stand on the seat or handlebars without tipping over when you walk away. Specialty bike
shops and outdoors stores, such as REI and Tree Fort Bikes, sell truing stands. You can
also put the bike on a flat surface if you don't have access to a truing stand.

Step 2
Check any loose spokes on the front wheel and tighten them with a spoke wrench. All the
spokes on each wheel should be the same tightness. An easy way to check this is by
listening to the sound the wheel makes when you tap the spoke wrench against the side of
the wheel.

Step 3
Spin the front wheel one full circle and check for signs of any problems. You may notice
that a tire catches on the bike or rubs against one of the brakes slightly. If that's the case,
adjust the brakes until the rubbing stops. The tire itself should only touch the brake pads
and not the brake itself.

Step 4
Use a test indicator to check the distance between the spokes. Some electronics stores
and machinist shops, including Little Machine Shop, offer these products, also known as a
dial test indicator. The test indicator was designed for testing machines and measures
accuracy up to .0005 inches. All of your spokes should be the same distance apart and in
good condition. While you're doing this, look for any signs the spokes are damaged or
bent.

Step 5
Balance the rear bike wheel the same way you balanced the front wheel. Remove the bike
from the truing stand and sit on it. Test the ride for yourself. If the wheels are balanced
correctly, the bike will feel more comfortable to ride.

Tips & Warnings
Take the bike for a short ride. Pay special attention to any overly tight spokes that may
cause the ride to feel more stiff than it should. Also, check the air in your tires. Be careful
when tightening spokes not to twist them too far. If the spokes are too tight, it will put
pressure on the frame and may cause additional problems.


About The Author
Jennifer Eblin has Bachelors' degrees in psychology and history from the University of
Dayton and a Master's degree in historic preservation from the Savannah College of Art
and Design. Eblin has worked as a full-time freelance writer since 2006 and her work has
appeared on Kiddica, Tool Box Tales and Zonder.

So, Is this the correct way or not?

 

[WaveDemon]

Nice article. I'm building a wheel set from scratch this week, maybe I'll put some pics up.

 

[Jetaddict]

Good writeup...I had to true my wheels the other day, so here's my "quickie" version:
For those of you without any fancy equipment to true wheels, all you need is the following:
1) spoke wrench
2) bike work stand (optional- flip the bike upside-down if you don't).

Remember, with spokes the rule "righty tighty lefty loosey" doesn't have the same meaning: in this case, you turn left to tighten the spoke, and right to losen it.

Start by spinning the wheel. If you have a wheel that is out of true, you'll see an obvious wobble. This may also cause the brake rotor (of you have discs) or rim to hit the V-brake. Make a note where the wheel seems to have an obvious bend. I use a point on the tire-like some writing on the tire itself or mark it with a piece of chalk.

Start by making sure all the spokes are tight, but not over-tight. This can be done by plucking the spoke, much like you pluck a guitar string. For the most part, the spokes should all make the same or similar sound when plucked- find a spoke on the straightest part of the wheel first and use that as a guide. Make sure you do not overtighten the spokes.

Once you make sure all the spokes are fairly tight and are all pretty much the same tone, spin the wheel again. Most of the time, this process will cause the wheel to true pretty close to spec, but if there is still a wobble, mark it on the tire and begin to work on the specific trouble area:

First determine which side of the wheel needs to be corrected. If the wobble is on the drive side, begin by tightening the spokes on the non-drive side to in essence "pull" that side of the wheel closer to the centerline. USE VERY MINUTE ADJUSTMENTS...don't twist on the spokes any more than very small twists each time. After tightening the 2 drive side spokes, go to the drive side spokes and loosen them using the same technique. Spin the wheel after each adjustment to check your progress. You may have to move along the wheel at several sets of spokes to achieve the desired effect. If the wobble is to the non-drive side, then do the vice-versa: tighten the drive side and loosen the non.

After a little work, you should be able to get the wheel to be pretty trued. It won't be perfect, but it is good enough for a cheap job, and it will save you money paid out to the bike shop. Test ride the bike. You will hear some spokes settling and popping; don't be alarmed. That sound should go away after a few minutes of riding. If it doesn't, re-check the tightness of all the spokes. If the spokes are all tight, then apply a small amount of lubricating oil to the spoke nipples and also on the spoke "X" points.

Spokes should be tightened enough to where they make a very solid "ping" when plucked. Also, when you are tightening them, you wil hear them "ping" as you tighten with the spoke wrench. If you don't get this distinct sound, or the noise sounds more like a dull thud when you pluck the spoke, it is too loose. Don't be afraid to get them tightened down.

I do most of the work on my bike- I'm broke as sh** so I can't afford to have someone work on my bike whenever its messed up. Invest in a nice set of tools (Pricepoint.com has a really nice set for $50 that has everything you need) and a really good workstand and you are set for life.