spoke nipples all falling out!

[giguana]

yesterday I laced in a new rim with primo spokes and was very happy with the results, so today I had a wonderful run coming back through some very wild Woodlands, and after doing 25 miles, I noticed the bike started wobbling from side to side...


a few of the spokes had become unscrewed all by themselves!

so I fixed them and went another mile and by then about 13 of the spokes were coming undone!

so presumably I have to buy some kind of thread glue-just another purchase! why? Dam!

 

[Ian]

The only time I have ever known spokes to loosen by themselves on a newly built wheel was when incorrectly sized nipples were used. If the nipples are one size too large they will appear to fit ok during assembly but the threads will slip under load giving rise to seriously loose spokes. This can happen if existing nipples are used with new spokes of a slightly lighter gauge.

If matching nipples and spokes are used thread locking compound is totally unnecessary.

As what you describe is extremely abnormal I feel that oversized nipples are the most likely explanation, the only other possibility being that the spokes are too short and not engaging sufficiently with the nipple threads.

 

[giguana]

primo bmx spokes... sold in packs o off 50 186mm forged steel spokes supplied with matching primo nipples... the tread is very small, and it fastens on much too effortlesssly.