I replaced the hub on this wheel, exact same dimensions hub, I’m fairly confident I replaced the spokes in the same pattern, but now they’re all loose the whole way around. I’ve tightened them up to the back end of the nipple (which they weren’t that tight before the hub change), but now the spoke will have to come through the nipple to tighten up. Did I do something wrong?
by Matsuri3-0
5 Comments
It’s likely that the original lacing was 3x and your laced it 2x. That refers to the number of times each spoke crosses another spoke. Because 2x makes a more direct distance from the hub to the rim, it requires shorter spokes. because you used the same length spokes, they’re too long. there’s a good chance that redoing it with three crossings per spoke will fix that.
You also didn’t alternate any under/over crossings. for example, spokes with heads toward the middle of the hub come to the outside of the flange and cross outside (over) the first spoke crossing, outside the second, then go under the third spoke on its way to the rim.
Ds and nds spokes are different lengths you probably mixed them up when lacing them
TL/DR 3x wheel that you laced 2x. Happens to the best of us.
Easy to fix…unlace and try a 3x pattern. Probably what was there to begin with. Wheel building is something that takes practice and time to get good. I know I’ve unlaced a few wheels in my day because of some stupid brain fart when I was building it.
Some are likely on the right track with the original 3 cross spokes being used in a 2 cross pattern but also the last cross should be over/under. That is the spokes coming to the outside of the hub flange should go under the spokes coming from the inside of the the hub flange.