Going from internal to external nipples on carbon rims?

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teleguy57
Posts: 192
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2009 5:29 am

by teleguy57

Looks like I might be able to get a really good price on some quality carbon rims, but they are drilled for internal nipples. Have people been able to safely enlarge internally-sized spoke holes to accommodate external nipples? Could they be drilled out with a hand drill?

How would you think about this (or actually do it) and what are the risks? Would love to hear from people who have done it successfully!

coachboyd
in the industry
Posts: 56
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2009 12:31 pm

by coachboyd

On a scale of 1-10 for bad ideas, I put this one around an 11.

The spoke hole drilling machines are very high tech and precise machines. I have gotten in rims where one of the spoke holes isn't quite at the right angle and the spoke will not sit in the hole flush. The process of building the wheel and turning the nipple on a poorly drilled hole will almost always crack the rim. . . and then you are out a rim.
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teleguy57
Posts: 192
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2009 5:29 am

by teleguy57

Exactly the kind of feedback I needed to hear. Thanks, Coach!

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ergott
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Location: Islip, NY
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by ergott

Yeah, bad idea.

I've built up Zipp rims that had the spokes hole just slightly off from perfect and the spoke holes would crack. They had a problem with this years back. It was almost a 4:1 send back ratio until they fixed it. That's a company with the right equipment!

teleguy57
Posts: 192
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2009 5:29 am

by teleguy57

Ok, got it. Now the question is if I want to build a set of tubulars with internal nipples. This would be my first foray into carbon, and everything else I've done has been w/conventional nipples. If it was for clincher rims I'd be more likely to try, but I'm thinking about what it would mean if I had a tire glued on a wheel that might need a tweak along the way....

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