Repair guides › Wheels & Tires
True a wheel (lateral wobble)
The rim, spokes and nipples that hold the hub in the middle. Most adult bikes have double-wall alloy rims. Spokes are under tension; each pulls the rim toward its side of the hub. Turning a nipple changes tension and moves that part of the rim sideways (true) or up/down (round). Internal rim width sets which tire widths fit well.
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Tools
- Shop rags + nitrile gloves: shop towels and nitrile gloves ($)
- Spoke wrench: Park Tool SW-7.2 ($)
- Truing stand (or zip-tie method): Basic wheel truing stand (16–29 in) ($$)
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Steps
- Mount the wheel in a truing stand, or on the bike with a zip tie on the frame/fork as a pointer near the rim.
- Spin slowly and find the biggest wobble. Mark its center with tape.
- If the rim moves LEFT at the mark, tighten the spoke(s) there that go to the RIGHT flange and/or loosen the left-side ones.
- Turn nipples a quarter turn at a time. Viewed from the tire side (top of the nipple), tighten = clockwise. From the hub side, where you hold the spoke wrench, that looks counter-clockwise.
- Squeeze spokes to settle them, re-check, and work from the biggest wobble down.
- Aim for under 0.5 mm side-to-side. If the rim is dented or a spoke is broken, replace before truing.
Diagram
Looking down from aboveWheel rim
Signs it needs doing
- Wobble you can see at the brake/frame
- Ping from loose or broken spoke
- Rim rubs the frame