Front Wheel

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Mart
There's a guy near Boreham specialises in off road bikes, used to advertise wheel building, also a guy out Hedingham way (I think) used to advertise in OBM....
Have you looked on NOC site for Recommended Suppliers?
Not sure if that's open to the casual viewer, but worth a try...
Could phone Norman at NJB shocks, he may know someone local....
These guys can't spell Totham!!!

Essex Wheels |

A family run business with a goal to always provide quality products with quality customer service. This is something we have excelled at for over 15 years.
www.essexwheels.com www.essexwheels.com

It was Halstead, not Hedingham :-)
www.anglia-wheels.co.uk

Anglia Wheels

Excerpt from 'Old Bike Mart' March 2011: "Derek Yorke (left) hands over the 'wheel of office' to Mark Clements" "Derek Yorke, of Essex Wheels, formally announces his retirement from wheel building and would like to thank all of his customers for their continued and loyal support
www.anglia-wheels.co.uk www.anglia-wheels.co.uk

PS: Mersea IS still in Essex, yes?
 
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Well if you are near Sussex this guy is very good....

Wheelwise Engineering

We may have closed our workshop on Bolney Road but we are still building wheels! If I can help, please give me a call to discuss your needs. Telephone: 07506 861511 MZ/Honda CB175 Hub Wheel Here is a photo of a combination wheel recently built for a customer by Wheelwise Engineering. It...
www.wheelwiseengineering.co.uk
 
SteveA said:
Well if you are near Sussex this guy from experience is very good....

Wheelwise Engineering

We may have closed our workshop on Bolney Road but we are still building wheels! If I can help, please give me a call to discuss your needs. Telephone: 07506 861511 MZ/Honda CB175 Hub Wheel Here is a photo of a combination wheel recently built for a customer by Wheelwise Engineering. It...
www.wheelwiseengineering.co.uk
Click to expand...

But I know various people who use Hagon and wouldn't go anywhere else.
 
Mart UK said:
LAB, I often ride out to Andy Tiernen, interesting re-purposed rail yard. Lots and lots of rusty old classics, but when I last chatted to him, the workshop is for their own repairs.
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Yes, I only included that Andy Tiernan page for the Fram wheel building details.

I've been to Tiernans a few times but not since 2004 and that ended up with me buying my T160 although it wasn't particularly rusty.
 
I rang Hagon and looked at the Devon website. I like the Devon premium SS wheel and they do the 8mm/9mm guage spokes. If I did it myself, Devon would be the route. Hagon is about the same price, made up for me (£280-£300). So I need to speak to them again to understand the hardware they're offering.

I'm tempted to try it myself.... for the challenge / sense of achievement. But not something to cock up lightly.
 
Mart UK said:
I like the Devon premium SS wheel and they do the 8mm/9mm guage spokes.
Click to expand...


The original front disc wheel spoke gauges were 8 & 9 SWG. (8 gauge on the disc side).
8 SWG...0.160", 4.064mm
9 SWG...0.144", 3.658mm
My Mk3 has all 9 SWG stainless. 8 SWG seems a bit over the top in my opinion (as the heavier T160 had all 10 SWG 0.128", 3.251mm spokes!).
 
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SteveBorland said:
Several people (myself included) have had rather disappointing experiences with Central Wheels. I bought 2 alloy rims from then + spokes, both rims have noticeable "bumps" at the weld points, causing a bit of runout. CW's response was more or less "so what?".
Not what I had expected. Unfortunately the cost & time involved in returning the bloody things far outweighed the benefits at the time, but I do rather wish I had done it now.
Click to expand...
The imperfection at the weld joint is of little consequence. The steel beeds in the tire dictate overall shape, they easily compensate for the localised lump there. I've seen it a LOT on OEM rims. Lifelong fabricator.
JMWO
 
L.A.B. said:
The original front disc wheel spoke gauges were 8 & 9 SWG. (8 gauge on the disc side).
8 SWG...0.160", 4.064mm
9 SWG...0.144", 3.658mm
My Mk3 has all 9 SWG stainless. 8 SWG seems a bit over the top in my opinion (as the heavier T160 had all 10 SWG 0.128", 3.251mm spokes!).
Click to expand...
Yes, apols, it is guage not mm.
 
concours said:
I like the look and reliability of chrome plated steel.
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I live in a place that has a single road to civilisation that floods with tides, so lots of salt throughout the year. I wash it down carefully, but SS is easier for me.
 
Mart UK said:
Yes, apols, it is guage not mm.
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The spokes are ok though, aren't they? Edit: Although I suppose a wheel builder would be reluctant to reuse old spokes.
Although the nipples are different to suit the 8 & 9 gauge spokes, the nipple diameters and rim holes are the same (0.300").
 
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L.A.B. said:
The spokes are ok though, aren't they?
Although the nipples are different to suit the 8 & 9 gauge spokes, the nipple diameters and rim holes are the same (0.300").
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While any self-respecting business would recommend replacing (and charging for) new spokes, there's no need to replace them, as LAB says.

Lacing up a wheel is actually not that difficult, especially just swapping the rim.
Trueing up isn't that difficult either - just measure the rim offset with a straight-edge against the brake disc mounting face on the hub before taking the old rim off.

Worst case; drop the loosely built wheel off for trueing....
 
B+Bogus said:
While any self-respecting business would recommend replacing (and charging for) new spokes, there's no need to replace them, as LAB says.

Lacing up a wheel is actually not that difficult, especially just swapping the rim.
Trueing up isn't that difficult either - just measure the rim offset with a straight-edge against the brake disc mounting face on the hub before taking the old rim off.

Worst case; drop the loosely built wheel off for trueing....
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Yep, that could be my safety net! On the old spokes, I need to check, but I don't recall different gauges, plus I'm wondering if they are galvanised, which might explain the rust stain in the earlier photo.
 
Mart UK said:
On the old spokes, I need to check, but I don't recall different gauges
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Possibly they aren't as mine aren't (all 9 SWG). Edit: However, there should be four different sets of spokes.

Mart UK said:
plus I'm wondering if they are galvanised, which might explain the rust stain in the earlier photo.
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They look too smooth and shiny to be galvanised. Nipples supplied with stainless spokes, however, can be stainless, plated brass or plated steel.
 
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Central Wheel, Devon, original Dunlop etc all have the bump at the weld. I just ignore the runout there and true up to each side of it.
That works fine, as others have noted.
The Devon flanged alloys came from the Spanish plant owned by Central Wheel. They were a lot more expensive through Devon, but I was wrongly convinced that it was somehow a better product than Central Wheel sells.
Buchanan "Sun" alloy rims have very little runout at the weld joint, only a few thou.
They are expensive, not particularly light and very high in quality. I haven't used any of their other products. Friends have done so and it's always been excellent in quality.

Glen
 
I've come across Buchanan. Top quality recommendations in the classic Harley world, they didn't come up on my search for Commando rims. IIRC probably out of my price bracket though.
 
Mart UK said:
I rang Hagon and looked at the Devon website. I like the Devon premium SS wheel and they do the 8mm/9mm guage spokes. If I did it myself, Devon would be the route. Hagon is about the same price, made up for me (£280-£300). So I need to speak to them again to understand the hardware they're offering.

I'm tempted to try it myself.... for the challenge / sense of achievement. But not something to cock up lightly.
Click to expand...
Doug Richardson used to be at Devon rims (Actually I think he used to run it?), but retired and setup his own little operation. I chatted to him at one point when I was going to do a special rear rim, but gave up due to the total cost of the project. He was extremely knowledgeable and helpful, with very reasonable prices - try chatting to him at www.drwheels.co.uk
 
concours said:
The imperfection at the weld joint is of little consequence. The steel beeds in the tire dictate overall shape, they easily compensate for the localised lump there. I've seen it a LOT on OEM rims. Lifelong fabricator.
JMWO
Click to expand...
Yes, I know this but these rims are the worst I've seen, and their attitude was, shall we say, unhelpful.
 
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