Rusting Spokes

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Jan 23, 2015 | 07:36 AM

#11

cwsharp

Stellar HDF Member

Joined: Mar 2006

Posts: 2,395

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From: Utah

Quote:

Originally Posted by stal94gt

if you plan on keeping the wheels i would invest in a set of polished stainless spokes. they are not cheap but you will be investing in them at some point and if the rust stains the outer wheel you will be paying to get that coated as well. i don't know why Harley doesn't use stainless spokes in the first place.

Jan 23, 2015 | 11:00 AM

#12

Sully103

Thread Starter

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Joined: Jan 2015

Posts: 15

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From: Jupiter FL

Thanks - they look great now.

Thanks for the input. I went over the wheels with Never Dull, lightly hit the remaining rust spots with 00 steel wool and finished with Meguiar’s polish for some protection. The process took a couple days and was a PITA but they look great. At least I should be able to keep up with them now.

Jan 23, 2015 | 11:09 AM

#13

Uncle G.

Seasoned HDF Member

Joined: Jun 2010

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From: Upstate New York

Years ago, H-D spokes were cadmium plated, then maybe zinc plated. They resisted rust pretty well (if you resisted the temptation to polish them-which removed the soft plating), but they turned gray with age and looked bad. Along about '05. they switched to chrome plated spokes, which stay shiny, but will actually rust quicker, since chrome doesn't protect against rust like zinc or cadmium does.

Jan 23, 2015 | 11:45 AM

#14

Imold

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Joined: Jul 2011

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From: Frozelandia, Minnysota

I do all my own wheel/tire work, and when I've pulled tires off wheels with rusty spokes, they're always much worse inside the wheel; I've seen a couple where the spoke heads had enough missing material to wonder if they were even safe. Had some break before they would turn when I tried to tighten loose spokes, too. Stainless spokes are a good investment on a spoke wheel you want to keep for several years.

Jan 23, 2015 | 12:12 PM

#15

beary

Grand HDF Member

Joined: Mar 2007

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From: Edmond Oklahoma

Quote:

Originally Posted by Imold

Stainless spokes are a good investment on a spoke wheel you want to keep for several years.

Which leads me to ask how hard is lacing and truing a wheel?

Beary

Jan 23, 2015 | 03:03 PM

#16

jm35ny

Tourer

Joined: Jul 2007

Posts: 485

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From: New York

I`ve also seen some scary wheels when you remove the tire. Completely rusted up on the inside with spokes ready to fall out.

Jan 23, 2015 | 05:56 PM

#17

Imold

Seasoned HDF Member

Joined: Jul 2011

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From: Frozelandia, Minnysota

Quote:

Originally Posted by beary

Which leads me to ask how hard is lacing and truing a wheel?

Beary

Lacing is just putting the spokes in, not a big deal as long as you know which holes to use for the right pattern, but they probably all wouldn't fit if you didn't get it right. Truing is where it gets fun, need to have the wheel on something like a static balancer - or you could probably put the wheel (minus tire, of course) on the bike temporarily, with the calipers removed so nothing touches it. Some kind of indicators beside and on top of the rim, so you can see any wobble as you spin it. Have to get the rim centered to the hub, too - truing takes a lot of patience, figure an afternoon, especially for a first time. Probably worth paying someone that knows how to do it, can be very frustrating. I'd bet a lot of guys have tried it and ended up taking it to a shop to finish it.

I've never had a hub and rim completely separated. I've replaced spokes one at a time, snugging each one up lightly as I put it in, then torquing them when all installed. No worries about getting the spoke pattern right, and very little adjustment needed if the rim was true to begin with. Or maybe I've just been lucky...