Repairing a buckled wheel

[BobToo]

My son managed to buckle the front wheel of his Raleigh Eclipse by hitting a manhole cover or something. It's properly buckled, there must be about 10" of the rim affected and it's out of line by about 1/2", though as far as I can tell it's not out of round.

It's a Rigida alloy rim in black with eyelets and isn't original to the bike, the original wheels having been stolen in 1992 I believe.

We're going to try and find a replacement wheel today but I was wondering if the old one can be repaired. I think I'm right in saying that adjusting the spokes won't do it, my first attempt as a teenager was trying to do just that and it ended with a walk to the LBS for a new wheel. I'm guessing that the repair would involve removing the rim altogether and getting it straight before re-lacing the wheel, but will the rim survive that without cracking or weakening?

 

[Excel]

it's difficult to advise properly without physically seeing the wheel and spinning it however if it is as you say about 1/2" out on the buckle it should be feasible to repair without having to resort to the cost of a new wheel.....it's all down to correctly tensioning the spokes on either side (a skill that comes with practice!) your local LBS should be able to do it for about a tenner

 

[Robbied196]

1/2" is a huge deflection on an alloy rim. It would take a lot of spoke tension on the one side to try and straighten it and keep it round. I think you'll need a new rim or wheel.

 

[BobToo]

Thanks for the replies.

I'm going to buy a new wheel anyway. I'll try the local recycling projects first and buy a new cheapie if they don't have anything suitable, it needs to be done for tomorrow. Repairing the old one would be in preparation for the next time it happens, and I'm sure there will be a next time- hence the cheap solution.

I'm going to take the buckled wheel with me on the search for a replacement, I agree with Excel that it's difficult to be sure unless you can see the wheel. My feeling is that it's too far gone to pull out with spokes but I could be wrong.

 

[bodrobert]

You will not able to pull out the wheel with the spokes if it is too buckled. I've had a similar issue with one of my wheels some years earlier. I had to remove the rim from the hub and justify the rim on a concrete table-tennis table. My friend had to stand to the rim at the margin of the table and I've aligned the rim with my muscle power. After the rim stopped the waggle on the flat table, I've re-laced the wheel, and used it without problem till it weared out from braking.

 

[widowmaker]

I fear its too far gone too, you can use the old one as a practice wheel.

That's what I have just done, taken one apart for practice. It confirmed one thing though that I cant true wheels

 

[BobToo]

I left it with a guy who was willing to have a go today, but he wasn't promising anything. The bike is now wearing the cheapest wheel H******s had for sale, which seemed to be the cheapest way to get it back on the road today- which it had to because my son is going home again tomorrow.

If the Bikeworks guy can't straighten it in the truing stand I'll have a go myself using bodrobert's method, just to see if I can.

 

[keithglos]

If a rim has been bent then you have to bend it back, very unlikely to be more than just about rideable. If a few spokes are knocked out then new spokes and retension will probably get it back.

 

[benjy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI8tDjDZK54

 

[mrcpea]

If you're planning on buying another wheel anyway, I would get yourself a spoke key & have a go at rebuilding this one. Once the spokes are out, you'll have a better idea of how straight the rim actually is. I think you could possibly save it & you'll learn a lot about wheel building as you go. Being a front wheel, the spoke length should be the same on both sides too.
Go on, have a go