Wonky Wheel

[Easy-X]

Saw my brother-in-law the other day and his bike was in poor shape so gave it a bit of a tune-up today.

Both disks were loose, back brake was just on ("yeah I don't use the back brake") and the front would lock up if you gave too much pull to the lever Replaced the front brake and disk - slightly less lethal now! - and tightened/adjusted the rear.

Then I look at the rims...

Rear has a slight lateral wobble, nothing worth worrying about but the front's not even round, just a point with a noticeable dip I could probably do something if say it was oval but I'm scratching my head as to how I might approach getting it round again
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[Ste]

The first question is what rims are they?

[stinkwheel]

If it's properly tacoed rather than just off true, the rim is bent so re-trueing it wont work.

Usually the rim needs to come off, be straightened then re-laced (at which point you start pricing up a new one.

If it's a proper beater, you could try backing off the tension, whacking it back into some semblance of shape with a plastic/rubber mallet then re-tensioning and trueing as much as possible
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Easy-X]

[RhynoCZ]

Not to give any bad advice, but when my mate bought a used bicycle, it had bent rear rim, severe lateral movement. It was so bad the rim brake had to be removed so the wheel would even roll. It was a very cheap used bike, so we used a piece of wood and hammer to straighten the rim.

Now, it's not an ideal method and it was a lot of trial and error, however the final result was surprisingly satisfactory. No wobble, rim brake set and fully functional.
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[ThunderGuts]

Assuming it's out of true rather than actually bent, rim truing is often suggested to be a dark art but actually is just a case of being methodical and patient. If you have a spoke key, there are plenty of vids on youtube to follow. Take the tyre off first and go at it bit at a time - it's not hard if you're careful. A few tips;

- Bit of oil on each spoke nipple before you start helps
- When tightening spokes, go a bit further than you want, then back it back to where you want it so the spoke doesn't have any twist in it

The rough order:

1) Adjust for lateral movement (use the brake pads, gradually wind in the adjuster each time so they get closer, deal with the high spots, repeat)
2) De-stress the wheel by bracing it against your thighs, forearms across 3/9 o'clock and hands at 12 o'clock and press your forearms down. It will move a bit and you'll hear the spokes moving against each other. Turn the wheel 90 degrees and do it again. Flip it over and do it both times on the other side.
3) Check and retrue as necessary (back to point 1)

Once you're happy with the lateral trueness, swap to radial trueness (so now you're altering two spokes at a time to preserve the lateral trueness).
1) True
2) Destress
3) Check and adjust

It's quite a satisfying thing to do, but just don't rush and be patient. Check for loose spokes before you start because they can often be the sole cause for a wheel being out of true. It's a useful skill to have. If you fail you can still buy a new wheel.
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TG.