How to fix a wobbly wheel

[smills1981]

How do I fix a wobbly wheel, is it the spokes that can straighten it out or what?

[Norwegian]

Explain further how your rim is wobbly. Cracks? Missing spokes? Is it not true? What it exactly is your problem?

[smills1981]

There is some missing spokes but, I am replacing all the spokes. The wheel it self is just fine except it wobles side to side.

[motoracer1486]

Get a new rim?

[right2ride]

1 of 2 reasons. Bad wheel bearings. Or, most likely- your wheel is out of true. You wont be able to do this yourself. Take it to a shop. Should be between 50 and 100 bucks.

[smills1981]

It is not the wheel bearings, it is the wheel it self, but I think I am going to take it to a shop. Thanks

[Rannoch]

1 of 2 reasons. Bad wheel bearings. Or, most likely- your wheel is out of true. You wont be able to do this yourself. Take it to a shop. Should be between 50 and 100 bucks.

Its very simple to do yourself. A little harder with a bunch of spokes missing, but not much. On a dirtbike, it doesnt really matter if its slightly out of true.

Took me about 45 minutes the first time I tried, and about 20 the next time. Streetbike, take it in, yes. Dirtbike, do it yourself.

[dirtmachine]

what is so difficult about truing a wheel? 50-100 bucks is a ripoff. sure it'll take you a while but you'll learn and keep getting better as you practice. You can't really screw anything up (unless you really overtighten those spokes)i have a gauge that'll tell me how many thousandths the wheel is off so it's much easier that way. best of luck to ya (if you wanna get one of em they're about 40 bucks and i can get u a link)

[smills1981]

What is that link?

[CRF_Racer]

1 of 2 reasons. Bad wheel bearings. Or, most likely- your wheel is out of true. You wont be able to do this yourself. Take it to a shop. Should be between 50 and 100 bucks.

You can do it yourself very easily! Why can someone else do it but you can't? Anyone can do anything if they put there mind to it.

[230F]

Ok, people are saying it's easy to true but one problem.....

I don't know how to true and if it's so easy, could someone explain it to me please ?

[Rannoch]

All right, all right ?

Grab a sharpened pencil. Tape it (or hold it, whatever) to your swingarm. Spin the wheel around (if its the rear wheel, take the chain off so it spins freely). Try and move the pencil lead closer and closer until its barely hitting in one spot. That is your "high spot".

Now, you want to try make it so the pencil touches the whole way around, or stays the same length away.

Tighten spokes about 1/4 turn at a time. Tightening spokes closest to you will move the section of the rim toward you, and tightening the opposite side will move it away. Tighten a few on the opposite side of your high spot, and you'll see what I mean.

Then, take it from there. Get it all even, and you're good to go. A small amount of runout is really no big deal on a dirtbike, because of the relatively low speeds.

[230F]

All right, all right ?

Grab a sharpened pencil. Tape it (or hold it, whatever) to your swingarm. Spin the wheel around (if its the rear wheel, take the chain off so it spins freely). Try and move the pencil lead closer and closer until its barely hitting in one spot. That is your "high spot".

Now, you want to try make it so the pencil touches the whole way around, or stays the same length away.

Tighten spokes about 1/4 turn at a time. Tightening spokes closest to you will move the section of the rim toward you, and tightening the opposite side will move it away. Tighten a few on the opposite side of your high spot, and you'll see what I mean.

Then, take it from there. Get it all even, and you're good to go. A small amount of runout is really no big deal on a dirtbike, because of the relatively low speeds.

Ok, I've heard of doing that, but didn't know which way to turn. Hence, me asking the question.

Lets say I put the pencil on the right hand side. There are 2 spots where the rim hits it. I should loosen the spokes in the middle of the mark to bring it true again?

Thanks rannoch. M<y front tire is out of true and I've been needing to do this!

[Rannoch]

Go around and around moving spokes around.

If the pencil is on the right: Tighten the spokes by the pencil in the low spots, and loosen in the high spots.

[230F]

Go around and around moving spokes around.

If the pencil is on the right: Tighten the spokes by the pencil in the low spots, and loosen in the high spots.

Awesome, thanks!