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wire wheel spokes "tuning"

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M

mmgwhite

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My AH3000 BJ8 with 60 spoke wire wheels seems to have a bit of a wobble at hiway speeds.
A while back ago it was recommended I "tune the spokes"
Well, now I am wanting advice on that.
I have the proper wrench but would like direction in the simplest technique to get all the spokes at the same tension.
If I can do a good job it also might translate to my TR3A. same style wheels
Suggestions please
Thanks
 
Before you open that can of worms you can do a couple of things to see if you are in need of doing anything with your spokes. If you haven't already checked each spoke for looseness, you should. If they have really backed off you might be able to wiggle them. There should be no wiggle of the spokes. If all appear snug, you can progress to a tap test. With the wheel off the ground tap each spoke in the middle ( as best you can) with something that has a little weight to it like a 6" piece of 1/4" steel rod. If you have a spoke that is not tight, it will have a dull sound relative to most of the others. The spokes should have roughly the same sound and the higher pitched the sound, the tighter the spoke is likely to be. If they still appear snug, you can do a quick and dirty check of whether or not the wheel is true by gently rotating the wheel off the ground and pitting a fixed pointer near the rim close to the point where the most outboard spokes go into the rim. If there is enough out of true going on, you may see it by closely watching the pointer and seeing if the distance between the tip and the rim changes significantly. You might have a tire issue if the wobble is only at highway speeds. This is also a good time to check the rest of your suspension to make sure there isn't something else going on. I had 48 spoke wire wheels and got tired of spoke issues. They are more prone to broken spokes than are 60 or 72 spoked wheels. You also have to remember that the threaded end of the spokes can potentially chafe on the inner tube (if you are running tubes) or cause an air leak by disturbing the sealant applied to the outboard end of the spoke nipple inside the tire if you are tubeless.
 
I have considerable experience truing bicycle wheels, and own the specialized equipment to perform that work. However, when I found three broken spokes on one of my chrome-plated 62-spoke wheels, I didn't feel I could true the wheel if it was out of round. However, I detected not noticeable run out in the wheel when spun on the car's spindle. On the plus side, with the tire off, I was able to replace all three spokes, but in each case, as I recall, I had to loosen or remove three other spokes. That was pretty dismaying. However, I snugged each new spoke as I installed it and then tightened the ones I loosened or removed to what I felt was equal tension. I've had not further trouble with the wheel or spokes. However, my sense was that I wouldn't have been able to true the wheel had it gone out of true. They are more challenging than bicycle wheels. I say give it a try, and if it doesn't work, take it to a specialist.
 
One thing I was told by a 'pro' wheel tuner was counter-intuitive to me: you set the roundness of the rim with the outer (closest to the bead) spokes and the runout with the inner spokes. Can anyone confirm?
 
The spokes that are more or less vertical, from the rim to the inside of the center hub, are used to set "roundness" in relation to the hub. They move the rim in relation to the center of the hub. The spoke fastening to the outer end of the hub will pull the rim out in relation to the hub meaning the opposite side from the ones tightened will move inward causing a wobble. To me truing a wheel in both planes is as much intuition and art as anything else as you not only have to get the rim straight and equi-distant in relation to the hub but the spoke must be tensioned as close as possible to the same amount.
 
It is difficult to true an old wheel. Most of the spokes will break when you turn the nipples, unless you are willing to heat the nipples cherry red with a torch. That requires removing the tire and repainting the wheel. At the very least, you will need many new spokes to complete the job. I have been able to finally true them up well provided the rim isn't bent. But it is a slow process for sure.

If the car bounces, try new tires first. I have found out of round tires can be at least as important as the wheels. If it still bounces, repro wheels are now available at reasonable prices. Buying one may be a better solution than trying to true up an old wheel.
 
I've known at least one shop that trued wire wheels to just cut all the old spokes as a matter of course. Seemed wasteful to me, but the old spokes were often more trouble to remove than they were worth, labor-wise.
 
Yea, the spokes and nipples will seize together and be practically impossible to get apart. Plus to replace on you'll need to loosen and take apart the adjacent spokes since they won't always fit around each other to get them lined up. And if you start down that path, check the condition of the splines as well. While expensive, replacing worn out wheels and possibly hubs is a better long term investment than rebuilding marginal ones.
 
After many years of messing around replacing loose or broken spokes on 48 spoke wheels, I bit the bullet and invested in a new set of chrome 60 spoke wheels. That was the best thing I have ever done to my car! And yes, Keoke they are Indian made Dunlop wheels.
 
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