Truing a wheel

From TrialsWiki

You'll need to true your wheel if, when riding, you notice your pads are touching the rim in different spots. This will be happening because of a buckle in the rim and can be fixed by tensioning or slackening the spokes to pull the rim straight.

[edit] Tools Needed

1. Spoke Key
2. Truing stand (or something to sit the wheel in so you can measure the deviation of the rim)
3. Oil

[edit] Method

In order to see rim movement, a steady pointer is useful as a reference. A wheel-truing stand allows easier and more accurate work. It is also possible to use anything that can hold the wheel steady as a truing stand, such as the frame. A pointer can be created by using the brake pads. Radial truing and rim centering are typically not an issue when only minor corrections are made. It can help to remove the tire while truing.

1. Remove wheel from bike and remove tire. (NOTE: for lateral truing, the tire can remain in place.)
2. Mount wheel in truing stand, with right side of the wheel on the right side of the stand.
3. Lubricate the threads of the spokes and where the nipple exits rim. (this is important, with time the nipples can become very stiff and because they are so small they can easily be rounded off.)
4. Bring calipers up to rim level. Generally, place caliper tips close to outer end of braking surface.
5. Spin wheel. Adjust caliper close to rim. Keep moving caliper until either side begins to lightly scrape rim. Only a light scrap is desired, bring caliper slightly away if scraping heavily.
6. Stop wheel where rim and indicator are closest, at the point of the scrape.
7. Rotate rim back and forth past caliper and find center of rim deviation.
8. If the rim deviation is moving toward the indicator, this section of rim needs to move away from caliper.
9. Tighten nipple 1/2 turn. (once again it's important to make sure you are tightening the nipple, as you are looking down the spoke towards the hub the spoke key should turn clockwise)
10. Move wheel back and forth in this area and check deviation again.
11. Spin wheel and locate another side-to-side deviation using indicator. Again slow and stop the rim where rim approaches indicator. Locate closest nipple opposite to center of deviation tighten nipple. If nipple appears especially tight, loosen spoke on same side as rub on indicator.
12. Repeat until wheel is true.
13. Clean rim braking surface with a solvent such as rubbing alcohol or a window cleaner.