Brake track split. Now what?

MarkJohnston

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Mar 25, 2021
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Hey guys my rim blew out today. It was very hot and I was coming down several hills braking hard. My tires are too wide for rims i.e. It was nearly impossible to mount them. Maybe that adds extra strain on the rims. And the heat may have increases.my tire pressure above the max which is what they were at. Anyhow I am in a bad spot now because I rely on this as my only means of transportation. Which means I only have two days off to re build the wheel.

Do any of you guys know a down and dirty rebuild that will get my wheel true (enough). I have a wider rim that accepts the tire much more easily however the braking surface looks shot and there is rust on it and in the spoke holes seems like. Maybe not a good idea.

Let me know and time is of the essence here

I have limited tools, only a spoke tool, and no truing stand. Can I just simple copy the spoke pattern and just tighten up all spokes pretty much to the same pressure and call it good?

Oh yeah I don't trust bike shops. They are monkeys with wrenches and a lot of them won't work on ebikes.i refuse to go to them.
 

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MarkJohnston said:
Oh yeah I don't trust bike shops. They are monkeys with wrenches and a lot of them won't work on ebikes.i refuse to go to them.

Haha you rejected the people who know what's the matter with your bike. Best of luck with that.

I work at two different bike shops. When ignorant dingdongs come in with that attitude, they don't get help from me. Appeasement, courtesy... but not help.

Well that's remarkable what happened to your rim, sir. Did you buy it here?
 
MarkJohnston said:
My tires are too wide for rims i.e. It was nearly impossible to mount them.
Looks to me like the tire popped. Is the rim wobbling? Is it straight? If yes. I would say you need a new tire. Buy correct size tire for rim. I see nothing seriously wrong with the rim. Try cleaning it with a green scrubby, soap, water, or your favorite solvent. WD-40, alcohol or what ever ya got.

For that rust under the rim tape. Remove rim tape. Clean up rust with a wire brush and green scrubby, soap, water, or your favorite solvent. WD-40, alcohol or what ever ya got. Reinstall rim tape. If rim tape is destroyed during operation? Ask Chalo what to do. But ask nicely.

Be sure rim is dry before mounting new tire.
 
MarkJohnston said:
monkeys & rebuild, wheel
I also am not trusting of doctors, mechanics, lawyers, and most people. I like to do everything myself. Yes I do my own medical and legal work.

There are only two people on planet earth I would trust with bicycle wheel building advice.

Sheldon Brown
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/

and

Chalo

Look:
TL1302-01.jpg

https://problemsolversbike.com/products/tools/holy_driver_-_25272

This tool sits in my cup of pens and pencils on my desk.
 
Your upside down bike makes an excellent truing stand.

I would invest in a tension meter. Doesn't need to be an expensive one, just know how to use it.....

Do some reading/research on re-spoking your wheel. There are dozens of Youtube references and well written articles.

The actual job, is not that difficult. It DOES require some patience.

Get a rim that's the right size, and avoid taking shortcuts....
 
That looks like a rear wheel with no hub motor. Honestly, with all that rust, I wouldn't rebuild that wheel with the same hub and spokes. You can buy new or used wheels on Craigslist, eBay, or Amazon. Make sure you get the right size and freewheel/freehub type. You'll need a couple of tools to remove your cassette and move it to the new wheel. Or visit a dreaded bike shop and have them do it for you for a few bucks.

I have built my own wheels, had bike shops build wheels for me, and have bought machine built wheels. The hand built wheels from the shop are definitely the best. Someone who has built hundreds of wheels gets a feel for it. That said, you can always true up and retension a used wheel yourself. You can use a zip tie on the seat stays as a truing guide. There are Youtube videos to guide you.
 
You say 'rim', but the photo looks more like the tire sidewall ? Maybe just the perspective of the photo, but I've outlined what appears to be the rim in red, below - and what appears to be a brake pad in green. Given all that, is the brake pad actually riding on the tire sidewall ?? If that is the case, then YES, the brake pad riding on the tire would cause a great deal of heat and result in this 'blow out'.

The 'quick fix' would be to get a new tire and move the brake pads down so they actually contact the metal rim, not the rubber tire. Though again, just eyeballing, possibly that rim isn't set up for rim brakes.
 

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It looks like the brake track is above what u outlined in red. Looks like the rim is bent. With all the rust it doesn’t look worth trying to even true it.
If in a pinch I’d bend it back and get some narrower tires
 
Hummina Shadeeba said:
It looks like the brake track is above what u outlined in red. Looks like the rim is bent. With all the rust it doesn’t look worth trying to even true it.
If in a pinch I’d bend it back and get some narrower tires

The brake track is folded outwards, from some combination of brake track wear, excessive tire pressure, and/or impact against the ground. There's no saving it. It will almost certainly crack all the way through rather than bend back (plus that wouldn't address the underlying issue).

That isn't rust; it's dirt. The rim is extruded aluminum alloy. If it were corroded, it would look whitish and crusty.

If a 55mm tire is the desired size, using a BMX rim in the 34-40mm outside width range would be a better choice for a replacement.
 
RunForTheHills said:
Chalo said:
That isn't rust; it's dirt. The rim is extruded aluminum alloy. If it were corroded, it would look whitish and crusty.

Brass nipples shouldn't rust either, but maybe a steel washer was used?

On second examination of the other photos, I think that in fact is a single walled steel rim. Super yuck. Looks like a grody pressed steel hub, too. What kind of ugly BSO poopoo is that?

(To the OP: I don't know of a single bike shop that would work on a DIY e-conversion of a department store junk pile. That's three strikes, no matter how obliging the bike shop.)

Rolled steel rims lack bead hooks and can't be inflated to the rated pressure of modern tires. I mostly come across this kind of failure when someone is riding a horrible old steel rimmed 27 inch bike, and decides the 90 or 100 psi rating of the tire is appropriate. It isn't.


In the presence of road salt, animal urine, pool chemicals, or other contaminants, sometimes aluminum rims can get fluffy local rust at the site of steel eyelets, nipples, or spokes. But that's not what happened here.
 
With the cost of a decent rear wheel being so cheap I think he should see it as an opportunity and lucky it didn’t end worse

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/search/bip?query=rear+26”+wheel&min_price=&max_price=
 
Chalo said:
RunForTheHills said:
Chalo said:
ould work on a DIY e-conversion of a department st

Rolled steel rims lack bead hooks and can't be inflated to the rated pressure of modern tires. I mostly come across this kind of failure when someone is riding a horrible old steel rimmed 27 inch bike, and decides the 90 or 100 psi rating of the tire is appropriate. It isn't.


I.

They are hooked bead rims. Are they steel? Much better than aluminum. They are not that ancient. Not sure what you are talking about.
 
4πr^2 said:
You say 'rim', but the photo looks more like the tire sidewall ? Maybe just the perspective of the photo, but I've outlined what appears to be the rim in red, below - and what appears to be a brake pad in green. Given all that, is the brake pad actually riding on the tire sidewall ?? If that is the case, then YES, the brake pad riding on the tire would cause a great deal of heat and result in this 'blow out'.

The 'quick fix' would be to get a new tire and move the brake pads down so they actually contact the metal rim, not the rubber tire. Though again, just eyeballing, possibly that rim isn't set up for rim brakes.

Just the angle of the pic.
 
There are no hook beaded steel rims. The closest thing is single layer steel rims that have rolled edges which make a half-assed but too-rounded approximation of bead books. The pig heavy Sun Metal rims sold by Worksman Cycles are like that. But the vast majority of steel rims are rolled from tubing, and have non-hooked sides.

And no, they're not better than aluminum rims. In the bicycle world, all steel rims are garbage made for one reason only, which is to be cheaper than light alloy.
 
marty said:
MarkJohnston said:
monkeys & rebuild, wheel
I also am not trusting of doctors, mechanics, lawyers, and most people. I like to do everything myself. Yes I do my own medical and legal work.

There are only two people on planet earth I would trust with bicycle wheel building advice.

Sheldon Brown
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/

and

Chalo

Look:
TL1302-01.jpg

https://problemsolversbike.com/products/tools/holy_driver_-_25272

This tool sits in my cup of pens and pencils on my desk.

Amen to that, yeah I've been screwed by all those people on more then one occasion, always redoing work for mechanics or taking a hit when they don't do any work at all and charge me.

Yep. If they don't start work right away and don't let me pull out a chair and oversee the repair, I leave. Period
 
MarkJohnston said:
Yep. If they don't start work right away and don't let me pull out a chair and oversee the repair, I leave. Period

That's the nicest thing you could do for them. Some customers are absolutely not worth having.
 
Chalo said:
There are no hook beaded steel rims. The closest thing is single layer steel rims that have rolled edges which make a half-assed but too-rounded approximation of bead books. The pig heavy Sun Metal rims sold by Worksman Cycles are like that. But the vast majority of steel rims are rolled from tubing, and have non-hooked sides.

And no, they're not better than aluminum rims. In the bicycle world, all steel rims are garbage made for one reason only, which is to be cheaper than light alloy.
Nah Chalo, the rim beads are hooked. I just need the damn rim. I'm gonna get it off. I'm buying a trying stand and spoke tensioner. F the brakes
 
MarkJohnston said:
Nah Chalo, the rim beads are hooked. I just need the damn rim. I'm gonna get it off. I'm buying a trying stand and spoke tensioner. F the brakes

$59 for a cheap truing stand. (You will also need a new rim and probably spokes and spoke nipples as well, so add another $50)
https://www.amazon.com/Lumintrail-M...655079641&sprefix=truing+stand,aps,186&sr=8-5

Or $59 for a new wheel.
https://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Master...e-49e2-a3bc-73671d600c98&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mi

If this is an older cheap bike with 27" wheels, you can probably also pick up a used bike on Craigslist to use for donor parts dirt cheap.
 
Wow, you broke your first rim.

Next!


The key is to buy from authorized dealers so you know your getting the legit goods.
The next key is to buy quality parts.
The other key is to build it right.
Miss a key or do a key wrong and well, how do you like your pancakes son?
 
calab said:
Wow, you broke your first rim.

Next!


The key is to buy from authorized dealers so you know your getting the legit goods.
The next key is to buy quality parts.
The other key is to build it right.
Miss a key or do a key wrong and well, how do you like your pancakes son?

Yeah the spokes unwind if you mess up
 
MarkJohnston said:
Yeah the spokes unwind if you mess up

Spokes unscrew if you don't get them tight enough, if the rim isn't stiff enough for the load, or if the spokes are too thick.

Steel rims have much lower stiffness to weight ratio than double walled aluminum rims. If you're going to continue with that, you might need to glue the nipples in place to keep them from unscrewing. It won't help them carry load, but it might keep the wheel from self-disassembling.
 
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