How hard is it to build a wheel?

**davep** · 05-12-2008, 09:39 PM

I'm pretty techy, and do all my own ski/bike tech work including suspension and all that. I've trued my wheels lots, but never considered building one.

So, people who've done it: How long did it take you first try? How did it turn out? I figure I'd surf the web to find some decent sounding instructions, and buy a proper truing stand if I decided to try it.

Alternatively, what's a reasonable cost for a shop to charge me to build one up, assuming I have all the parts already?

**kidwoo** · 05-12-2008, 09:53 PM

For ANYONE: your first wheel should take you all night. If it doesn't, you messed up.

For DAVEP: As long as you look really closely at a built wheel and do what it takes to make yours look like that....you'll get there.

**jon turner** · 05-12-2008, 09:54 PM

The wheels I've built, I've just looked at one wheel for an example and laced my new wheel exactly the same. It worked out well. I was too lazy to true it myself and just paid a shop 5-10$ to true it. I don't remember for sure, but I think a shop would probably charge 30-40$ maybe to build it from scratch. I could be way off on that one, though. It's been awhile since I've built any wheels.

**ninjabirdman** · 05-12-2008, 09:55 PM

hey dave - i don't have any knowledge yet, but i just pulled the trigger on a stand with the intention of rebuilding my road wheels this summer. if you want to come over and give it a go before you decide to buy a stand, give me a call or shoot me a pm

**kidwoo** · 05-12-2008, 10:04 PM

Originally Posted by ninjabirdman

hey dave - i don't have any knowledge yet, but i just pulled the trigger on a stand with the intention of rebuilding my road wheels this summer. if you want to come over and give it a go before you decide to buy a stand, give me a call or shoot me a pm

Heh.......yeah learn to dial in a nice set of road wheels and no mtb wheel will ever be a challenge

Get your practice on some road hoops and building a dh wheel will take about 23 seconds.

**elake** · 05-12-2008, 11:57 PM

Use the Sheldon Brown wheel builder guide. Super easy. I have built many wheels using this technique and have had great success.

**mntlion** · 05-13-2008, 09:22 AM

first one will take 1-2 hours.

follow the instructions, and triple check each step. should be fine

**Ed el Loco** · 05-13-2008, 09:26 AM

http://sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html

I followed his instructions and built a 3 cross wheel I have been riding for over a year. I did have a little issue with the "dish" the first time, so a dish tool might help. A good spoke wrench is a must.

**mntlion** · 05-13-2008, 09:30 AM

first one will take 1-2 hours.

follow the instructions, and triple check each step. should be fine

**MELSNOW** · 05-13-2008, 09:34 AM

buy some dt spoke prep. it helps keep the nipps in place longer, and easier for removing broken spokes in the long run. also make absolutely sure your using the right length spoke. drive side spokes on a rear wheel are usually 2-3mm shorter due to dish. dt's website has a spoke calculator, but is limited to only a few hubs and rim combos.

http://www.dtswiss.com/SpokesCalc/We...px?language=en

go to a shop that has Bike-a-log and have them figure out your ISO. wheel building is tedious at first, but i'm sure you'll manage. good luck!

**Bunion 2020** · 05-13-2008, 09:50 AM

I checked this out from my local library. Excellent basic how to do it book.

http://www.avocet.com/wheelbook/wheelbook.html

Sheldon Brown is also a great source.

Building wheels isn't rocket science, take your time and as said above. Go slow at first.

**PeachesN'Cream** · 05-13-2008, 09:51 AM

I agree with everybody else. Takes at least a few hours, more to true. Have another wheel for reference and take your time, hell enjoy the time it takes to figure it out — it's kinda fun.

**dingbat** · 05-13-2008, 09:54 AM

Go ahead, if you take your time it'll be no problem, and if you mess it up the first time, just pull it apart and build it again.

Some tips:

Spoke prep is good, boiled linseed oil is better.

Lube the rim where the nipples seat. Just a little drop.

Tension the spokes slowly, 1/4 turn at a time for your first build, so you don't end up making an egg out of the wheel. Check for roundness as you go.

Once you've got good tension on the wheel, grab parralell pairs of spokes, one in each hand, on opposite sides of the wheel, and Squeeze to seat the spoke heads. Do this around the whole wheel.

When you get to your final tensioning and truing, watch the end of the spoke inside the nipple to make sure you are turning the nipple on the spoke thread, not just twisting the spoke.

Good Luck!

**dingbat** · 05-13-2008, 09:56 AM

Oh, and more tension is more better, so long as the rim can handle it.

**dingbat** · 05-13-2008, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by davep

Alternatively, what's a reasonable cost for a shop to charge me to build one up, assuming I have all the parts already?

I used to charge $25/wheel. That was a few years ago though and if my customer bought the parts from me. I wouldn't bother building from a pile of parts that someone bought online. Usualy something was wrong: wrong spoke length, wrong nipple size, 36h hub with 32 hole rim, etc.

Chuckle heads.

**Ted Striker** · 05-13-2008, 01:29 PM

Definitely go ahead and build it yourself. First one may be a challenge, but once you get it, you get it. Some good advice on this thread, and on mtbr (although the old board had tons of great info that was lost... sounds kinda familiar... where else have I heard that story

) Go to the 'wheels and tires' sub-forum.

You don't need a proper stand either (if you're on a budget). I've built/trued wheels using an old rigid fork or hardtail frame clamped in a vice. A friend built a ghetto wheel stand from 2x4s. Improving on the theme, I welded one up from angle-iron.

**mallege** · 05-13-2008, 07:40 PM

I second Bunion's comments on the Wheelbook. Goes deep into wheelbuilding. Learn to do a cross three or four pattern with regular butted spokes for your first set, then go on to the other stuff like radial lacing. Go Slow, Slow, Slow. Bring the tension up slowly. Tension slowly, a little bit at a time. Did I say 'slowly? Then every once in a while go around the wheel gripping groups of four spokes at a time to help seat the spokes. Repeat until tensioned fully. Don't over tension. Don't feel the need to get them done in one or two sittings. For the first set,, try to drag it out over a few days. Slow is okay..... Hand built wheels definitely give a sense of satisfaction.

**backcountry1pr** · 05-13-2008, 07:46 PM

Have someone there who has built wheels up before watch you do it. Much easier then realizing you made a mistake later and having to rip shit apart.

**tromano** · 05-13-2008, 08:24 PM

I rebuilt an old wheel after reading this guide. Pretty simple, IMO. Link

**bagtagley** · 05-13-2008, 08:27 PM

How are peeps dishing without a dish tool?

**tromano** · 05-13-2008, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by bagtagley

How are peeps dishing without a dish tool?

I mounted a ruler on a clamp and a level.

Hugh Conway · 05-13-2008, 08:48 PM

Originally Posted by elake

Use the Sheldon Brown wheel builder guide. Super easy. I have built many wheels using this technique and have had great success.

I did that with success. Start with front wheels. It really isn't that difficult.

**stevesmith7** · 05-13-2008, 08:54 PM

Originally Posted by Bunion

I checked this out from my local library. Excellent basic how to do it book.

http://www.avocet.com/wheelbook/wheelbook.html

I worked with the guy who wrote this about 30 years ago. I still have a printout he gave me before it was published. Build many wheels using it. Couldn't be more straightforward.

**dingbat** · 05-13-2008, 09:11 PM

Originally Posted by bagtagley

How are peeps dishing without a dish tool?

Turn the wheel around in what ever you're using for a stand and see if it lines up the same. You can do this on the bike with a zip tie on the seatstay/fork leg to work as a guide. The zip tie works as a pretty good ghetto truing tool. Just clip it of square to about the centerline of the rim and you can rotate it on the stay or fork leg to adjust for in and out.

**dingbat** · 05-13-2008, 09:15 PM

Originally Posted by mallege

Learn to do a cross three or four pattern with regular butted spokes for your first set, then go on to the other stuff like radial lacing.

Why are you poisoning his mind with such tripe? Crow's foot, tied and soldered with straight guage galvanized steel spokes is the only method worth bothering with.