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Did a rim swap recently and because the new rim has a shallower profile, there is between 1mm and 2mm of spoke threads showing out of the nipple on one side of the (front) wheel. That is still a lot of thread engagement, so I'm pretty sure it is OK if I keep an eye on it.
It will only be temporary until I can get 16 slightly longer spokes and work them in.
Any opinions?
FWIW you only need three turns of a thread for full load engagement, so you should be OK provided the spokes don’t protrude into the spoke bed to damage rim tape or inner tube. Shorter spokes are worse as it can lead to premature nipple failure.
it can lead to premature nipple failure.
There a cream for that, you don't even need a prescription anymore.
There's definitely >3 full turns, so I'll just keep a normal eye on them. Ta.
@moimoifan what I take from your description is that the spokes are too short? If so then depending on the length of the threaded portion and also the nipple length and material then it could lead to premature failure of the nipple.
The spoke needs to pass through the shoulder of the nip creating a shear stress which is fine. If it doesn't the the spoke is pulling on the nip putting it in tension. Which is breaky.
Brass or aluminium nipples?
Aluminium nipples. I've ordered some longer spokes and will swap them in ASAP - prob after one ride. Cheers for the help.
To be honest, I hadn't thought of that. Doh.
I'll probably only be riding that wheel a couple of times before I swap in the new spokes, so I'm just going to keep a close eye on it.
There is an argument that the nipple is inadequately supported if the spoke isn't long enough to extend into the slot head. This is more of a factor for alu nipples apparently.
There is an argument that the nipple is inadequately supported if the spoke isn’t long enough to extend into the slot head. This is more of a factor for alu nipples apparently.
Source:
https://wheelfanatyk.com/blogs/blog/rim-washers
OP I'd be wary and replace with brass nips or longer spokes ASAP.
Nipples are just nuts with a long extension so you can twist the nut from inside the rim testicles ballsack.
Wouldn’t longer nipples be an easier/cheaper fix?
It would be easier and cheaper but it wouldn't fix anything. It's not about the thread showing it's about the lack of spoke passing through the rim
There is an argument that the nipple is inadequately supported if the spoke isn’t long enough to extend into the slot head. This is more of a factor for alu nipples apparently.
Yes, the nipple is unsupported, needs to have spoke passing through to the bottom of the slot on a standard nipple as a minimum. Slot is usually 2mm deep (probably why spokes come in 2mm increments).
Aluminium fatigues faster than brass.
It's probably been in wheel building books since they were written on papyrus...
Papyrus?
I thought the original wheel-building texts were engraved in an extinct language on ten mahogany tablets only rediscovered in the 1920s. Scholars then had to apply modern code-breaking techniques to decipher them?
Flippancy aside, I'm probably going to end up riding it once then swapping in the longer spokes and brass nipples.
Papyrus, or maybe human skin, flayed from the backs of the earliest wheel builders, as punishment for using aluminium nipples and threadlock.