Wheel Truing Stand

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dvincere
Posts: 198
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2012 6:40 pm

by dvincere

Last night I built my first wheel -- with extensive help from an extremely experienced wheelbuilder and a teammate of mine.

If I were interested in buying my own truing stand, what do you guys recommend as the best option for the money?

by Weenie


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seve88
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 7:06 pm

by seve88

I've used a Tacx T3175 for years and you can build a wheel as good as anything on it.

eric
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by eric

Even a crap stand will work, but if you're going to do much work on wheels it's worth buying a good stand like the Park. It's a once in a lifetime purchase. The Park stand is a joy to use, BUT you do need to use a wheel dish tool as the center on the Park stand will not stay in true, or will be off on front vs rear wheels.

BTW, buy the park dish tool that's blue and does not fold. The black folding one sucks- you can't use it while the wheel is in the stand, or with a tire on the wheel. And it doesn't even fold readily- you have to unbolt two halves.

I put my Park stand on a scrap piece of steel for a base. I have a place for it in the cabinet but I use it so often that it's on my workbench most of the time.

kulivontot
Posts: 1163
Joined: Sun May 16, 2010 7:28 pm

by kulivontot

Park ts2/2.2. Nothing else

seve88
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 7:06 pm

by seve88

eric wrote:Even a crap stand will work, but if you're going to do much work on wheels it's worth buying a good stand like the Park. It's a once in a lifetime purchase. The Park stand is a joy to use, BUT you do need to use a wheel dish tool as the center on the Park stand will not stay in true, or will be off on front vs rear wheels.

BTW, buy the park dish tool that's blue and does not fold. The black folding one sucks- you can't use it while the wheel is in the stand, or with a tire on the wheel. And it doesn't even fold readily- you have to unbolt two halves.

I put my Park stand on a scrap piece of steel for a base. I have a place for it in the cabinet but I use it so often that it's on my workbench most of the time.


Fully agree about the blue dishing gauge. I used the money I saved on the jig to buy the blue gauge. Used a different brand folding one at first and it wasn't very good.

bobonker
Posts: 20
Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2013 5:49 am

by bobonker

I have the black dishing gauge and agree that it sucks (but is better than nothing). I wish I'd spent the extra $10 and got the blue one!

Bob

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WMW
in the industry
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Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2012 2:59 pm
Location: Ruidoso, NM

by WMW

I've built a lot of wheels (many hundreds) with this cheap thing. Feedback Sports Truing Stand TRS-80R... $60. I prefer it to the Park 2.2 for some reason. I slap a cheap pair of magnetic dial gauges to the base when I want to check the runout precisely. You need to dishing tool also, but that is true of any stand.


Image
formerly rruff...

gummee
Posts: 91
Joined: Thu Jun 14, 2012 3:01 pm

by gummee

I've built more than a few wheels in a cheap, ancient Minoura folding stand. ...that's not even straight! Good dishing tool and wrench away.

I have a buddy's TS-2 in my garage right now. Its MUCH nicer to work with, but not necessary.

My little brother has a PBS house-brand truing stand that works acceptably. IOW it holds both front AND rear wheels!

If you're doing lots of 29er wheels, none of the above stands are going to go big enough and you'll need something like the Park TS-2.2.

Every once in a blue moon, someone will sell their TS-2. Chances are it'll still work very well AND you'll get it for less than a new one.

HTH

M

Cleaner
Posts: 213
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2009 7:13 pm

by Cleaner

I have used the Feedback stand mentioned above which I bought for about $50 on sale. It is workable and the one sided design is nice for disc wheels (access to the rotors for truing). You can also true wheels with the tires mounted on them. I did fashion a spacer to use QR skewers as the stand only has one "dropout" thickness on it so I glued up a washer stack to put on the other end of the skewer when clamping.

You don't need dial indicators to get the lateral true less than +-1 mm or less but they may make it easier and faster.

thprice
Posts: 252
Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2011 6:34 am

by thprice

I'm very happy with a 'low end' truing stand: Exact wheel truing stand T3175.
A feature I like of the Tacx is you can keep it stored away when not using it, then take it out and clamp to a bench when needed.
Image
Depending on you budget, the range goes from DIY through to the P&K Lie which is a work of art in its own right
Image

thisisatest
Shop Owner
Posts: 1980
Joined: Sat Jun 13, 2009 4:02 am
Location: NoVA/DC

by thisisatest

Even the P&K Lie stand is not perfect. Can't really true a wheel with a tire on it. I refer to it as the "wheelbuilding stand" as opposed to a general truing stand...

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kavitator
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Location: Slovenia---that forest land

by kavitator

park tool TS2

it works also can be used with inflated tires on (road, MTB 29er...) to get correct tension under pressure

dvincere
Posts: 198
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2012 6:40 pm

by dvincere

Great recommendations guys. Thanks for all the advice. Definitely like the idea of a cheaper stand that is more than good enough and a dishing tool!

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ergott
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by ergott

kulivontot wrote:Park ts2/2.2. Nothing else


If you are going to be a truing stand snob at least know what's out there.

Image

No the OP doesn't need anything special. The most basic stand and a dish gauge is all that's needed.

by Weenie


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Calnago
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by Calnago

Whoa! Now THAT's a truing stand. I've never seen even a picture of that thing. Thanks for posting.
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