Anybody have their nipples powder coated?

I realize there are plenty of jokes in there... LOL!!

but seriously... if you have had it done, what's your experience with truing the wheel? ....nipples sustain much abuse?...how'd they hold up?

paul

 

hard to get a spoke wrench around pc nipples

 

wouldn't that hurt a little........

 

they hold up just fine! i do dirt bike wheels pretty often, they change 5 - 10 spokes a race!

 

What about getting a wrench around them like what 'dyna mo' mentions. It is a good point, no?

 

By the way, Joe... Did you change your spokes and nips out for Buchanans?

chrome?... polished stainless?.... stock?

 

I did not do my nipples. To be honest, I talked to a guy who trues wheels and he suggested that I not do the nipples or the very inside of the rim where the nipples go (the rounded out area around the hole). He said that he preferred that it be kept free of powder, cause he was afraid that after time they (nipples) would settle differently with powder on them and/or the holes on the inside of the rim area.
Now talking with Joe here and just working with some powdered items, it is really hard and I am not sure that it would hurt to do them. I would actually consider doing them next time. Honestly though, even without them done, they are not real noticeable. I actually like them not done, only becasue of the color pattern I went with. All black rims, hubs, spokes and so on, I would consider it.

 

it is a PAIN to do, each one needs to be plugged so powder does not get in there, on the wrenches that my buddy uses he just took a file to the inside just a bit to make sure the 2mm powder is not an issue... on my spokes i replaced all them with twisted stainless, and new stainless nipples... to me i like a bit of BLING as i go down the road, powder nipples are ok, but ANIDIZED nipples, now that is whats up!!!!
check HDwheels he has a ton of anidized nipples, just looks SICK!

 

i don't have firsthand experience with this as joe does, but when i bought my custom spoked wheels, i rly wanted pc nips- i was informed by the wheel manufacturer that pc nipples have more than their share of issues, one being the spoke wrench, the other being how they fit in the wheel.

this was from andre at www.hdwheels.com

 

To be honest... ANDRE is the man! he knows his wheels... when i powder them i plug the insides, i put the plug in from the back so that it covers the bottom of the nipple as well... never had an issue (other than having to file a bit of the wrench down... Powdercoater will chime in i hope, Roger is who i turn to when i have powder questions, i have only done a few sets myself for buddies... most people just want em to do thier wheels and hubs, that is never an issue... i have done alot of spokes as well, here is one i did in caution yellow with stainless spokes and high gloss black everything else: