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Tried heat-shrinking spokes with a lighter, wheel went out of true fast
Last week I had a customer's rear wheel with a couple of loose spokes, so I figured I'd try the old heat-shrink trick to pull them tight. Hit them with a small torch for about 5 seconds each, like I saw in a video. Wheel looked fine on the stand, but after a 10 mile test ride the rim was visibly wobbling. The heat softened the nipples enough that they backed out under load. Had to re-true the whole thing and replace two nipples. Lesson learned: only use that method on a wheel you're about to rebuild, not a quick fix. Anyone else had this backfire on them?
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smith.nancy17h ago
Yep, shortcuts always bite back somewhere down the road.
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