Blowing through spoke nipples

[Mongooser]

Any idea to why every 2nd ride or so my wheels break up to 3 spoke nipples

None of them are seized or corroded and the wheels are perfectly true.

 

Extremely frustrating having to seat tires every ride to fix it

 

Sunringle add pro wheels on straigh pull ringle hubs...

Thanks

Edited August 1, 2020 by Mongooser

[ChrisF]

A friend had a similar series of nipple breaks ....

 

 

Only solution was to rebuild both wheels, better quality spokes and nipples

[Barry]

What supplements do use? Try changing to key360 or 32Gi

 

Maybe time for a rebuild could be spoke tention or metal fatigue in the nipples.

[Barry]

Look and see if the nipples have corroded some sealants react with the alloy.

The old XT 26er rims had a problem with sealant eating them

Sunringle should run Stans with no problem as they had a finger in the pie.

[love2fly]

You get a few kinds of nipple. Think it's brass alu stainless etc. One of them I just can't recall which - think it's alu breaks like mad. Get them all replaced and no more worries.

[Rapunzel]

Given all your nipples are same make and age and under the same load, all will start going at the same time. Agree with ChrisF, rebuild is only (safe) solution

[DJR]

Aluminium nipples look cool especially if anodized a nice matching colour, but they break and corrode depending on the exact alloy of the spokes they are used with. If yours are aluminium, rebuild and replace the whole lot. 

 

If they are brass, then I really don't know what to say, because those hardly ever break.

[Jewbacca]

I think what people are trying to bring to mind is galvanic corrosion. Steel (spokes) and what I would assume are alu nipples will invariably corrode due to a chemical reaction.

 

Another explanation could be that the spokes are too short and don't extend through the entire nipple, so they would fatigue and break.

 

If you remove the tire and rim tape, does a small portion of the spoke protrude out the back of the nipple or sit flush with the top?

 

If not, then your spokes are too short and aren't extending through the rim sleeve leaving the nipple to carry all the torsion.

[Mongooser]

thanks for all the advice and stuff guys,

will just rebuild them with the correct nipples and check sunrigle used the right spokes

 

baffled as the wheels have maybe seen 15 hours of use at max

Oh well. nipples are cheap....

[Jewbacca]

thanks for all the advice and stuff guys,

will just rebuild them with the correct nipples and check sunrigle used the right spokes

 

baffled as the wheels have maybe seen 15 hours of use at max

Oh well. nipples are cheap....

Just check they are long enough!

[MarcHD]

I think what people are trying to bring to mind is galvanic corrosion. Steel (spokes) and what I would assume are alu nipples will invariably corrode due to a chemical reaction.

 

Another explanation could be that the spokes are too short and don't extend through the entire nipple, so they would fatigue and break.

 

If you remove the tire and rim tape, does a small portion of the spoke protrude out the back of the nipple or sit flush with the top?

 

If not, then your spokes are too short and aren't extending through the rim sleeve leaving the nipple to carry all the torsion.

 

Good advice! 

 

Equally important: check if there is any thread exposed from the visible part of the nipple - this means the spokes are too short and will result in alu nipples being more likely to sheer in half.

 

Correct tension is the next obvious thing if spoke length and corrosion have been ruled out as tension being too low is one of the most common problems seen with wheel building. 

 

Low tension means spokes flex more, which means they fatigue the nipples and rim.

 

Nothing wrong with alu nipples as long as correct tension and technique is achieved, but be aware like another user pointed out - they will corrode eventually (usually in a couple years time). 

[Long Wheel Base]

I think what people are trying to bring to mind is galvanic corrosion. Steel (spokes) and what I would assume are alu nipples will invariably corrode due to a chemical reaction.

 

Another explanation could be that the spokes are too short and don't extend through the entire nipple, so they would fatigue and break.

 

If you remove the tire and rim tape, does a small portion of the spoke protrude out the back of the nipple or sit flush with the top?

 

If not, then your spokes are too short and aren't extending through the rim sleeve leaving the nipple to carry all the torsion.

 

 

Just check they are long enough!

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