Rear wheel spokes

Information relating to the Matchless G3 or AJS Model 16 350cc Heavyweight
arcturus80
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Jun 21, 2017 9:45 pm
Location: Umeå, Sweden

Rear wheel spokes

Post by arcturus80 »

Greetings from Sweden!
I happened to buy a 1954 G80S from a friends father in law last summer. I drove my car and trailer over 700km on crappy roads to get it back home. A week or so after getting home I heard that my neighbors son had a bike for sale. That turned out to be a 1954 G3L (rigid) in pretty good condition. Well, at least it had all the parts still attached to it... I bought that one too and pushed it back home (Yes, pushed it. Like 50 meters...)

Anyway I have been busy restoring the G3L this winter (started with that one as I find it to be a much prettier model than the G80s). I am now rebuilding the wheels. Front is full with hub, and rear is the 4" cotton reel hub.

The rear wheel is giving me a real headache. The spares list from 1954 lists the spokes as 8 1/8" long (I think. Text is very blurry). The first set of spokes (Devon brand) I got from a webshop in UK were 8 1/2" long and did not fit. Then I tried ordering a set from Devon directly. I unpacked them today and found that they were also 8 1/2" long. I believe that 8 1/4" would work. When I asked Devon about the length before I ordered they also told me the spokes were 8 1/4"... But when I measure them I get 8 1/2" and that's too long to fit the wheel...

Rims, nipples and spokes are all Devon brand (all stainless). Hub is 4" wide. I have the spoke pattern right (got the G80 wheel as reference). What am I missing here? Anyone have similar experience with these wheels? From what I have understood Devon is the one that makes the good stuff..?
arcturus80
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Jun 21, 2017 9:45 pm
Location: Umeå, Sweden

Re: Rear wheel spokes

Post by arcturus80 »

Anyone?

I have included a few photos of my wheel lacing setup. I made a jig to center the hub to the rim, and the colorful drinking straws are used to keep the spokes in place while assembling more spokes. By sliding them out through the spoke holes they really help prevent assembled spokes to fall out of the rim...

To summarize: My problem is that the spokes are not 8.25" like I'm being promised they would be. They are about 0.25" too long and will bottom out in the nipple thread before any tension is achieved. What is happening here? Why do I keep getting spokes that are too long? Am I missing something?
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
arcturus80
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Jun 21, 2017 9:45 pm
Location: Umeå, Sweden

Re: Rear wheel spokes

Post by arcturus80 »

And another post just to be able to add the 4th photo...
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
cbranni
Member
Posts: 1439
Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 9:17 pm
Location: ABERTAWE UK

Re: Rear wheel spokes

Post by cbranni »

The spoke pattern doesn't look right to me, the spoke should point the same way as the hole if that makes sense, sorry but its hard to explain, and Devon rim are the best UK supplier, only my opinion.

Colin

PS on the hub are there any witness marks showing which direction the spokes left the hub
only dead fish go with the flow
arcturus80
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Jun 21, 2017 9:45 pm
Location: Umeå, Sweden

Re: Rear wheel spokes

Post by arcturus80 »

I'm using the same spoke pattern as on my G80 wheel. It looks a bit strange in the photo but that's because there are only a few spokes assembled on each side. I did it that way just to make sure the hub was centered while checking if the spokes would fit. My G3 wheel was laced with a completely different pattern and spokes before I took it apart. The rim was wrong too. The dimples were angled completely different. Someone had the wheel rebuilt a long time ago I think... Probably not even a AMC rim...

Still, I'm getting 8.5" spokes when they say they should be 8.25", and the spares list say 8.125"... I'm confused...
SPRIDDLER
Member
Posts: 8542
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 1:00 am
Location: WEST SUSSEX UK

Re: Rear wheel spokes

Post by SPRIDDLER »

arcturus80 wrote:The spares list from 1954 lists the spokes as 8 1/8" long (I think. Text is very blurry).
I have an original hard copy Spares List for the '54 G3L(S) which clearly shows spoke length as 8 1/8" (8.125"). Part No. 011012

Later
Ooop :oops: s! Thanks Dave (yr. comment below) Length corrected from 1 1/8" to 8 1/8" .
Last edited by SPRIDDLER on Mon Jun 26, 2017 10:39 am, edited 3 times in total.
'There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which taken at the flood............'
User avatar
dave16mct
Member
Posts: 3234
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 1990 12:00 am
Location: LANCASHIRE UK

Re: Rear wheel spokes

Post by dave16mct »

Must have been a very small wheel Sprid.......:rofl:
Dave.
User avatar
robcurrie
Member
Posts: 957
Joined: Fri Dec 09, 2011 5:33 pm
Location: Limpopo SOUTH AFRICA
Contact:

Re: Rear wheel spokes

Post by robcurrie »

Just to put a spoke in the works, have you checked the rim diameter?

Rob C
56G80S
Member
Posts: 3354
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2005 10:45 pm
Location: N YORKS UK

Re: Rear wheel spokes

Post by 56G80S »

Never done tis job, it's about the only one I haven't, but a daft thought occurs to me. Why not just get a die the right thread and wind a bit more thread onto the over long spokes and Bob's your second cousin twice removed!

Not an elegant but a practical solution?


Shoot me down.

Johnny B
User avatar
robcurrie
Member
Posts: 957
Joined: Fri Dec 09, 2011 5:33 pm
Location: Limpopo SOUTH AFRICA
Contact:

Re: Rear wheel spokes

Post by robcurrie »

56G80S wrote: Shoot me down.
Johnny B
Spokes have threads rolled in so that there are no sharp cuts which are stress risers.
And as can be seen in the above photo, the threads end up a bigger diameter than the spoke.
Rob C
Locked