Too taco'd to rebuild?

[Neil]

When does that point realistically happen for a wheel - when the deflection of the rim has produced localised damage?

I've got a few wheels to sort out - some need completely building up (effectively NOS parts), but I have one wheel I wonder whether could be rescued.

It got damaged by a bike thief trying to steal my bike, by kicking it away from what it was locked to, but the lock held, and the wheel bent.

Here's a photie of it, although it doesn't show the damage / degree of buckle as much as I'd like:-

I've never actually tried to true it (yes, I know it's on a wheel jig, best intentions and all that), BITD (all this happened in 95) I took it to a bike shop, who said it was too bent to fix, so I didn't go any further, at the time - didn't buy any wheels from the shop that said that, though...

What I'm wondering is, whether there's a point where it's not on, really - or whether relacing and building-up from scratch might be OK, or whether to just forget it, and maybe save the hub.

And if relacing and building-up from scratch is a better approach, would it be something of a risk - is there a likelihood that I may be able to get it true by rebuilding, but it may just go twang whilst out on a hoon?

 

[jamabikes]

generally if the spokes you need to tighten are much tighter than the ones you need to loosen then its game over for the spokes. if the rim isn't snapped at the join then you may be able to re build with new spokes.

 

[zimbob]

Many moons ago some toerag tried to nick my Record Sprint, failed, and bent the wheel almost in half :evil:

I roughly banged it back into shape to get home, then took it down to my LBS that weekend. They trued it up, although not 100% they claimed, although I couldn't see any imperfection, so only charged me a quid

Rode it for another year like that with nary a problem, then sold it.

I was amazed at how much abuse a wheel could take

 

[highlandsflyer]

Worst case scenario rebuild with a fresh rim. Is there any kind of dent? You are right that it is hard to tell from the pic.

The handy thing about breaking it down is you can examine it more thoroughly.

 

[Neil]

Worst case scenario rebuild with a fresh rim. Is there any kind of dent? You are right that it is hard to tell from the pic.

The handy thing about breaking it down is you can examine it more thoroughly.

No dents to the rim, the deflection doesn't look harsh in that you'd see any obvious local damage, above any normal buckle / bend.

I think it's always niggled at me because my instinct is it should be repairable - albeit, perhaps, with lacing using new spokes. The reason why I'm keen not to totally abandon it, is that it would be period and catalogue (well apart from the hub being DX, rather than XT) for my Axis, and apart from the buckle, bend, the rim and hubs are both in good shape.

I'll probably build up the other couple / few rims, first, then tackle it.

 

[cyfa2809]

I find some times you get rims that have taken hits or whatever and have twisted, i leave them well alone.

 

[highlandsflyer]

No dents to the rim, the deflection doesn't look harsh in that you'd see any obvious local damage, above any normal buckle / bend.

I think it's always niggled at me because my instinct is it should be repairable - albeit, perhaps, with lacing using new spokes.

Sounds reasonable to me. Given how bendy rims are it is likely within safe parameters, they flex incredible amounts in use.

1995.

I don't even remember 1995, never mind have any mementos!

 

[Neil]

Here's two better pics - although truth be told, it doesn't tend to be easy to reflect what I'm seeing with my eyes, in a picture that accurately reflects the degree of taco-um-ness...

 

[giant-one]

When they get like this :roll:

 

[djoptix]

1995? Throw it out.