spoke wheel lacing tutorial from the Suzuki GS forum

For those wanting to keep their bike the way the factory made them.

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jabcb
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spoke wheel lacing tutorial from the Suzuki GS forum

Post by jabcb »

One of the gurus on the Suzuki GS forum has a tutorial on spoke wheel lacing specific to vintage Suzuki wheels.
I’ve never laced a wheel before and was surprised at how easy his instructions made it. (I’m leaving truing + tire mounting + balancing up to a shop.)

His tutorial::
http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/sh ... g-Tutorial
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akendall1966
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Re: spoke wheel lacing tutorial from the Suzuki GS forum

Post by akendall1966 »

Great guide, been doing my own wheels for a couple of years now, as you have seen lacing isn't as complicated as you'd think. If you get the first spoke in the right hole on the rim and can count to 4 you've done the hard part. If your going to lace before getting a shop to complete oil the threads on assembly so they can torque evenly.

Truing and offset are nothing to be scared of either, if you build a wheel with stock parts and the right length spokes and have laced the inners and outers where they should be you can't be too far out as there won't be the spoke length available to get it very wrong.

For truing I pick 4 pairs of spokes, one inner and one outer from each side of the hub at the 12 - 3 - 6 - 9 o'clock position (i.e approx 90 degree intervals). I wrap a little different color electrical tape around the spokes so I have 4 red spokes at 12, 4 blue spokes at 3, 4 yellow at 6, etc so I don't get lost in what I am adjusting. Take the slack out of the 16 marked spokes evenly as you can (look at the amount of thread showing in the nipple). Leave all the other spoke loose for now.

To true, work sets of 4 opposite each other to correct eccentric run out, and pairs from either side to correct lateral run out. Be systematic and make small changes (1/4 turn of the nipple), i.e. loosen the spokes on the high side before tightening the low side aiming to keep tension the same at the end of the adjustment.

When you have got things reasonable true at the 90 degree locations, check your offset and move the whole rim left or right as needed.

You can then take the slack out of the other spokes and apply the same principles to correct run out around the whole rim. You can then finally increase the tension so you get an even tone as possible when you tap the spoke to make it 'ring'. The nipples are normally relative soft plated brass so if your marking the nipple with the spoke wrench you going to tight.

Have a go, worst case you loosen the spokes off afterwards and take it to the shop anyway.
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