Triumphrat

damonallen · 04-04-2009, 07:59 PM

getting ready to start restoration of 72 tiger. Taking inventory, ordered the special tools etc. Looking at the wheels they look good, all spokes seem straight and tight no visual problems. Is there any reason to replace just because they are old? What is the rule of thumb on running existing wheels and spokes, what to look for, check for? Thanks

Sunshine Jim · 04-04-2009, 09:09 PM

loose, bent, broken or really rusty ones are a problem. take a good look at each end to catch hidden wear or serious corrosion

other than that you're good to go. i've ridden on many a spoke older than I am and I'm 60 this year.

Snakeoil · 04-04-2009, 09:32 PM

I suggest you go around each wheel and hit each spoke with a wood dowel or plastic handle screw driver. They should all ring about the same pitch. Some will be a little flat and some a little sharp, and that's okay. But if you find one that goes "thud" you found a problem.

As for age, I just stripped a 1947 HD wheel that the original owner tried to straighten with a big mutha hammer. Ruined what was a very nice original chrome wheel that could have been straightened property with the right tools. I located a used HD rim, cleaned up my original spokes and nipples, replaced 2 spokes and one nipple from errant hammer blows, and laced the wheel back up, good as new.

Old is not a problem for spokes and nipples, unless there has been damage done to them.

You should also check your wheels to make sure they are running true. If true and all the spokes play a nice song, you're good to go.
regards,
Rob

rousseau · 04-04-2009, 11:23 PM

The main thing to check for on wheels are the bearings. The (stock)dirt/dust covers and felt seals are inadequate at best. Replace them with modern sealed type bearings.

damonallen · 04-04-2009, 11:53 PM

Thanks. The spokes all seem really good. The rims are fairly good as far as chrome. What products do you all use to clean up the chrome rims and then keep the tiny little rust dots from coming back?

canuck3134 · 04-05-2009, 03:17 AM

Question: how true is good enough? 1/8"? 1/16"?

Both for side-to-side "wobble" and for "out of round".

I'm talking about a vintage machine for regular riding, not road racing or land speed records.

Any advice from someone who knows how to lace and true a wheel properly would be appreciated. I've replaced broken spokes and tightened a few up to pitch, but not done the whole procedure. Thanks.

canuck3134 · 04-05-2009, 03:19 AM

And by the way, I use Autosol with #0000 steel wool with good results for removing the bad pitting, then polish as normal.

Snakeoil · 04-05-2009, 01:25 PM

A commercial plater that does a lot of vintage bike plating recommends Mothers Chrome polish. I asked them about the Turtlewax brand and they were okay with that one too. There are some brands out there with abrassives that will scratch the chrome. I've gone thru several bottles of the Turtlewax brand bring the chrome back on a few vintage bikes with excellent results.
Don't use anything like kero and steelwool, which normally works great, because the kero can get inside the rim and deteriorate your tubes. Not to mention centrifuge out later and make for a slippery tire.

I cannot find a Triumph spec in the manuals, but 1/32" for side runout and radial runout are a typical dimension for motorcycle wheels. If I am lacing a wheel up from scratch, I use a dial indicator and I want my wheels to run within .010 inch, if possible. Many times, especially on older rims, the manufacturing process does not permit that dimension to be achieved. But you normally just find the bad spot (normally where they are welded) and accomodate for that in your runout readings.

Don't try to pull a wheel into true by tightening spokes alone. There are a number of good descriptions on websites for truing wheels. I've read as many as I could find looking for tricks and tips. Bottom line is you have to be patient and consistent. Shortcuts will come back to bite you. Once you get a feel for it, you'll know what to do when you find "issues" with a wheel.

Personally, I'm big on marking out quadrants on the wheel with a magic marker.

Triumph has specific requirements for how a wheel is laced. That info is in the manual. The intent is for the inside spokes to take the braking loads by putting them in tension. That is an important detail if you relace a wheel.

Last point on the subject, if you are lacing up an aluminum rim, you have to be a little more cautious because you can pull a nipple right thru the rim if you over-tighten it. I actually found a 1/4" drive torque wrench that was military surplus so I cold develop a feel for how much tension I was putting on the spokes the first time I laced up an aluminum rim.
regards,
Rob

pootscratch · 04-05-2009, 08:49 PM

You can use a shoe string to polish your spokes. Just coat a section of the string with polish and wrap the string around the spoke twice and move back and forth, up and down the spoke.

damonallen · 04-09-2009, 09:33 PM

great idea with the shoestring. So what exactly do put on the shoestring? Cleaner first and then mothers chrome polish?