tech8

Part One: Component Selection and Preparation

Your restoration project is coming along smartly and economically,
then you hit the wheels. The drums need paint or polishing, the rims
are rusted and/or dented or wrong for the model year and the only way
is a wheel disassembly. "My God , how will I ever get all those little
spokes back in the right holes pointing the correct direction" you
exclaim. Most restorers are intimidated by wheel lacing but that is
not necessary. You can save $50+ per wheel if you do it yourself.

The first thing is to decide what combination of components you will
need. For rims you can use Akront copy alloy rims, English made steel
rims, Italian econo steel rims, American flangeless Sun alloy rims,
Japanese alloy DID or Excel rims and even English Stainless rims.
There are other choices, as well, including straightening and
re-chroming the originals. For spokes you can go with
New-Old-Stock(NOS) original manufacturer, Stainless from either
England or US made Buchanan, or newly manufactures plated spokes.
Spoke nipples can be plated brass, Stainless, unplated brass, and
perhaps other choices. My personal preference for spokes and nipples
is stainless for both, from Buchanan, using whatever rim makes sense
for the application. The absolute strongest for racing rims are the
Excell hardened aluminum alloy only followed by the Sun rims.

It is hard to avoid using the Stainless combination spoke, nipple, and
rim. The pitfall here is that stainless on stainless galls, requiring
Anti-Seize on the spoke threads. That combination gives years of
service without the worry of rusting components. Also remember that
stainless steel does not look like chromed steel, if that is
important. Be aware that brass nipples plated or not are delicate and
need to be assembled with care to avoid marking the wrenching surface.
Stainless it a lot more durable in that respect.

Purchasing a rim at the junk yard or at a swap meet is probably not
wise. You see, every hub requires a unique and specific pattern of
angled holes in the rim to angle the spokes correctly. And the pattern
of the spoking called the "cross" effect the angles as well. As an
aside, the pattern cross can be 2, 3, or 4, or one on show bikes. This
refers to the number of spokes that a given spoke crosses over
(actually touches) on its path from the hub to the rim. Most normal
British wheels are laced cross three or maybe cross two if the hub is
particularly large in diameter. Racers like cross four since it is the
strongest lacing pattern. Of course the number of spoke holes in the
rim and hub has to match. The common sizes are 36 and 40 hole. The way
to resolve the rim problem is to lay it on your rim supplier.
Buchanan, for instance, has all the specification on record so that
they can drill a blank rim to virtually any hub and cross pattern you
desire while you wait. Don't forget to have them drill the rim for
tire locks if you plan to run them

Purchasing the spokes can be a problem as well if the pattern is to
change from the original. The different cross patterns require
different length spokes. Again Buchanan has his spec book that tells
him what you need. In fact, his crew cut and thread the spoke while
you wait. Of, course you could mail order from him if traveling to the
Azusa area in LA County is a problem. Other wheel shops offer similar
services but Buchanan is the largest shop and they make the spoke
blanks, Sun rims, and nipples themselves.

The easiest approach is to re-lace the wheel just as you found
it-stock. Take photos or make drawings of the lacing patterns. Note
that the spoking is done in groups of four, all criss crossing among
themselves. In the space between groups the spokes are all aimed away
from each other. This is the ideal space for the tube air valve or the
tire lock bolts. Most British bikes have either 9 or 10 groups of
four, 36 or 40 spokes total, with half emanating from each side of the
hub. The pattern is such that every spoke has a mate on its' side of
the hub that pulls in the opposite direction. Most also have a pattern
that puts these pairings on opposite sides of the hub on the same
side of the wheel. Another way to assure you'll get the wheel back
together the right way is to take a group of four and trace each spoke
back to the hub and uniquely mark the hub, spoke, and rim for each
one. That's four marks on the hub, four marked spokes and four marks
on the rim, each spoke path uniquely marked, all hidden from normal
view of course. The rest of the lacing is that pattern, just moved
around the wheel. I'll refer to this set of four spokes as the master
set.

To work on the wheel I lay a flat piece of relatively heavy plywood on
top of my vice into which I have tightened the wheel's axle. Of course
a hole in the center of the plywood in necessary. That makes a table
for the rim and a center on which to rotate the wheel as I true it. At
this point you must document the offset of the rim. Using the plywood
as a flat plane and with the wheel on the axle measure the distance to
the center of the rim. If your wheel is terribly out of true you only
have to ask Buchanan for that dimension and to what it is referenced.
You may have to resort to making this measurement with the hub mounted
in the bike. If so, remember to allow for tire and chain clearances.
Compare the new rim to the original, looking for the group of four,
checking out the angle of the holes. Transfer the rim hole marking for
the master set to the new rim from the old. Disassemble the wheel from
the tire side of the rim using an electric screwdriver, if you have
one, but re-verify that you have put matching marks on the four spoke
group that you marked earlier. This is necessary as each of the four
spokes is likely to have a different length and head angle. By marking
them and comparing them to the new spoke set you'll be able to
separate the spokes into their appropriate styles and not get
everything mixed up.

Next time we'll start the actual lacing.

Part Two: Wheel Lacing, At last.

This time we start the actual lacing process but last time we
documented the original wheel as to offset, we photographed it or made
a drawing of the spoke pattern and the crossover relationships of the
criss crossing spokes and we marked the four master sets of spokes on
the hub, the rim (both old and new), and the spokes. The rim, spoke,
nipple, and pattern were selected. We made our lacing "table" (a
sturdy piece of plywood). And we disassembled the old wheel. Now,
boss, now?

To start the actual lacing pick one of the four master spokes, gather
up all the spokes that match in length and head angle, and install
them in every other hole of the hub, starting at its marked hub hole,
all the way around the hub, pointing them in the correct direction.
Select the next master spoke that is suppose to be on the same side of
the hub and lace them onto the hub, in every other hole of the hub,
starting at its' marked hub hole, all the way around the hub, pointing
them in the correct direction. Refer to your photos or drawings to
determine how the spokes lay over each other. Do the same on the other
side of the wheel. Now start feed the appropriate spokes into the rim.
Do one master spoke set at a time. That is to say do all the forward
facing spokes on the brake side first, then the reverse facing spokes
on the brake side. Turn the hub over and do the next set then the
final set. To keep the spokes in correct alignment before pushing them
into the rim masking tape at the cross over points can help. Some of
the last ones can be tough to get into the rim holes, so bend the
spokes as necessary and re- straighten them once they are into the
hole. It is easier if you start the lacing with the shorter spokes
first since that allows the last spokes to be the longer ones which
can be bent into the rim holes easier than the short ones. For each
set spin the nipples on only a turn or two, just enough to keep the
spokes from falling out of the rim hole. If it is stainless spokes on
stainless nipples don't forget the anti-seize or the assembly lube
provided by Buchanan, a drop per nipple. You must pay attention to get
the correct spokes into the hub holes with the spoke head on the
correct side of the hub flange and with the spokes pointing in the
correct direction. Also make sure that the rim holes are angled
correctly as per your drawings or photos. Also verify that you end up
with the same cross pattern as the original. If the master set of four
spokes is correct all others will also be correct, so bothering to do
the marking of the master set is a huge help.

Next comes the centering and truing. It takes patience to true a
wheel. Just take your time. Make a pointer out of an old piece of coat
hanger wire with a point ground on one end and a small loop on the
other. Using a wood screw affix the pointer to the plywood so that you
can get the pointed end of the pointer close to the rim. Start by
tightening the spokes around the rim using your electric screwdriver.
This first tightening should be done evenly for every spoke but only
to the level of minimum tightness (just enough to pull the rim barely
tight against the spokes). Set up the wheel so you can measure the
wheel offset by placing the hub down on the plywood and measuring from
the plywood, using it as a plane. To center the wheel to that offset
tighten all the spokes on the side of the wheel (brake side verses
other side) to pull the rim over and loosen all the spokes to move the
rim away. The final accuracy has to be + or - about 1/32 inch. Just
get close the first time. At this point the end of the spoke will
start to protrude into the nipples screw slot, not allowing the slot
to be used for tightening. All additional tightening will require a
spoke wrench. Get a good wrench that has a jaw face that is at least
1/4 inch wide and fits the nipple perfectly. The one by Rowe Products
fits six different size nipples and works well.

Put a spacer (socket) between the plywood and the hub to raise the
rim clear of the plywood for easy spinning. Remove the radial runout
of the rim by tightening the spokes to move the rim away from the
pointer and loosening spokes to move the rim toward the pointer.
Adjust the spokes the most at the peak point tapering the adjustment
over about 6 spokes in each direction of the peak. Make the opposite
adjustment on the spokes directly opposite (top vs. bottom). If you
don't tighten some and do the loosening of the opposing pair you'll
end up with spokes way too tight and a wheel with rising and fall
points everywhere.

Remove the spacer and do the offset adjustment again. Then install the
spacer and do the radial adjustment. Repeat until you get to the + and
- 1/32 inch tolerance or better for both radial and offset. I use the
tire seating surface both vertical and horizontal (where the bead
runs) as my reference point for the pointer but remember that rims are
made from continuos extrusions of material, bent to be round, then
joined by welding. This leaves a small discontinuity in that bead
surface at the weld which has been ground by hand to look good, not
necessarily perfectly round or flat. Once you are satisfied with the
radial truing and the offset adjustment (wheel wobble) tighten all
spokes approximately the same amount, i.e., one half turn or one turn
or whatever. All spokes should end up with uniform ringing when the
spoke wrench is used as a mini-hammer on the center of the spoke. Each
set of master spokes should ring with approximately the same note. The
results are usually four different rings, one for each of the master
spoke types. If you are unaware of how tight is tight and what the
ring should sound like try a known good wheel just for a test. The
tightness does not have to be violin tight. After the final tightening
recheck the radial and offset again and make any small adjustment
necessary. Usually none are needed.

Unless the new spokes were perfect in length (highly unlikely) the
spoke end will protrude beyond the end of the nipples into the tube
area of the wheel. This protrusion must be ground even with the nipple
or a flat tire is in your future. A Dremel tool or equivalent with a
small grinding stone works well. Buchanan uses a bench grinder with a
shaped grinding wheel.

Well, that's it. You're done. It usually take a couple of hours per
wheel, working slowly but your first one could take twice as long. The
wheel doesn't have to be perfect. The + and - 1/32 inch tolerance is
more than adequate. Dirt bikes can get away with a large tolerance.
Ride the bike for a couple of hundred miles then tighten the spokes
again but on the bike. It should only take a small part of a turn on
each spoke at worst.

Part 3

After writing the previous parts in this series I had my confidence
shattered when our Vintage racer's (1975 CZ 400) wheel broke out 9 of
its 36 spokes while competing in a Vintage Motocross event at Gorman's
Hungry Valley competition track. Fortunately, Dave my son, was able to
get back to the truck without getting hurt but the wheel wobbled
ferociously. The tire had rubbed on the frame so hard it polished the
powder coating off both inner surfaces of the tubes, and the virtually
new tire had the knobs ripped off a foot long section on each side
destroying the tire. The very scarce and expensive CZ magnesium hub
was undamaged as was the Excel aluminum rim. Only the shorter brake
side spokes broke, the ones with the most angled heads. What had gone
wrong?

I asked other racers with years of motocross experience as to what
could be the matter. One showed me his CZ wheel laced cross four
(stock is cross one on the brake side and cross two on the other side)
claiming that was the answer. Still another stated that the more cross
lace patterns were actually weaker. Still another said the spokes must
have been too loose even though I had tuned up the wheel two days
before the event. My son insisted that I must have over tightened
them. Heavier gauge spokes were discussed but the CZ magnesium hubs
are very fragile and could not handle being drill out to fit the
larger diameter spoke heads. The hub would most certainly break at the
flange. What to do? Call Buchanan's and ask for advice, that's what!

Kevin at Buchanan's first question was "How long is the spoke wrench
you use?". I told him that the neat little wrench I recommended here
was about 3 inches long. His comment was that I needed to be using a
wrench 6 to 7 inches long. He stated that the tightening torque should
be 80 inch lbs! That results in a spoke tightness such that if two
crossing spokes are pinched together they will not move more than 1
mm. I have never tightened spokes that tight. I was always afraid of
breaking them. He described exactly the nature of the broken spokes,
jagged ends broken at the hub. He stated that with the "loose" spokes
the hub works them back and forth and work hardens the ends at the
hub. They become brittle and break at the first big load, like the
jumps at Gorman. He suggested a break away torque wrench set that
includes one handle that breaks at 50 to 60 inch lbs for initial
tightening and for older British steel rims, and a final one that
breaks at 80 inch lbs. The wrench set is made by Fasst in Long Beach.
Buchanan's sold me a long handled wrench sized for the Buchanan's CZ
spoke on one end and for British spokes on the other end. Kevin
re-iterated to be sure to use the anti-seize on the internal threads
of the spoke nipples and any handy oil on the outer surface of the
nipples that tightens against the rim. The oil makes the torquing and
tightening more accurate and not effected by the aluminum to stainless
steel friction. As to the extra strength of increased cross patterns?
Up to a point, he said, extra crosses do increase the strength but
that the earlier practice of lacing Maico wheels cross five and six
was totally unnecessary. He assured me that the cross one cross two
pattern of stock CZ wheels was adequate if the spokes are tight
enough. It was necessary to re-lace the wheel, throwing away all the
original spokes, as they are now work hardened, and follow Kevin
advise on tightening the spokes.

I started the relacing by completely removing all the old spokes and
lacing in the new ones. I started on the brake side (shortest spokes)
with the nine (36 spoke wheel) spokes that lay to the outside of the
wheel. Next I did the brake side nine spokes that lay closest to the
center of the wheel. This sequence of outer first then inner was
tremendously easier than other sequences I have used. After feeding
the spokes through the appropriate holes, the nipple was just started
onto the spoke threads to keep the spoke from falling out of the rim
holes. You will have to move and twist the partially laced rim in
reference to the hub to get some of the last spoke in without
resorting to bending spokes. The same sequence of lacing was used on
the side of the wheel with the longer spokes. The pattern was made
easier to follow using the master four spoke marking plan discussed in
the previous articles only this time before disassembly of the broken
wheel I marked each type (four total) at both the hub and the spoke's
rim hole. That four marked set is just repeated nine times for the
total of 36 spokes. The next step is the real learned lesson. The
nipples are tighten up equally to the absolute minimum tension to just
keep the rim from flopping around. All truing is done at this minimal
tension. If the rim needs to move in or out, left or right, the spokes
are tighten on one side and loosened on the other, keeping the same
level of minimal tension on all spokes. Do not use higher tension on
one side to pull the rim one way or the other. All spokes must have
equally low tension. Verify that equal level of tension between each
and every moving of the rim. Once the wheel is true and the offset is
correct start the tensioning exercise and I do mean exercise. You have
to really pull to get the nipples up to 80 inch lbs. The longer wrench
is absolutely necessary. I might caution that older rims and
especially hubs, would be best left at 60 in lbs. The Fasst torque
wrench, while expensive, leaves the question as to how much is enough
tension purely academic.

Using the long spoke wrench (6 to 7 inches available from Buchanan for
less than $20) tighten each spoke exactly the same number of turns.
Just like cylinder heads a pattern is necessary. Three revolutions
around the wheel are required, since you tighten a spoke then skip
two. This results in tightening of every third spoke. Work the tension
of the spokes up slowly at about one revolution of the nipple for each
set of three times around the wheel. It takes something like five or
six set of three revolution around the wheel to get the tension to the
right level, with the final determination based on the torque wrench
or perhaps the twanging test. Go for High-high C. But they must be
tight! The stainless Buchanan spokes and nipples will support over
2000 lbs of tension before braking or the threads stripping, according
to Fasst. The tightening process can pull the wheel out of true if all
the spokes didn't start at the same low minimal tightness required at
the initial truing process. The final caution is to double check the
offset of the rim by fitting the trued wheel to the bike before and
after the spoke tightening process, checking it to some
pre-wheel-tear-down measurements to the frame, forks, or swinging arm.
Don't ask me how I know that is necessary!

Well, I guess even old farts can learn a thing or two. This concludes
this series and I hope you have learned something from it. I did! If
nothing else, some of the mystery and "secrets" of wheel lacing has
been revealed and you may be able to appreciate what is involved. If
frustration is not your bag then let the "man" do it. Half a C-note
per wheel might be acceptable.

Addendum;

The key element in the "How to" article was the four key spokes that repeat in length, end bend, and location in a pattern around the wheel.
It was stated that all wheels repeat the pattern of four spokes eight
(32 total spokes per wheel) or nine (36 totalspokes) or ten (40 total spokes) times around the wheel. Well, I found the exception to my article! It was a rear wheel off a mid 1970's Husky. There appear to be eight different spokes (instead of four) and the different spokes are spread across six sets of the so called master four spokes. The spacing an at the hub end has an un-even pattern. The wheel required making a detailed drawing, segregating the eight different spokes to avoid mixing them up, and marking the spokes, the rim, and the hub. There is always an exception,
I guess, to anything in life.

Lynn Bennett