Need help! CB175 Wheel Lacing Trouble...

1sttimer

Over 1,000 Posts
So I swear when I took these wheels apart I documented everything I could possibly document.

I noticed that there were 36 spokes per wheel - 18 of them had a perfectly 90 degree angle. The remaining 18 spokes have a slightly obtuse angle at the head, approximately 100 degrees.

The spokes that are 90 degrees are threaded from the outside of the flange toward the inside of the flange, such that the "button" or head of the spoke is visible on the outside of the hub flange. The spokes that are obtuse at the head are threaded from the inside of the flange toward the outside, such that the button can be seen on the inside face of the flange.

Before i took the wheel apart, the lacing pattern looked like this:



After I took the wheels apart to clean, powder coat and polish, I tried to reinstall the spokes exactly how I removed them. I first tried the method of installing the "outer" or 90 degree spokes first and then the inside spokes second. Every single time I end up properly lacing the first 27 of 36 spokes. The last 9 spokes always come up short about an inch. I know I have the right spokes because if not, 18 wouldn't work, not just 9. It has to be the lacing pattern somewhere.

Here's some pics of where I am now and some attempts I've made. I've done this like 6 times over 4 hours or so and I'm bloody frustrated! I feel like I'm so close!

This was my first try. It looks good and I feel like this was my closest attempt but if you look close, the last 9 spokes are too long because of whatever I did wrong. You can see them sticking out of the rim plane at the bottom of the pic:



Here is a picture of the inners being laced first:



And this is the problem...the last 9 spokes come up short because of whatever I did wrong...



Hopefully some of you master wheel builders out there can help me out.

Thanks,

Greyson
 
Your lacing pattern is off. See how each pair of spokes that cross each at the flange are 6 holes apart? You installed them 4 holes apart.
 
I feel your pain. This is so frustrating. When I lace wheels, I use this as a refresher if I have trouble:

http://www.xs650chopper.com/2009/12/how-to-lace-a-wheel-from-scratch/

Hope it helps you :)
 
Lacing is easy compared to tensioning and truing, that's where the real work comes in.
 
haircuttergirl said:
I feel your pain. This is so frustrating. When I lace wheels, I use this as a refresher if I have trouble:

http://www.xs650chopper.com/2009/12/how-to-lace-a-wheel-from-scratch/

Hope it helps you :)

Haircuttergirl, thanks for the tip. Can you explain what they mean by 6:30 and 6:32 position? I may be thinking this but it's certainly hard to distinguish between two radial minutes by eye...if thats what they are referring to...


DrJ said:
Lacing is easy compared to tensioning and truing, that's where the real work comes in.

DrJ, haven't gotten that far man. I'm determined not to pay 150 a wheel to do this work.
 
1sttimer said:
Haircuttergirl, thanks for the tip. Can you explain what they mean by 6:30 and 6:32 position? I may be thinking this but it's certainly hard to distinguish between two radial minutes by eye...if thats what they are referring to...


Wait I got what they are talking about. They are talking about looking at the other side...the holes on the other side are on either side of the hole on the top. Hard to explain but I get it.
 
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