How to stop creaky spokes

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What can I do to stop the creaking that happens when I hit bumps? Sounds awful and fear I’ll break another spoke. Maybe I should’ve added washers? Oil? The spokes are pretty tight but I don’t know how tight or what’s tension is ideal.
 

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I have a similar problem - a large hub in a small rim = very short spokes.

You don't need to oil the spokes. Creaks mean the spokes are not tight enough. Try to get the tension as even as possible. I do this by tapping the spoke with something metal. Higher tension = higher pitch.

I had a heavy someone sit on my bike to see if I could tell if that made any spokes seem looser. (It did.) So each spoke got another partial turn. Retest.

It will pay off to remove the wheel every now and then to inspect the rim without the tire and rim tape on it. Check especially around the spoke nipples... well, just everywhere.

I had issues with the spokes not seeming to stay tight, so I used (gasp) blue thread lock.
 
Hummina Shadeeba said:
What can I do to stop the creaking that happens when I hit bumps? Sounds awful and fear I’ll break another spoke. Maybe I should’ve added washers? Oil? The spokes are pretty tight but I don’t know how tight or what’s tension is ideal.

My spokes were creaking after I laced my wheel, but tightening the spokes cured it. Not sure it that will work for you, but for me it was not enough spoke tension.
 
Unless you like the idea of setting spoke tension by ear, the far easier/more reliable way is with a tension meter. No more guessing. You know right where you are at without worry about too little/not enough tension on EVERY spoke.
 
AHicks said:
Unless you like the idea of setting spoke tension by ear, the far easier/more reliable way is with a tension meter. No more guessing. You know right where you are at without worry about too little/not enough tension on EVERY spoke.

Very few tensiometers are able to get into position and measure tension on spokes that are that short.
 
Chalo said:
AHicks said:
Unless you like the idea of setting spoke tension by ear, the far easier/more reliable way is with a tension meter. No more guessing. You know right where you are at without worry about too little/not enough tension on EVERY spoke.

Very few tensiometers are able to get into position and measure tension on spokes that are that short.

Yup, good point. Hadn't thought of that. The one I use (a cheapie) needs maybe 3-3.5" to fasten.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08P8N5P2D/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
 
AHicks said:
Yup, good point. Hadn't thought of that. The one I use (a cheapie) needs maybe 3-3.5" to fasten.

When I calibrated mine it was wildly inaccurate out of the box.

The Park Tool one is identical visually but 3 times more expensive. I suspect some of that premium went toward an actual calibration.
 
Yes, I got into trouble using the Park Tool spec. with this tool. It left the spokes WAY loose!

The one in the link not calibrated anywhere near the Park Tool spec.

Mine came with a printed spread sheet. You have to cross reference spoke material, diameter and use that to determine the reading you need for the correct tension. Spoke tension is measured in "KG Force". There's a range you can use, but the research I did, to answer the question "what's everybody using?" showed 110 KG was a good target. The higher end of the range can be hard on rims, and we already know what happens on the lower end....

Here's a video -
https://www.amazon.com/vdp/0f7684b129b2411c976051acbe6413a8?ref=dp_vse_rvc_0
 
AHicks said:
Yes, I got into trouble using the Park Tool spec. with this tool. It left the spokes WAY loose!

This is a risk even with the most precise, carefully calibrated tensiometers. They can become damaged or worn, and it's important to have a 20th century mechanic's horse sense about what a properly tightened wheel feels and sounds like. That way you're using your senses to confirm what the gauge says, or using the gauge to confirm what your senses tell you.
 
This looks easy but wonder what frequency appropriate for such small spokes.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=9&v=VSMNyHBBA8o&feature=emb_logo

just sold the bike though and going to 26” so problem solved
 
Hummina Shadeeba said:
This looks easy but wonder what frequency appropriate for such small spokes.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=9&v=VSMNyHBBA8o&feature=emb_logo

just sold the bike though and going to 26” so problem solved

Different strokes....
 
I used washer's and only had two spokes break but now the rim needs replaced, a 26in Axel DM rim. I want to reuse the sapaim 14/13. Is this a good idea or 60.00 of new spokes. The weight is 85lbs with 72v 24ah battery and mxus 3,000w each 25lbs each.
And 6'4" 238lbs so a load
My spokes on this build No squeaks.
 
999zip999 said:
I used washer's and only had two spokes break but now the rim needs replaced.ba 26in Axel DM rim. I want to reuse the sapaim 14/13. Is this a good idea or 60.00 of new spokes. The weight is 85lbs with 72v 24ah battery and mxus 3,000w each 25lbs each.
And 6'4" 238lbs so a load
My spokes on this build No squeaks.

If your spokes haven't exhibited breakage yet, it makes sense to keep them and swap them one at a time to a new rim. (Don't disassemble the wheel if you don't have to.) If your spokes have been breaking, they'll probably keep doing so when you lace them to a new rim.
 
A.W. had wrote that you can put your new rim next to the old setup and lace from old rim to the new one. Did I read his old post right ? Can this be done like I said ? I think the washer's saved the spokes.
 
999zip999 said:
A.W. had wrote that you can put your new rim next to the old setup and lace from old rim to the new one. Did I read his old post right ? Can this be done like I said ? I think the washer's saved the spokes.

That's correct. I use three or four zip ties to conjoin and align the rims, then loosen the spokes and transfer them one by one. It's not usually faster than lacing them normally, but it keeps all the spokes in their proper places.
 
Down at the bottom has a great illustration of what your asking, plus the whole website is a wealth of information.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/spoke-length.html

Why? Is strength and equal tension.




999zip999 said:
WOW ! Thank you
As I the spokes where not long enough for this thick. How far up the nipple the spoke should go ? And why ?
 
999zip999 said:
WOW ! Thank you
As I the spokes where not long enough for this thick. How far up the nipple the spoke should go ? And why ?

Watch this video for a better understanding of spoke length. And Also nipple to spoke overlap
https://youtu.be/i0Q29syv9ws
 

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