Spoke nipple washers

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

I recently purchased a set of S-2 hoops that were advertised as Whizzer hoops. I thought that the set of HD spokes would work but it seems the spoke nipple holes are even larger then the HD spokes. Has anyone ever used a spoke washers with their wheels? Is this a common fix or is it something I should stay away from?

 

[fattyre]

You can and I’ve tried it but that’s a hot mess I wouldn’t recommend it.

All your going to do is deform the washers. It actually makes truing the wheel a nightmare as the nipple and the washer will constantly re align every time you turn the nipple therefore causing you chase your tail if you will. It can be done but it can potentially get very frustrating.

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

You can and I’ve tried it but that’s a hot mess I wouldn’t recommend.

All your going to do is deform the washers. It actually makes truing the wheel a nightmare as the nipple and the washer will constantly re align every time you turn the nipple therefore causing you chase your tail if you will. It can be done but it can potentially get very frustrating.

I was hoping the width of the S-2 would allow the washers to sit flat. The nipples I have do not pull through but close I figured they would eventually. I made a mistake thinking they were HD rims but Whizzer wheels must have an even larger spoke then standard HD. Live and learn, some of my best lessons learned are from mistakes.

 

[Rivnut]

Look at it this way. You’re a good teacher in that now others wont have to learn from experience.

 

[WillWork4Parts]

Yeah, HD rims like the tandems are .105ga, the Whizzer rims are .120ga. At one point there were oversized nipples to adapt down one size. I've seen a few of the larger ones and had a couple sets of .105 to .080 spoke/nipple combos on some BMX rims in the 90s, but never saw them again. It seems like so many of those indispensable little parts are just disappearing...
I've gotten away with thick stainless washers before and I see thick brass ones on eBay now, they may flex and "walk" less, but man...they never turn out looking right to me. A bushing or grommet(check out SunRingle rims) would be ideal....they're not readily available though...even if you could find them in the right size, I'm sure they'd become costly pretty quickly too.
The rims you've got don't happen to be 24" do they? I'm looking for a matched set for my whizzer.

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

Yeah, HD rims like the tandems are .105ga, the Whizzer rims are .120ga. At one point there were oversized nipples to adapt down one size. I've seen a few of the larger ones and had a couple sets of .105 to .080 spoke/nipple combos on some BMX rims in the 90s, but never saw them again. It seems like so many of those indispensable little parts are just disappearing...
I've gotten away with thick stainless washers before and I see thick brass ones on eBay now, they may flex and "walk" less, but man...they never turn out looking right to me. A bushing or grommet(check out SunRingle rims) would be ideal....they're not readily available though...even if you could find them in the right size, I'm sure they'd become costly pretty quickly too.
The rims you've got don't happen to be 24" do they? I'm looking for a matched set for my whizzer.

Thanks for the input I need a set of HD rims. Aren't spoke gauge like electrical wire lower gauge thicker spoke .105 being thicker then .120? Is .105 = ten gauge and .120 = twelve gauge? 26 inch hoops sorry, are most Whizzers 24?

 

[SirMike1983]

As spoke diameter goes up the wire gauge number decreases.

A standard spoke is "14 gauge", placing it at very close to 2mm. A 15 gauge would be close to 1.8mm (thinner), and a 13 gauge (2.3mm) would be wider. The "12 gauge" is 2.5-2.6mm. A .120 inch spoke (around 3mm) would be between 8 gauge and 9 gauge. If by "HD" you mean a "12 gauge spoke", then .120 is something even bigger than 12 gauge/HD.

The spoke nipple washer is not intended to substitute for the rim eyelet. It is meant as a backer to spread and balance the load placed on the rim at the eyelet across good metal. They are more important when you have a single-wall rim prone to deformation around the eyelet (e.g., a British rod brake Westwood rim). They are still helpful but less necessary on a thicker steel rim that is stronger at the eyelet (e.g., a Schwinn S6 rim). But in both cases they are backers rather than a substitute for the rim eyelet.

 

[ABC Services]

Do you have a caliper to measure the nipple holes in the rim? Maybe you have the wrong spokes and nipples. I have a set I checked and apparently has double butted 12 gage spokes with a 11 gage nipple. The hole size on the rims I have are .242.

 

[WillWork4Parts]

Thanks for the input I need a set of HD rims. Aren't spoke gauge like electrical wire lower gauge thicker spoke .105 being thicker then .120? Is .105 = ten gauge and .120 = twelve gauge? 26 inch hoops sorry, are most Whizzers 24?

Sorry, my use of the term "ga" is incorrect in describing spoke sizes, but I'm so used to calling them "heavy gauge" that the terms get mashed together. These are actually decimal inch measurements of the 3 most commonly used spoke diameters. Nipple sizes are another conversation entirely.....Phew! Lol

Unfortunately, I don't have any .120s in the box...but this is how they're labeled.

Lucky for you guys....I'm on the search for a spoke today and I get to provide pictures!

Not all Whizzers are 26" or 24"...there's even a 20" called the Sportsman. My 24" is a Pacemaker and has mismatched rims :-/ . Whizzers aren't really locked in on one diameter of spoke either, the same way heavy duty only specifies larger than .080" spokes. The bikes I know to have factory .120" spokes are Whizzer, Cycle Truck, and Wasp....and anything Worksman branded I guess. I've seen the .105" spokes on mostly tandems and mid 60s-on heavy duty schwinns.

What parts are you working with to build onto what bike would be a better question to help out I guess...?

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

@WillWork4Parts I have a HD Bendix hub marked Tandem and what appears to be a set .105 spokes with a set of S-2 rims drilled for .120 spokes. I guessing the hub will accept ,120 spokes. In that case I would need just the spokes. What sort of Hubs are often on Whizzers?