What happens if you over tighten spokes

One of the most obvious signs of a bent rim is shakiness and vibration that gets transmitted up the steering column. When a rim is bent and damaged, it will cause your tire to make uneven contact with the surface of the road. Take your wheel off and hold the axle.

Wobble it up and down a few times. If this is wobbling, just tighten the hub cones slightly until there is no play. The wheelset will be used on DS hardtail or DH rig. I've searched the forums and found alot of info on spokes being too loose, but found little on too tight.

Jul 3, 2, 0 Vashon, WA. I imagine it could make the hoop a little easier to collapse. I have heard that some rims make a stronger wheel when laced loose. Ridemonkey This is not an active account. Sep 18, 4, 0 Toronto, Canada. Your rims will crack eventually if the spokes are too tight. Toshi Harbinger of Doom.

Oct 23, 31, 3, Feb 14, 61 Colorado. Feb 17, 0 the DC. Just run it and see what happens Sep 13, 17, 0 SF. Try using a spoke tensionmeter. Notice crack at red arrow. Too much tension can also lead to failure of the hub flange. The wrench flats of the spoke nipple can become deformed and rounded by forcing the nipple to turn while the spoke is at too high tension.

Spunger Git yer dumb questions here. Feb 19, 2, 0 They're all suspose to have a certian sound to them when you pluck them. As funny as it sounds that is always how I've found out that I am near or at the right tension. It's almost like a "ting" sound and that's it.

Atleast that's what I've gone off of to test and tell when I have loose or too tight of spokes. Mackie Monkey. Mar 4, 0 New York. In general, a heavier and stronger rim such as those on a mountain or BMX bike will handle more tension, closer to the KGF.

Lighter rims such as those on racing or road bikes will need much lower tension. For conversion purposes, remember that 1KGF is equal to 10 Newtons or 2. This means a KGF reading is the same as Newtons or pounds force on the rim.

Loose spokes are just as dangerous as overly tight spokes. To get them back to a normal and safe tension is known as truing. Knowing the correct way to tighten a spoke is the best way to prevent over tightening. This is easy to do, so it is important to check spokes after tightening to make sure you have not gone too far.

Spoke tension meters are an efficient way to check the poke tension. Simply hold the tension meter horizontally and squeeze the handle, placing the spoke between the posts. Then release the handles and check the reading on the scale. Be sure to measure the tension of all spokes, completing one side at a time. All will have close to the same tension reading but will not be exact.

A spoke wrench is another tool you can use to adjust spoke tension. This small wrench grips the spoke nipples so you can tighten or loosen the spokes to align your wheel.

The wrenches come in different sizes, so be sure to match the wrench size to the nipple size of your spokes. You will have to turn the bike upside down and rest it on the handlebars and seat. Truing the wheel or adjusting spoke tension involves turning the right nipples the right amount. You want to get all spokes to be of similar tension.

Using the wrench to tighten or loosen spokes, you can check that you do not adjust the same spoke twice by putting a piece of tape on them. Only turn the spokes in small increments and spin the wheel to check your progress as you go. The most common mistake is turning a nipple in the wrong direction which is why double checking is essential. If you do not have a spoke wrench and are musically inclined, you can check spoke tension using your fingers.

Clucking the spokes is easy and all you have to do is listen to the noise they make. While this is not the most accurate method, you can check spoke tension this way and make adjustments to keep you safe on the road. Then when you are back home, get them checked with a tension meter and wrench. Without the spoke wrench, you can tighten spokes with a flathead screwdriver.

It is very easy to over tighten spokes. If you simply just turn the spoke or nipple until it feels tight or turn it as far as it will go with a spoke wrench, it may be too tight. It is important to check the tension after each time you tighten a spoke.

This way if it is too tight, you can loosen it before riding. The spokes on your bike need to be tight.