Something rattling inside wheel

[Devon]

I have something rattling around inside my rear Vision Trimax Pro. and can't get it out.

I assume it's a stone or bit of debris. What's the easiest way to remove it?

[prendrefeu]

Are you sure it's something inside the rim and not the valve of the tube rattling up against the rim while riding?

Take off the tire and the tape (or plugs). Rotate the wheel so you move the 'object' towards either the valve hole or a spoke hole in the rim's bed. If the object is small enough, it will fall out.

[Devon]

No tube or tyre fitted, have just got the wheelset. Can't manage to shake it out!

[bricky21]

You just have to shake it out. I spent over an hour one time trying to remove a nipple covered in sticky Tef-Gel that I had dropped in a rim while building it.

[sungod]

i had this on a new wheel once, took quite a while to get it out

it looked like a piece of spoke nipple

which left me wondering which one was broken

[Devon]

I gave it a good shake last night and got bored. Whatever it is it's tiny, so hard to locate aurally. Will try a magnet on it tonight.

[Geoff]

No, don't use a magnet, try the vacuum...

[Devon]

No, don't use a magnet, try the vacuum...

Will try that first, hadn't thought of that, thanks.

[Butcher]

Shop air. Plug off all outlets but two. One to blow air in, the other for the air to exhaust. I have almost 200psi/13bar and I have been successfull with that.

[Devon]

That would require removing a spoke would it not? Definitely a viable option but more of a last measure I think. Will consider it if all else fails, thanks!

[Geoff]

Other than blind luck, it is the only real way of getting non-ferrous debris out of the rim.

[prendrefeu]

If you think this rattling is annoying, it's nothing compared to debris lingering on the interior of a tennis racket.
I once had a small rattle-sound on the inside of a Wilson racket (this is mid 90's)... drove me INSANE. I could hear it with each stroke, each time I moved around the court with racket in hand, each time I flipped to a new grip. At least on the bike the wheel is, ideally, in motion keeping the rattle to a consistent centripetal force, or the sound of the wind/air blocks out the smaller sounds... but on a quiet tennis court you can hear every.damn.single.bit.of.graphite.in.that.damn.racket. I never got it out. Sadness. My anger at that sound helped fuel my rage to a few decent junior-level tournament results, until, finally, one day, I got a new racket. Paid for my own equipment at the time, and let me tell ya: a $250USD racket is really expensive to a 15 year old. Rattle be damned.

[Devon]

I've not ridden with the wheels so can't comment on how it sounds, I'm assuming there will be no rattle when in motion. I'd just rather not have a shard of (potentially) metal inside my rim which could cause damage.

[prendrefeu]

You will hear it on rough roads & bumps. Besides, better to be safe than sorry. Manufacturing/shipping/etc can lead to small hiccups like this.

Anyway, Butcher's advice is a good method. You don't need to remove the spokes, assuming that it's a normal (read: spoke holes in the rim bed) rim. Just leave two open, seal off the rest.

Otherwise, shake it out. Have patience, young grasshopper!

[thisisatest]

When shaking it out, drop the rim from about 3inches off the ground onto a slightly soft, light-colored mat. The valve hole should be the lowest point, and at particular angles, you should be able to see through the valve hole to the mat. Sometimes you will be able to see the material cross the path of the valve hole, then fish it out with a thin wire. Some objects are shaped to not want to pass through the hole without coersion.

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