Nipple washers?
#1
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Nipple washers?
Question to the accomplished wheelbuilders:
What nipple washers or spoke washers do you prefer for road wheels?
What nipple washers or spoke washers do you prefer for road wheels?
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I'm not an accomplished wheel builder but since your question has been posted while w/o any useful reply, I'll make a suggestion. Clarify the situation you have that you think warrants the use of washers. A more specific question may get a response from someone with actual knowledge.
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I don't think nipple washers are rocket science. I'd just take my nipple to an Ace Hardware and find a SS washer that fits the nipple. One that will bend slightly to better fit the rim but not too much would be ideal.
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There are rims without reinforcing around the nipple holes that will crack without the washers, guaranteed, especially some older rims fro the '70s. Mavic Open Sports are probably marginal. I build them from myself without but I am 150 pounds and generally kind to wheels. Velocity Aeros have lots of material there and can go no washer without issue.
Ben
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#6
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My thoughts here are to get rims, if we are talking aluminum rims, with double eyelets, then washers not needed. Just another little bit to drop on floor and be lost forever.
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Sorry, too many jokes !
I can’t be trusted in this thread.
Bye
Barry
I can’t be trusted in this thread.
Bye
Barry
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#9
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There are rims without reinforcing around the nipple holes that will crack without the washers, guaranteed, especially some older rims fro the '70s. Mavic Open Sports are probably marginal. I build them from myself without but I am 150 pounds and generally kind to wheels. Velocity Aeros have lots of material there and can go no washer without issue.
Ben
Ben
#10
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I only fitted nipple washers (aluminum washers made for backing up Pop Rivets) when I built my Winter bikes wheels with
All Weather Sports (Fairbanks AK) Snow Cat rims, seeing them single wall & kind of thin (though wide) for my studded tire wheels..
here is an image I found where they did not..
All Weather Sports (Fairbanks AK) Snow Cat rims, seeing them single wall & kind of thin (though wide) for my studded tire wheels..
here is an image I found where they did not..
#11
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Define "road wheels" , mate..
Mean any wheels of non mountain bikes?
People have used little brass washers on the head end of spokes with steel flange hubs, since spoke J bends,
are now assuming aluminum hubs , with thicker flanges so the brass washer compensates for the thinner steel hub flanges..
..
People have used little brass washers on the head end of spokes with steel flange hubs, since spoke J bends,
are now assuming aluminum hubs , with thicker flanges so the brass washer compensates for the thinner steel hub flanges..
..
Last edited by fietsbob; 06-28-20 at 12:39 PM.
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I've only used them on the rear wheel of a commuter bike with H+Son Archetype rims. Not exactly necessary but it helped to tighten up the wheel, I used Sapim HM nipple washers.
I ordered a set of Bofix nipple washers for a tandem wheel... but they don't fit through the hole. Not that a Ryde Andra 40 will really need them.
I ordered a set of Bofix nipple washers for a tandem wheel... but they don't fit through the hole. Not that a Ryde Andra 40 will really need them.
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Here's some info in a recent C&V thread. https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...e-washers.html
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Here's some info in a recent C&V thread. https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...e-washers.html
This thread title is better...
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Here's some info in a recent C&V thread. https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...e-washers.html
OP, I'd go with these
https://www.wheelfanatyk.com/store/oval-rim-washer/
Personally I've never needed them, if the rim has eyelets they're meant to do the job and these won't help, they'll only work if the rim is smooth on the inside. I've only been building since 97 or 98, during that time only carbon rims ever seemed to have a recommendation for them and even then it was only a few and none of which I ever needed to build. Although there may be some rims that recommend them, I've yet to see a modern rim that does. Spoke prep the spokes and lube the nipples and the wheel will go together nicely. If I ran into a rim that required these I think I'd buy something different.
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I used them on a wheel build, really no other reason than an impulse buy. they are a pain to use, pretty much guaranteed to drop one or two down into the rim.
#17
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I thought this would be a job opening announcement.
What’s interesting is that you can use a phrase like this in these forums but the use of most “four letter words” are automatically redacted.
Dan
What’s interesting is that you can use a phrase like this in these forums but the use of most “four letter words” are automatically redacted.
Dan
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That is an idea but don't think you want to do that. I bought a bag of nipple washers and they are heavily shaped, far from flat. They are also relatively inexpensive, probably cheaper than washers at ACE, so no real reason to try and make something work.
I used them on a wheel build, really no other reason than an impulse buy. they are a pain to use, pretty much guaranteed to drop one or two down into the rim.
I used them on a wheel build, really no other reason than an impulse buy. they are a pain to use, pretty much guaranteed to drop one or two down into the rim.
As far as the bend - I don't bend the washer, the spoke does. (Hence picking thinner washers which are also lighter.) If it doesn't fit the rim perfectly,,what's going to happen? Dig some gouges inside that you will never see? So what. The only person who will ever know that is whoever cuts up the dead rim to look (after the wheel has died from other causes. All wheels die - eventually.)
If you have access to real nipple washers, great. But the washers don't have to be the real thing. They just have to be there and work. (And yes, you can do far better than Ace for price. Ace has the advantage of good choices and organization (at least out here) so bringing the nipple (and perhaps rim) and trying the fit is easy.