[Tech Corner] How To True A Slightly Out Of Alignment Wheel

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Wheels nowadays are pretty strong compared to a few years back and in our experience, they stay pretty straight for a long time. However, over time certain impacts and forces can lead to parts of our wheels becoming slightly out of true. Although not extreme it is worth making sure our wheels stay as straight and strong as possible for trouble-free riding.

Here we show you how to take a small warp out of a rear wheel.

Tools: Truing stand or bike frame, spoke key, pump.

Identify the warped part of the wheel by looking at where the rim touches an object or even in this case your finger.

This is the part that needs truing.

Remove the wheel.

Place in truing stand.

Remove the air from the tyre.

Check the point to true by using the stand’s alignment calipers.

This part here.

Here the wheel rim is pushed over to the right. We tighten 3 spokes on the opposing side to pull it back. If the opposing spokes have very high tension, you can also loosen them slightly to encourage the wheel to center as well.

Tighten half a turn at a time.

Check the rim has moved over to the left. If so, stop there, our problem was only slight and this type of exercise can be done by anyone. Leave bigger errors for a professional mechanic if unsure.

If you don’t own a tensiometer, check that the spoke tension is ok and nothing is too loose or too tight.

Go around the rest of the wheel making sure the spokes have proper tension.

Spin the wheel and check that it is true and that the misaligned section has not shifted to another position on the rim.

The wheel should sit straight in the frame or the dishing tool. Here it is straight. If it is out of dish then a more complicated operation is needed.