Jicafold

So I have this Minoura truing stand. I've used it on several wheels but it's centering performance is erratic. Sometimes the adjusters will be in the proper center position and sometimes not. Yesterday I was truing a wheel and it was working perfectly. Wheel was centered in the stand. I took the wheel off, placed it some rear dropouts on a bike where it also was centered, took it back off and put it back in the stand 2 minutes later and the stand was way off. Again! As shown in this photo. It's not just this wheel. It's every wheel. Wheel axle is properly seated. I played around with it and can't find the problem/ Any ideas?

Crankycrank

I've got a very similar Minoura stand to that one and it isn't the most sturdy stand in the world. Hard to get repeatable measurements when removing and replacing the wheel. What does help is to make sure the wheel axle is firmly resting in the stand dropouts and the arms are firmly pressed against the axle nuts. You can use the quick release skewer to hold the arms against the nuts but clamp it so that it just rests against the plastic dropouts. Clamping too hard just bends and distorts the dropouts causing the wheel to skew to one side. Practice flipping the wheel around in the stand and see if you can find a method to get repeatable results for dish. The wheel centering device is pretty weak as you have found so either just be satisfied with eyeballing the dish when the wheel on the bike or get a proper dishing tool.

Jicafold

As far as I know, I am placing the wheel correctly in the stand arms. I use a quick release. I have to flip the wheel back and forth in the stand out of necessity because of the alignment issues with the red arms as i describe. But I will double check my mounting in the arms of the stand Thank you.

Rolla

For truing, you typically only use one of the calipers anyway, so prop the other one open and out of the way. Use a dishing tool for precise centering.

HillRider

Most truing stands, even expensive ones, aren't reliable as dishing tools and wheel builders own and use a separate dishing tools. Most won't have the large out-of-adjustment yours shows but they still aren't good enough.

DrIsotope

Bill Kapaun

Bent axle?

HerrKaLeun

For dish use a dishing tool. Especially with a cheap stand. Some people flip the wheel for dish, but if it isn't reproducable that won't help.

I have a $400 Park fatbike truing stand. On TA wheels dish is not correct, only on QR. So even with a proper sturdy stand you need a dishing tool.

A good stand can get you in the ballpark. But the last turns require a dish tool.

Mad Honk 

I have used a bunch of stands, and the easiest way for them to get off spec is for the holding arms to move. Think about the two upright arms as stays for a frame, or fork and think about what happens when the stays are bent a little bit. I am currently using the latest iteration of the Var tool and it is pretty sturdy and costly. The Parks tools have similar beefy arms, but they get out of adjustment from the set screws holding the arms in place on the travel rod. I have found it doesn't take much of a bump to move the arms of most of the more inexpensive tools. I would first find a way too check the upright arms of your tool with a perfectly dished wheel, and then see if you can make adjustments to the arms. If not you may need to constantly use a dishing tool to check your truing. There are a number of threads here on home made dishing tools, and any one of them will help you keep your wheels in correct dish. I hope this will help you a bit with your stand and getting to work better. Smiles, MH

Jicafold

Thank you Dr. Isotope. I wonder why you would only use one side at a time. Shouldn't the stand be centered so you can adjust left to right at the same time... regardless if it is a front or rear wheel? Do I use only the side shaking gauge? What am I not understanding here?

HerrKaLeun

In theory it should work the way you think. but there are machining tolerances, flex, bending etc. In addition you can put the wheel in a tiny bit different every time, especially with TA wheels.

That stand you have is very "light". Don't expect precision.

Jicafold

True. But I don't understand why it was off by a centimeter after removing a wheel from the stand and replacing it. It's been off with many wheels I've put in it.

HerrKaLeun

did you verify with dishing tool if those wheels were correct?
Trust but verify.

There also is the explanation of that being a cheap stand.

Jicafold

Yes, but why should it be perfectly centered and then 2 minutes later be off by a centimeter....everything else being equal. That's a lot. I thought from day one there is something wrong with the stand.

I don't own a dishing tool. It's lined up perfectly in a bike frame though.

HerrKaLeun

Welcome to the World of inferior Harbor Freight tools.
Without dishing tool, all is guess work.

Jicafold

That's true. Sigh.. Maybe I should buy a different stand. But a Park stand is $280 it looks like.

Crankycrank

No need for a new stand. Just buy, or make, a dishing tool. You'll be all set. how to make a wheel dishing tool - Google Search

70sSanO

I bought a Park TS-2 30 years ago. It has never been “perfect” when it comes to dishing; although never off by a centimeter. I’ve kept the stand lubed and have made minor adjustments, to the upright forks, over the years to get it close.

I flip-flop the wheel and use a dishing tool. This is not a precision piece of machinery, like a milling machine.

John

Jicafold

I must be ignorant somehow on the need for a dishing tool. You would think that a quality stand would center the rim for you...front or rear. I've built like maybe 20 wheels by now from scratch on this stand alone...mostly while watching Dancing with the Stars with my wife. It's a 2 hour show so that's valuable wheel building time on the coffee table so that's a win-win. I have to deliver 2 more wheels to a customer today. But I have always been frustrated with having to turn the wheel back and forth in the stand all the time, constantly flip flopping and then checking the centering on a bike frame. In the end it works out, but it just takes so darn long. And she's not too keen on bikes in the living room.

davidad

I have an older Minoura stand and I have always used a dishing tool.
If you don't want to bother with a dishing tool get one of these. A Perfect Truing Stand - Wheel Fanatyk
P&K Lie Truing Stand - Wheel Fanatyk

HerrKaLeun

A quality stand may, but I thought this thread is about the Minoura stand?

Russ Roth

With a quality stand and flipping the wheel around you don't need a dishing tool, also shouldn't need to check in the frame. My wheel building isn't as frequent as I used to, only 7 sets this year but still, 2 hours should be enough time for a pair while watching a show. But I've never seen a truing stand that stayed adjusted so either flip or use a dishing tool.

OP, when I had your stand, still should somewhere but wouldn't even know what box to start checking, I would build a wheel till almost to final tension and make sure it was really round, then I'd toss it on the bike and dish it fully to the bike using the brake bridge. A modern disc wheel would be a problem but it worked well. Recheck for round, stress the spokes and finalize the tiny spots in the stand again. A little longer but still perfect.

As others mentioned a dishing tool is the easy solution.