Britbike forum Forums British Motorcycle specific Brands Bsa bulletin board Rear Wheel Spoke Differences

After rebuilding several A65 and B44 rear wheels, I find no difference between the left-hand and right-hand spokes. The spares manuals ('67, '68, '70) indicate different part numbers for each.

Any "old salts" out there know the difference between them or not?

Well, if you've layed them out, side by side, and they're the same offset, same dia, samelength, same threads, and same end shape...then they are, in fact, the same.

Nice information, but it really doesn't answer my question. As I mentioned previously, of the multiple wheels I have rebuilt, both 20 are the same. The spares manual list different part numbers. Oh, and since you are not familiar with that vintage of A65, there is no offset. The spokes are straight.

Gary: The Gold Star parts book also has different part numbers for left and right sides. A look at two original wheels, one an A65 Borrani and the other a preunit steel rim shows that the crinkle hub in both wheels is further to the non brake side (right) if you just compare where the spokes go into the hub and ignore the brake spline. Although a small difference it could in theory call for a slightly longer spoke on that side. It could be that suppliers these days ignore the difference.

Gordo

Gordo,

You may well be correct. I have noticed the slight offset of the hub. Thus, the spoke length may be the difference, hence the different part numbers. All of the spokes I have compared have been originals and all are the same length (except where the factory shaved the ends flush with the nipples after lacing).

Not only that, but sometimes BSA and Triumph give differnt part numbers to inner and outer spokes, but the head angle is so close to being the same that the after market people simply supply the same spoke and let you bend the outer over a little more during fitting.

:bigt:

I just bought spokes to lace a rear wheel with QD hub, packaging came labeled with both inner & outer part numbers, but all 40 spokes are identical as far as I can tell. I guess close will have to be good enough.

Turns out that one side of the spokes (20) are 1/8" longer, so if they are mixed with the others or put on the incorrect side, they will likely have to be ground off
to be flat with the spoke nipples before installing the rim straps.

Regarding spoke head angles:

I have seen wheelwrights spoking cycle wheels install the spokes, then whack the head area with a plastic mallet to "set" the heads in the hubs.

This probably also bends the spokes "to fit."

Similar situation with the OIF conical hubs. They have three different part numbers for the spokes. Two different part numbers for the shorter spokes for both front and rear. Having rebuilt a couple I conclude that the origanl short spokes all look much the same but would anticipate they should have a slightly different head angle depending on if they are inner or outer types.

I bought a set of stainless spokes for my 66 Lightning from the Devon Rim Company along with one of their stainless rims. The 40 st/st spokes were all the same length. My bike has the QD crinkle hub and after a lot of research I found from a reliable source that the rear wheel rim should be laced central with the crinkle hub, no offset. Which explains the 40 spokes of the same length. That’s how I went ahead and built my rear wheel and it’s all worked out ok. I checked the alignment with a laser sensor before I rebuilt the wheel and when the rear spindle and bare crinkle hub was assembled in the swinging arm I hit the centre of the crinkle hub with the laser once it was aligned correctly with the frame. I used the centre of the front engine mounting and the swinging arm pivot as the other reference points.

Plus one for whacking the spoke head end to seat them fully , if you put a wee bit of tension on the spokes, then ping them into a guitar tuner, then tap the head ends in, when pinged and checked again with the tuner, the ping will have dropped a tone or two.if you dont do this you will be retensioning spokes after the first ride.

Call Buchannan's and ask Kenny

The original post was January 2007. I think Gary figured it out long before now.

There is an offset in the rim to hub for the QD hub hence the spokes are slightly different in length.

This is the specs I order, well 9g normally as stainless spokes have a lower tensile strength.

10g*189mm
10g*187.5mm