February 12, 201115 yr My front wheel has nipples that have gone rusty. is it possible to change all of them myself or should i go to a wheelbuilder?
February 12, 201115 yr Only if you do one at a time.. I thought your title was going to be about some country & western lady singer!
February 12, 201115 yr Author With a title like that it could have gone anywhere. I just found out there is a band of that name Anyway, you rekon just do them 1 at a time and everything will be o.k
February 13, 201115 yr You should be able to do so with good success if you keep them tensioned evenly. Worst thing can happen is you may need to have someone re-true them a bit. I have used the silecone grease on the threads as well to keep corrosion down. If yours are rusty on the outside, you may find the threads are corroded as well!
February 13, 201115 yr I thought your title was going to be about some country & western lady singer! Lovin' it ! Paint them silver and save yourself a lot of grief. The new ones will rust as well (in time)! GJ
February 13, 201115 yr Author Lovin' it ! Paint them silver and save yourself a lot of grief. The new ones will rust as well (in time)! GJ Can't I get nipples out of a non corrosive material? Brass or stainless steel
February 13, 201115 yr Can't I get nipples out of a non corrosive material? Brass or stainless steel Divent bother,if the problem is just cosmetic,just faff on with a dremel to tidy them up then paint them as others have suggested. Stainless steel can be a pain in the 4r5e.....HERE Just ask any Montesa owner(315/4rt) who used S/S bolts to retain their front brake calliper to their forks Edited February 13, 201115 yr by HAM2
February 13, 201115 yr I have black nipples - mine were rusty too, but just treated them with Trustan 2000 rust killer. your a braver man than me if you want to change them 1 by 1. Think carefully before heading off down that road. My advice would be ; Treat them, paint them or wire wool them. dont worry about them unless they are loose, then you can cut the offender out (cos the thread will be knackered)and replace it.
February 13, 201115 yr if you are changing the nipples you better buy some spare spokes,as you will break some of them aswell.
February 13, 201115 yr Can't I get nipples out of a non corrosive material? Brass or stainless steel Mixing dissimilar metals can lead to 'galvanic corrosion', have a look HERE for a better explanation. Stainless steel and alloy are particularly renowned for their incompatability so it's wise to keep them apart in most cases? If I need to true up a buckled wheel these days I don't even bother trying to free up the nipples as there's a 50/50 chance of them breaking at the thread base and applying heat will only weaken them. I order a dozen new spokes and cut off the old ones. Simples. Clean 'em up and paint 'em and nobody will know any different. GJ
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