looking for special washers

_ · 2009-04-06T11:11:46+00:00

Motorcycle wheels - rims are drilled at angles to fit specific hubdimensions. If you get a used rim and it is not matched to your existinghub, lacing it results in a nipple that does not line up with the spoke.It's sometimes possible to re-drill the holes at the correct angle and uselarger nipples, but that takes maths, new parts, and no mistakes. I'mhoping for a simpler solution.The nipple seats are in dimples. A curved washer inserted between thenipple head and the seat would allow some change of alignment - problemfixed.I could make a simple press and get some flat washers and make 'em, butthere are quite a few wheels in my garage to be laced, and there probablywould be a small but steady market for such washers. I've googled under "spherical washer", "motorcycle nipple washer", "seatingwasher" and a number of other terms, but nothing that looks right shows up.What I need is a normal flat washer that has been bent into a curve; acouple of hundred of them, actually.

Apr 06, 2009 25 Replies

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Joe AutoDrill 17 years ago

Yep. Too large. :(

Yep. I want to remove moles from my family for a fee.

I'd pay for a good quality, properly sized tool.

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spamTHISbrp 17 years ago

OK, now I'm dyin' to know what it's for...

Dave

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Wayne 17 years ago

_ was thinking very hard :

I needed a mismatched hub and rim once. I had these guys make the spokes to fit.

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Doesn't answer your DIY question, but at least it's an option.

Wayne D.

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Joe AutoDrill 17 years ago

If you find me one, I'll tell you. :)

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whit3rd 17 years ago

The only "simpler solution" I see would be a spherical cutter (to make the dimple into a sphere of some standard radius) in conjunction with a spherical-head nipple. The spherical cutter (just a custom-ground drill) is relatively easy, and some machine shops with NC lathes could turn the special nipples out easily enough.

I suspect the washer solution would leave you with a nipple that has high stress (and fractures) or with a nipple that finds the center of the dimple with its head, and the center of the hole with its shaft, and STILL points wrong.

The aimed-drill idea doesn't always take math, you might be able to put a laser pointer in the drill press chuck, and align a rim-clamp jig using that.

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