I can't balance my spoke tension

MarkJohnston

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I have been trying for days to get my spoke tension relative to within 20% of each other. I am using the TM-1. I have been doing this with two different wheel using this app from park tool

https://www.parktool.com/en-us/wta

Everytime I complete the balancing process I check starting from spoke number one and the tension is way off. it's like everytime I change the tension in one spoke the entire wheels tension changes. IT just doesn't seem right to me. I've been having a lot of problems with wheels lately and it's killing me. A while back I had trashed three front wheels from hitting curbs too fast and recently a suicidal racoon ran straight into my wheel late at night.

How do I get the relative correct? I am about to throw away this stupid tension meter. I am feeling spokes but they all pretty much feel the same I am comparing against three other wheels here. Not sure if the specialty super short ebike spokes have anything to do with throwing me off.

How do I change the tension of one or two spokes without throwing off the entire tension of the wheel?
 
Op,
Take a break, pour a large mug of coffee, loosen all the spokes and tighten using feel and watch the wheel, if it is going cray cray, loosen a few on opposite side.

I don't have a torque wrench for spokes [seriously thinking of getting one, dunno know why] I use my fingers to squeeze 2 spokes crossing each other at a known spot to compare tension.
I am thinking of fabbing one, expoxy glue a small adjustable wrench to a beam type INCH/LB torque wrench.

If this is NEW wheel/spokes, did you lube the threads?
I use a light coat of marine grease (syn) to lube the threads.
 
MarkJohnston said:
it's like everytime I change the tension in one spoke the entire wheels tension changes. IT just doesn't seem right to me.

But it is right. :lol:
 
Second vote for start over. Once loosened, bring all the nipples down to the point where the wheel is starting to stiffen up. Count the number of threads still showing below the nipple, and make sure that same number of threads is showing the same all the way around. Now start the final tensioning using the exact same number of turns on every spoke. That should leave you in the ball park when checking for side to side wobble and runout issues. Proceed to final tensioning.
 
Yeah, loosen them all, then go around and around adjusting each a little at a time. Don't over tighten and ck tension after the first sevral rides.
 
Comrade said:
MarkJohnston said:
it's like everytime I change the tension in one spoke the entire wheels tension changes. IT just doesn't seem right to me.

But it is right. :lol:

You mean when you change the tension in a group of spokes, the entire wheels tension is suppose to change?
 
You can go by pitch and pluck them like guitar strings. It’s way faster and just as accurate. There are online calculators that will tell you the ideal pitch of a properly tensioned spoke of a certain length. You can use the same concept for replacing garage door pull cables, or tuning drums checking at each lug. Also when you set tension always come up to it. So if you must loosen, go looser than you need and tighten up. Backlash.

If you must change one spoke you must change the neighboring spokes by half or 2/3 the change you made in the first to make up for the change in tension in that portion of the rim without affecting the rest of the wheel.

Remember to stress relieve the spokes then re-tension. You could also just put some miles on it and re-tension if the spokes are too thick to stresss relieve by hand. Building wheels is a pain in the ass that takes practice to master. Good luck.
 
Tony01 said:
You can go by pitch and pluck them like guitar strings. It’s way faster and just as accurate. There are online calculators that will tell you the ideal pitch of a properly tensioned spoke of a certain length. You can use the same concept for replacing garage door pull cables, or tuning drums checking at each lug. Also when you set tension always come up to it. So if you must loosen, go looser than you need and tighten up. Backlash.

If you must change one spoke you must change the neighboring spokes by half or 2/3 the change you made in the first to make up for the change in tension in that portion of the rim without affecting the rest of the wheel.

Remember to stress relieve the spokes then re-tension. You could also just put some miles on it and re-tension if the spokes are too thick to stresss relieve by hand. Building wheels is a pain in the ass that takes practice to master. Good luck.

Yeah I had two different tuner apps on my phone and I hate plucking spokes (painful), so I tap them with a small wrench. Even still the tuner was giving me readings off the charts and all over the place. I have a tension meter but it's more difficult to use on smaller spokes. I think I tried plucking the spokes too but the tuner would barley pick up the noise it would make.

Yeah it's take a long time. IT reminds me of a hobby from a bygone era when people had more time
 
MarkJohnston said:
You mean when you change the tension in a group of spokes, the entire wheels tension is suppose to change?

Of course. Changing tension even in a single spoke will change tension in all other spokes.
 
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