Truing wheels?

[SirKng]

I took my wheels to a shop and they have determined the front is not running true but they want almost $400 in labor to fix it. I told them no way. A new wheel for my bike is about $300 with new tire from Orion Powersports.

So my question is how do I true my wheel on a budget? Does the ziptie on the fork method any good? Or should I go ahead and build a stand? Or should I get a Harbor Freight stand? I'm planning on getting a torque wrench for sure but I need to figure out how to mount the wheel for truing. Any help or ideas would be awesome!

[bogieboy]

zip tie on the fork will get you damn close, make small adjustments at a time... anyone that wants to charge $400 for a wheel true is on crack....

[SirKng]

Yeah. That's what I thought. $400 is too much.

I really just need to get the wrenches and I'll try the zip tie method. Thanks for the input.

[wheelbender6]

Charging $400 to true a pair of wheels means they just do not want to do it, or they plan to lace up new hoops to your existing hubs.
Do it yourself or find somebody on craigslist to do it.

[Megadan]

400 is a little steep, but it isn't unreasonable. I have trued many wheels for myself and others. Even for someone that knows what they are doing can spend several hours getting a wheel trued to less than .02" total runout. 3 to 5 hours of shop labor rates = several hundred dollars.

[mtiberio]

Especially a set of chinesium wheels which probably weren't too round/true to begin with

[Essayons]

Is there a good tutorial video someone can recommend?

[bogieboy]

Originally Posted by Megadan

400 is a little steep, but it isn't unreasonable. I have trued many wheels for myself and others. Even for someone that knows what they are doing can spend several hours getting a wheel trued to less than .02" total runout. 3 to 5 hours of shop labor rates = several hundred dollars.

I have replaced half the spoke on a wheel and retrued in under 2 hrs...LOL and i know all abput shop labor... my workplace gets $85 an hr for my labor... they dont pay me that much though...LOL

[SirKng]

Originally Posted by Megadan

400 is a little steep, but it isn't unreasonable. I have trued many wheels for myself and others. Even for someone that knows what they are doing can spend several hours getting a wheel trued to less than .02" total runout. 3 to 5 hours of shop labor rates = several hundred dollars.

It was estimated at 2-3 hours and including the diagnostic fee of about $50... But I'm still not gonna do it. Because I'm cheap and I'd rather buy the tools and learn how to do it myself so I know how to do it. I know labor around this area is kinda high. The shop I work at is pretty close to triple digits... And I guess I shoulda expected that but it was still surprising to be honest.

I've been watching a few videos about it and I really think I can do it. It really doesn't look all that hard. I do know how to take apart a car. How hard can truing a wheel be compared to that? Lol.

[SirKng]

Originally Posted by Essayons

Is there a good tutorial video someone can recommend?

Haven't watched the last one all the way through yet but looks good.

[SirKng]

I have a question now though. Can I get it within .02" without a dial indicator? I was planning on using a ziptie on one of my forks as an indicator. Otherwise there's a dial indicator at the shop I work at that I might be able to use.

[bogieboy]

Originally Posted by SirKng

It was estimated at 2-3 hours and including the diagnostic fee of about $50... But I'm still not gonna do it. Because I'm cheap and I'd rather buy the tools and learn how to do it myself so I know how to do it. I know labor around this area is kinda high. The shop I work at is pretty close to triple digits... And I guess I shoulda expected that but it was still surprising to be honest.

I've been watching a few videos about it and I really think I can do it. It really doesn't look all that hard. I do know how to take apart a car. How hard can truing a wheel be compared to that? Lol.

$50 diag fee??? WTF....they dont need to diagnose anything!!!!!! the wheel is not round, they need to make it so... theres your freakin diagnosis... my opinion, any shop that charges a flat rate fee for diagnosis on something like truing a wheel is not a shop that should be getting any business...

[2LZ]

Boy..... Those guys are sharks....

[RedCrowRides]

I think the most likely explanation for the high quote is they simply don't want to do it , period. The reason for that is ,there is no parts really involved that they can gouge you on ,and even though they will make a pretty steep shop labor rate, that same time could be spent on jobs that again, involve parts with an addtl profit margin .so in their eyes they are spending a lot of time that they could make more $$$ with on other jobs.the last bit is, you aren't likely to get quality, competent work out of someone for a job they dont want to do to begin with , it's much more likely they will half ass it as quickly as possible to be done with it and hand you the result .I think your plan to learn to do it yourself is much more likely to end well, and you learn a new skill in the process. Finally, if you get good at it and there is that kind of $$$ to be made off doing it , it might be a nice little sideline to get into to make some extra $$$ , i am sure plenty of people would rather pay you $200 to true a set of rims than pay the Shop $400 , just sayin'.

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by bogieboy

I have replaced half the spoke on a wheel and retrued in under 2 hrs...LOL and i know all abput shop labor... my workplace gets $85 an hr for my labor... they dont pay me that much though...LOL

I have seen more than a few bike shops charge over 100 an hour labor fees. It's ridiculous, but not unrealistic. How long a wheel takes depends on what you are starting with. I have trued a wheel from scratch assemnly in 1.5 hours, and had another wheel that took me 4 because hald of the spokes were seized and the rim was total shit.