How To Build Motorcycle Front Spoked Wheel | Barn Find Triumph Bonneville Front Wheel Strip | 18

How To Build A Motorcycle Front Spoked Wheel | Barn Find Triumph Bonneville Front Wheel Strip | 18

In this episode I build the front wheel of my 1975 Triumph Bonneville T140V with new spokes and a new rim.

Here's what I used in this video:
Spoke Spanner: https://ebay.us/Ru9CmR
Alumslip anti-seize: https://ebay.us/uPXxnS
Imperial Combination Spanner Set: https://ebay.us/gYz85M
Imperial 1/2inch Socket set: https://ebay.us/jylH05
Imperial Allen Hex Bit Sockets: https://ebay.us/iFV0OQ

Having stripped the wheel a short time ago now it is time to rebuild the front wheel of my 1975 T140V Triumph Bonneville. The front wheel wasn't in too bad a condition and probably could have been reused. However I wanted to powder coat the hubs and the rim in black. I also wanted some nice shiny stainless spokes to really set the wheel off.

The main confusion with the Triumph T140V front wheel is the fact that the front hub is in two parts and can be put together in two different ways, 90 degrees apart. One of which will not work with the standard rim and spokes. The way that it needs to go together is so that when you look at the hub from the side the spoke hole that is on the far side of the hub is only slightly to the right, counter clockwise , of the hole on the nearside of the hub. If it is wrong the the hole at the rear is further clockwise, and the spokes will not all line up properly.

As I am using stainless spokes I need to make sure that I use a good anti-seize. Stainless fasteners always need some lubricant to prevent them galling or cold welding, which they are prone to when you are tightening them up. Even if there is a mixture of stainless with steel or in the case of spokes stainless with nickle plated brass. It is also important not to use copper base anti-seize, because apparently the copper can cause Galvanic corrosion, some electricity thing. I use aluminium based anti-seize for stainless fasteners, so I coated the threaded ends of the spokes with Alumslip.

For the front wheel the spokes come in two different types. Inners, with a wider than 90degree bend, and outers with a 90degree bend. The different bends are so that when the spokes are inserted in the hub they sit in the right direction to meet the holes in the rim. Both sets of spokes are the same length, this is because the rim sits central to the hub.

The first spokes that are inserted are the inners which are inserted from the outside of the hub. This is because it wouldn't be possible to put them in if the outers where put in first. All 20, ten on each side, inners are put in and the nipples loosely put through the hub. The inners point towards the direction of rotation of the wheel. This seems to be a pretty standard thing with spoked wheels, and I imagine that this is to do with the strength of the wheel being better with this layout.

After the inners the outers are put in, these go in the opposite direction, and you will find that each one goes in 10 holes in the rim away for the nearest inner on that side. Once you have all of the outers in, I screw all of the nipples in so that they just cover the threads on the spoke, in an effort ot have them all equal, or as near to equal as possible.

I then start working my way around the rim turning the nipples by an equal amount, perhaps half or one turn at a time, using the hole for the valve as a datum to keep count. One you have done this a few times the wheel starts to become quite firm. Up to now I would tend to use a screwdriver, but once they firm up I start to use a spoke spanner.

If you have the right type of torque spanner to set spokes, then the setting seems to be between 4nm and 9nm, which really isn't very firm. Personally I keep going until when you tap each spoke with a screwdriver it makes a sharp tinging sound. I find that some of the spokes will not have as bright a sound, so I will tighten them by a quarter to half a turn more until they sound right.

For more helpful how-to guides and restoration project logs, visit our blog: https://www.spannerrash.com/

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