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Has any tried out one of the Chinese aluminium wheel jigs from AliExpress?
For less than £100 they look good value, especially with all the dial gauges. But I guess they could be also be junk?
Link? Planet-X used to sell a dial gauge one which I have and it's pretty solid - I suspect they just buy a container full off someone Ali?
Looks OTT with all the gauges etc. but I've been looking for one that will allow me to easily true\rebuild a 157mm wheel and that looks like it could do the job for a home mechanic. Basic Unior model is the best part of €300 which is too big a spend for occasional use.
I've bought bike stuff off aliexpress and always been happy with the quality (bearing press tools, groupsets etc).
Bookmarked tread for any first hand experience reporting.
I looked at one but ended up going for a Minoura ft1 as it was known, cheaper and could fold down when not in use
That makes it all clear.
Even if the dials are unreliable or just plain useless it still seems super adjustable and solidly build for the price. Just ignore the dials.
That looks ace for the money, I have a motorbike wheel building stand and 2 magnetic bases with dial indicators but even those are a faff to set up and move around compared to that AliExpress one.
Looks to have a disc rotor gauge as well.
Personally I dont use gauges to true with, just to measure deviation. Linear gauges will spin like crazy until there is less than 1.0mm run out.
P&KLie has non linear dials to make them quick to use for truing
Might also depend what you are used to, it can be hard to change after years of doing something one way.
Crikey that looks complicated. I used a couple of zip ties and a spoke key last time I built a wheel!
My current jig is the Rodger M. one but I need to upgrade it for 29er boost wheels with through axles. I will mostly likely just buy the Park Tools Pro one as I used that for years. But I don't build wheels very often so it's a nice to have rather than a need to spend £300
I have pretty much that exact one. the dials are actually very useful and even though i'm not paying any notice of the actual numbers on them, they pick up even tiny differences - so much so that you kind of have to not get obsessed with it. Only issue with mine is that it can't get a 29er wheel in there with a normal ish size trail tyre still mounted - which would be useful for quick true ups, but i have an old pedros one that is fine for that kind of thing too.
I was looking at getting one of these but once shipping and tax are added they are nearly £140. I ended up getting a Park TS2.2p on ebay for £140 in the end.
Regarding the dials, as long as you can zero them they'd still be useful.
This youtube channel seems to use one and be pretty happy with it.
https://www.youtube.com/@JourdainColeman
I use the dial gauges as simple pointers until the last few mm of adjustment. I tend to aim that the biggest deflection in the rim is where the gauge pointer travels over a sticker. I'm building the wheel for fun/enjoyment rather than necessity so like to spend the time to get the spoke tensions even and everything just right.
The one linked to looks like it does the lot and manages most hub standards but as noted above you'll probably need to take a tyre off to trim a wheel (which might be good practice anyway - some tyres are massively tight on a rim when inflated).
Least stealth and ever...
I have one of the on one stands sat waiting to be put on eBay. It's been modified to take boost rear wheels by shifting where it's bolted together.
It's got 3 gauges, It's heavy (5kg?), it's well used, it works fine.
Make me an offer including collecting it from Nottingham or postage and I'm unlikely to turn it down!
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQKZaYRfYgGNbAWtXIPvLFiVlJtYfhRL7AcmA&s
http://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQKZaYRfYgGNbAWtXIPvLFiVlJtYfhRL7AcmA&s
Roger M one can already be adjusted to suit boost hubs, metal rod through the axle and the standard cups/holders.