Thank you for the inquiry.
This is one of those projects in life that best requires special tools (Spoke Jig) and a lot of patience. I also recommend a couple of good quality spoke wrenches. The one that comes with your tool kit usually is for general emergency spoke tightening and minimal maintenance. Even at the shops there is not to many people that know how to do this well. It's time consuming and shop labor is expensive.
That being said here goes:
To get started you will need to know a couple of things:
- Spoke lacing pattern
- Rear sprocket/hub alignment position. (Chain must run true from front primary sprocket) this applies only if this is a rear wheel.
I've posted a link to some helpful pictures of wheel lacing on various bikes to give you a few tips and pointers.
http://www.rcycle.com/wheellacing.html
Look at the spoke pattern on your other wheel to determine the direction to push the spokes through and determine the spacing pattern for the short or long spokes.
1) Lay the hub flat on a bench and install the spokes loosely in correct pattern.
2) Lay the rim over the spokes and push them through. Spoke direction corresponds to the
receiving angle on the rim. Important to get started correctly than alternate.
3) Thumb tighten a couple of the nuts/ferrels loosely to hold rim in position.
4) Tighten nuts according to get the hub centered as best as possible (just to temporarily hold)
5) You can build a fixture with a couple of 2 x 4s as shown in the illustration or carefully clamp the
bikes axel in a vice, not to damage the threads or pinch the axel nut.Horizontal position.
6) You will need to clamp a coat hanger or a heavy piece of wire to something solidly fixed to act as
a reference guide.
7) Tighten spokes first for correct up/down centering then for left/right centering.
8) UP and Down: Position your gauge wire close to the top/front of the rim and rotate. Finger tighten
and loosen the spoke nuts until you get the wheel running true for up/down motion. Keep
going around and redoing until you get it as perfect as you can finger tight only.
9) Move you wire gauge to the side of the rim and repeat process. The front rim has a disc brake
position to align for (not to critical) and the rear rim has a critical sprocket position to
maintain. You will have to measure the sprocket offset to get it correct. Chain must run true.
10) Spin the rim on the axel for reference and Keep going around and tightening and loosening the
spokes until you get the side alignment running true. May take a while and many spins.
11) Once you get the rim running true for both wobble and run out you are ready to slowly start
tightening the spoke nuts with your spoke wrench's. Take you time and keep tightening in tiny
amounts until you get tight and true. Tap the spokes as you go and listen for tension.
12) When you tap if you get a dull thunk - it's a little loose. If you get a ringing musical string sound
you know you are tight and/or close depending on the amount of ring. Take your time.
Before you mount the tire be sure you mount the rim on the bike and run the axel in place to final check for front brake rotor alignment or real sprocket alignment. You may have to adjust.
I have always wrapped duct tape in the V-slot to hold the nuts and prevent spokes from coming up and puncturing the tube. Go around several times. Just maintain the groove so you can still have room to place the tire bead in to stretch for mounting.
Best wishes and good luck from a fellow biker/racer.
TF
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