Tracker tribute

Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum

Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
They are both sides flush with the nipple screwdriver slot. Nothing sticks out the nipple and no threads show on the other.

I promise I am trying to help and not arguing. I still think your spokes are close enough to dish this thing. You should be able to really tighten one side and get the rim to move. I really think it is worth a shot. I will stand down.
 
I got the spokes right finally after playing musical spokes. The hub is centered, the spoke tension is good and the spokes end at the bottom of the nipple slot. The proper length is 275 x 266.5 cm. I couldn’t get the whole side to cross using 266. Perhaps if I put in the spokes on the opposite side first and tightened them up maybe I could have fitted 266. That bends the spokes all up though. I used 267 and they poked beyond the nipple top which would cause a flat. So I used nipple head washers on the 267. It would be hard to spoke this hub, using standard cut spokes, unless you used nipple washers on one side or the others. No slop room at all. It didn’t help that five spoke length calculators didn’t give me good numbers. Th prowheelbuilder was the closest but I might have still had to use washers as I would have had to round up to 276. I may try this combo. It’s close to what I used. One spoke is missing here. I’m 78, had a recent mini stroke, that lasted 11 hours, where I had difficulty speaking, got pneumonia in December and still have confusion. Building this thing was a frustrating challenge. I now make mistakes lacing wheels and have to partially start over. I still can’t always remember my friends names and have a lot of difficulty finding words when speaking. Somehow I can type a message better than I can talk. Krp.
image.jpg
 
Last edited:
Theres a chart somewhere online I posted it a long time ago some where it was from a Raleigh service manual I'll find it. It has the exact size of spokes they used with the various hubs and rim types.
Normally the old drum hubs had same size spokes on both sides just laced different.the hub side was two cross and the other 3 cross.
But you got it great job.
 
Theres a chart somewhere online I posted it a long time ago some where it was from a Raleigh service manual I'll find it. It has the exact size of spokes they used with the various hubs and rim types.
Normally the old drum hubs had same size spokes on both sides just laced different.the hub side was two cross and the other 3 cross.
But you got it great job.
I think the drive side had larger spokes, I’m going to use hub washers there. Also, the hub originally wasn’t laced in a normal way. The key spoke determines which way the hub is twisted to do the first set of cross spokes. The wear pattern shows the spokes heading in the opposite direction as far as I’ve been shown. What do you expect from a country that exported cars with Whitworthless threads and metric heads and they drive on the wrong side. My Triumph motorcycles are built with no ease of maintenance in mind. Looks to me like the engine has to be removed to change the air filter. Aftermarket racing air cleaner housings can be accessed from the side. The bash plate makes it impossible to change the oil, etc.
 
Theres a chart somewhere online I posted it a long time ago some where it was from a Raleigh service manual I'll find it. It has the exact size of spokes they used with the various hubs and rim types.
Normally the old drum hubs had same size spokes on both sides just laced different.the hub side was two cross and the other 3 cross.
But you got it great job.
The LBS dug out an old, laminated, yellowed spoke length chart. They keep it rolled up in a cardboard tube. It’s poster sized, sort of like a state highway map that shows distance between any two places. I’m too dumb to figure it out. They tried to help me with this chart but I told them it was too complex. This bike shop has been around for quite awhile and I’ve known 3 different owners.
 
way to persevere! This was probably just what you needed for rehab after your recent mini stroke. I hope you recover 100%.
 
I looked again at your input and you had the flanges to locknut numbers on the wrong side of the calculator...Your calcs showed that the large flange side has the longest locknut to flange distance of 32mm when in fact it is 19....THIS is the reason you got garbage out..garbage in makes for garbage out...like I said, be very careful when laying the numbers out on a calculator that is NEVER wrong....I have not filled in the calculator correctly to see the change in lengths it comes up with, but perhaps you still could...wheel built or not.
Tension is a separate issues and IMO not related to correct spoke length. The "dish" or offset of the hub to rim is entered into the calculator!!!!
Ultimate spoke tension and any adjustment to "dish" left or right (slight as it can be) only comes into play after you have loosely assembled the hub, spokes and rim and have begun the truing process....spoke calculators are never wrong..
 
Last edited:
I looked again at your input and you had the flanges to locknut numbers on the wrong side of the calculator...Your calcs showed that the large flange side has the longest locknut to flange distance of 32mm when in fact it is 19....THIS is the reason you got garbage out..garbage in makes for garbage out...like I said, be very careful when laying the numbers out on a calculator that is NEVER wrong....I have not filled in the calculator correctly to see the change in lengths it comes up with, but perhaps you still could...wheel built or not.
Tension is a separate issues and IMO not related to correct spoke length. The "dish" or offset of the hub to rim is entered into the calculator!!!!
Ultimate spoke tension and any adjustment to "dish" left or right (slight as it can be) only comes into play after you have loosely assembled the hub, spokes and rim and have begun the truing process....spoke calculators are never wrong..
Dah. Another dah is that the stuff for this project I’ve been ordering has been either returned to the vendor or thrown out by the post office. I am having my mail forwarded by the post office while I recover at our in-laws but I found out the hard way that if there is no forwarding on the package from the vendor as the post office policy is to throw it out. I’m still quite ill. Today the pathologist ruled out lung cancer but the mass in my lung is defying diagnosis so far. The Mayo Clinic has my broncosapy washings and if there are bugs causing the mass then they should have grown in culture in the next two months. That may be part of the problem, you need oxygen to think. I don’t think that well anyway since my December 1 stroke. I can’t remember peoples names or find words. It’s not as bad typing as it is talking. Today I was able to do a little yard work, which was nice.
 
Wow, just wow, my condolences. I feel like an ...... Sending positive thoughts.....your posts here have been some of my favorites simply because of the experience and wisdom you bring to the table regarding every possible thing BICYCLE. Love your creativity, straight-up dialog and excellent write ups. And then the actual building and riding your sleds. LOVE IT! You are at the top of the pile sir....my apologies for my ignorance regarding your health...chin up, we love you..
 
Wow, just wow, my condolences. I feel like an ...... Sending positive thoughts.....your posts here have been some of my favorites simply because of the experience and wisdom you bring to the table regarding every possible thing BICYCLE. Love your creativity, straight-up dialog and excellent write ups. And then the actual building and riding your sleds. LOVE IT! You are at the top of the pile sir....my apologies for my ignorance regarding your health...chin up, we love you..
Oh no helpful you are. I’m going to revisit my calculations. I appreciate your input. Now I know where I went wrong. I reordered my parts and I should be back to working on the wheel soon. This hub is awful, thick hub flange on one side, thin on the other, drilled for thicker spokes on one side. You have to fold the spokes on the thick side and use a plastic hammer to seat the fold. I wonder if the holes were worn on the thin side and someone drilled them larger. I’ve done that fix on an 1890s hub once myself. The holes were ovalized so some heads pulled through. I drilled both sides not one side.
 
I looked again at your input and you had the flanges to locknut numbers on the wrong side of the calculator...Your calcs showed that the large flange side has the longest locknut to flange distance of 32mm when in fact it is 19....THIS is the reason you got garbage out..garbage in makes for garbage out...like I said, be very careful when laying the numbers out on a calculator that is NEVER wrong....I have not filled in the calculator correctly to see the change in lengths it comes up with, but perhaps you still could...wheel built or not.
Tension is a separate issues and IMO not related to correct spoke length. The "dish" or offset of the hub to rim is entered into the calculator!!!!
Ultimate spoke tension and any adjustment to "dish" left or right (slight as it can be) only comes into play after you have loosely assembled the hub, spokes and rim and have begun the truing process....spoke calculators are never wrong..
I’ll run it again and try and get it right. I think I saved a photo of my old numbers. It’s close now. New spokes are cheap enough, but it would be nice to get it right for once. Right now I’m not doing any wrenching.
 
I’ll run it again and try and get it right. I think I saved a photo of my old numbers. It’s close now. New spokes are cheap enough, but it would be nice to get it right for once. Right now I’m not doing any wrenching.
I used 270 and 276, which is close enough that spoke head washers on one side centered the hub. Pro wheel builder gave me 269 and 274. That might be short? I still might try that.
 
I didn’t finish. This is as far as I got. I still have to weld on a different chainring, finish lacing the back wheel, put on the rear fender, mount the saddle, install the crank, BB, pedals and cable it. I might move it over to builds if I ever get around to working on it.
IMG_0212.jpeg

image.jpg
 
Last edited:
I used a torch and my usual mild steel dimpling tools do try and widen the chain stay gap. I couldn’t get the chrome molybdenum tubing to move with these tools.
IMG_0223.jpeg

IMG_0224.jpeg

I used a hammer and a 2x2 piece of square tubing to force the stays apart from 44mm to 48 mm. More pounding and it will be good.
IMG_0226.jpeg
IMG_0225.jpeg
IMG_0227.jpeg
 

Latest posts

Back
Top