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Wheels are extremely complex. However, you don't need to know how to build an entire wheel to centre them. Fortunately! Because there is one supreme discipline among all the screwdriver work you can do on a mountain bike: spoking wheels yourself. However, in order to centre a figure of eight or lateral runout, you need to understand how the tension of individual spokes influences the concentricity of the rim. Each spoke acts as a link between the rim and hub. Ideally, the tension is uniformly high for all spokes on the drive or brake side of the wheel. The higher the tension of a spoke, the more this spoke pulls the rim in its direction. The lower the spoke tension, the more the rim can be pulled in the opposite direction. Increasing or decreasing the spoke tension can therefore eliminate a knock in the wheel. We explain exactly how to do this in the video instructions below. However, there are limits to physics. Extremely bent rims can no longer be straightened, even by professionals. If the spoke tension in a wheel becomes too uneven due to constant centring, in the worst case scenario the spokes can break on the next ride.
You need these tools for wheel centring
In order to be able to turn spoke nipples, you need a special Nipple clamp . For conventional wheels, a spanner with a jaw width of 3.2 millimetres fits in 90 percent of cases. Shimano or Mavic wheels often require specific nipple spanners. For wheels with internal spoke nipples, you need special spanners. For bladed spokes, you need an appropriate tool (left) to hold the spoke in place.
Centring stand are available from 40 euros. However, cheap models are usually a little wobbly. Models from around 100 euros (e.g. the Rose 2-CENT.A:-XL ), on the other hand, often offer workshop quality. They are robust and are suitable for all wheel types thanks to their many adjustment options. Real professional devices with dial gauges cost considerably more and are excessive for DIY use.
If you don't have a truing stand, you can make do with a cable tie. Simply attach the cable tie to the seat stays or the suspension fork and pinch off the protruding end so that it is not touching the rim. If you then turn the wheel, you can check the concentricity. This method helps in an emergency, is cheap and quick to do, but not particularly accurate.
A bump in the rim? Mountain bike wheel centring: the video guide
Important tips: You need to pay attention to this when centring
- As a general rule: To centre the rim again, increase the spoke tension.
- A quarter turn is often enough to centre the rim! Always proceed step by step.
- If it is not enough just to increase the tension of the corresponding spokes, the tension of the opposite spokes (on the side of the rim flange) must also be reduced.
- As a rule of thumb, side impacts that deviate from the centre by up to one centimetre can be centred. Anything more than this will be difficult.
- In addition to lateral runout, wheels can also have radial runout. Centring radial run-out is complicated and requires experience. Beginners should therefore consult a workshop.
How do I determine the lateral run-out? To do this, set the sensors in the centre stand so that they touch the rim flanks at individual points. Turn the wheel in the centre stand. You must centre the wheel at the points where the rim makes contact. You can find out which spokes you need to turn in which direction in the video.
And which MTB wheels are the best? Here you will find Six current carbon and eight aluminium wheelsets between 491 and 1480 euros in a detailed laboratory and practical test.
You can read all about wheel servicing and tuning in BIKE 5/20 - on newsstands from 7 April. These are the topics in the third part of our screwdriver series: centring the wheel as a step-by-step guide, converting MTB tyres to tubeless and repairing cracked spokes.
