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I need to rebuild a Mavic Ksyrium wheel. I have built wheels before and they are sturdy years later. The spokes on these wheels are different. They are straight pull and flatblade, not J bend and round. The nipples are different. Instead of being square, they are round with 7 "splines". There is no hole on the tyre-facing side of the rim for the nipple to be removed.
- Can someone recommend a nipple key, eg Park Tool?
- Does the fact the spokes are flatblade affect how I remove them?
- How do I remove the nipples? Do I unscrew them and remove them towards the hub?
- These nipples seem to have a left-hand thread, which is odd. Do Mavic really make nipples that way?
- Should I lubricate the nipples (eg. with penetrating oil before removing them?
Thank you
Wibble
the wheels should come with 2 tyre levers that have a spoke "key" built (woefull inadequate btw) in and a slot to hold the bladed spokes as you adjust the nipples and pins for bearing preload. The correct park tool is the SW-12 not the easiest to use being much like a small ring spanner a small adjustable wrench is a good sub for holding the blades while truing.
If they have ever got wet.
Forget it.
I'd rather jam my nuts in a cutlery drawer than do another pair of these.
I was in a shop through the era where they were popular wheels.
They were hateful to work on.
@klunk I think I will order the Park Tool spoke key instead. Will I need to use a different device to hold the whole spoke and prevent it from turning?
@trail_rat Why were they difficult to work on?
I've got one of the things to stop the flatblade spoke turning. Never got round to using it - PM your address and I'll post it to ya (should be able to find it in the garage!)
If you really want to rebuild it then cut the spokes out and start from scratch with new ones.
@trail_rat Why were they difficult to work on?
Lots of soft aluminium
Lots of corrosion
Often we were replacing a single spoke so you had to get the remains of the spoke cup out and they loved to crumble.
@trail_rat What is the spoke cup? The little round thing at the rim end of the spoke, which is not not the nipple?
It's the nipple type thing with the splines on
@trail_rat Oh. I'll just call that a nipple. Will I lube them first with penetrating oil?
This was not uncommon. Didn't matter what wonder potions we bathed it in .
Aluminium/aluminium corrosion might as well be welded when you have so little torque availible to get it out.
Send them back to Mavic for a rebuild? Not that expensive.
How old are the wheels? If more than 5 years, then you may have trouble getting spares as Mavic considers that age to be ‘obsolete’. I had to junk a pair years ago as I couldn’t get a replacement rim after 6 years. They are also the most un-aero wheels ever.
This was not uncommon
Exactly what my Allroad looks like 😒
ooooft good luck to ya. you'll need it
Looks like I might, and it starts earlier than I thought.
I can't find a Mavic rim which matches the spoke count: 18 front, 20 rear. Is it possible I could find a third party rim which matches this?
What do I even call those types of nipples?
What do I even call those types of nipples?
Mavic propriatory spoke cups
Is it possible I could find a third party rim which matches this?
Not that will take those spokes.
I was relieved the day we got rid of our two pairs of Crossmax XL's with similar bladed spokes and proprietary nipples.
That said, both wheels did us for about 4 years of abuse from the kids learning to jump as young teens. They never missed a beat, bearing replacement was easy and the rims were tough as old boots.
However, I could see the spokes corroded into place, the freehub had some odd plastic parts in that seemed out of place on high load areas.
You might get something cheap on eBay spares or repair?
Don't confuse the UST spoke cup with the nipples, they are two very different parts.
Cup essentially becomes part of the rim once installed, the nipple on the spoke sits inside this.
Before doing anything I would check if all the spoke cups turn freely in the rim/on the spoke and that you can get spare parts.
They are normally corroded in place, and propriety spare parts discontinued.
What do I even call those types of nipples?
Shit
ok, which one of you knobbers sent him the Park Tool!?