How to wheel lacing

I got my spokes today so I plan to lace my wheels over the week end, they are 18 and 19 inch mudslinger rims. Apart from liking new challenges I am a tight arse so i figure if I can lace them up and get a shop to true them I am in front! Can anyone point me to a video or tutorial to make this easier for me. I had a look on You tube and found some on other rims but they all seem to have more spokes and different patterns. Any sage advice appreciated cheers.

Take pictures of an existing setup. Blow them up on a laptop screen or print them out. Use them as a guide. Open a beer and put on some tunes while putting it together. Not bad once you figure out the pattern.

It's a learned art, but well in reach if you have basic mechanical sense. What Pete says about pics of YOUR spoke pattern is priceless. There are some good threads in here.

CoconutPete said:

Take pictures of an existing setup. Blow them up on a laptop screen or print them out. Use them as a guide. Open a beer and put on some tunes while putting it together. Not bad once you figure out the pattern.

Click to expand...

Sounds like a plan! At lease i get o drink some beer.

Last time I did one I was a kid and there was no such thing as digital cameras yet. Getting photos developed was also a "Semi-large" endeavor". Only the lab at school had computers and nobody had heard of the internet yet.

I had to draw a picture of the pattern and use that as my guide. With my art skills it's a wonder I got that wheel straight!

Only thread nipples on spokes a few turns till all are on. Doesn't hurt to grab and shake the wheel part way through to kinda align and settle spokes. The "spoke dents" in the hubs from previous use really help get the pattern right quickly. Hint; don't try to "sand them off". All the innies need to be inserted in the hub and kind of directed to where they will end up before you start, (this may be the most frustrating part.Once all the innies are laced the outies can then be installed one at a time.

I laced my stock standard rims using this tutorial as a guide. Found it very helpful.

http://www.xs650chopper.com/2017/10/how-to-lace-a-wheel-from-scratch/

jradvantage said:

I laced my stock standard rims using this tutorial as a guide. Found it very helpful.

http://www.xs650chopper.com/2017/10/how-to-lace-a-wheel-from-scratch/

Click to expand...

Was going to post the same link, this helped me a ton. Happy day for me. Did the same thing, had a shop true it for me once laced. Saved myself almost $200.

Gary has mentioned the most important points. Here's a thread with some more info .....

http://www.xs650.com/threads/wheel-lacing-101-it-looks-so-easy.27731/

I like to take a few notes before starting the wheel disassembly so I can put them back together exactly as they were, with the rim orientated like it was and the spokes connecting between the same holes. I always lay the wheels on their left side, brake side facing up. I also check and record the rim offset (if any) so I can center it properly on the hub. First note is that the spoke on each side of the valve stem hole is an inner, and to which flange it runs (left or right). There is usually some writing stamped in the rim (size, manufacturer's name) so I note which side of the valve stem hole that is on. This allows me to put the rim back on orientated and spinning in the same direction that it had originally. I also put a mark somewhere on the hub in line with the valve stem hole. That way I can lay the rim back on aligned just as it had been before.







For the rim offset on a rear drum brake hub used with the flanged alloy rim, you should find virtually none. A straight edge laid across the drum will just touch the outermost high edge of the rim. For front disc hubs, I like to bolt a disc on and measure from that. It gives a bigger surface to lay the straight edge across. I usually find the offset when measured like this to be 29 to 30mm.