Ideas on How to Enlarge Spoke Wrench?

KDXGarage
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KDXGarage
Edited Date/Time 12/20/2017 6:51pm
I am working on a friend's 1983 Yamaha QT50 (Yamahopper). I am going to make sure the spoke nipples are not frozen and true the wheels. I have not found a spoke wrench that will fit it, but from measuring a spoke nipple with some dial calipers it looks like barely over 4 mm. I am getting a Park Tool bicycle spoke wrench that is 3.96 mm. It is three sided. Any ideas on how to sand / grind away at one side to make it a little bigger?

Thanks!
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Acidreamer
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Acidreamer 12/12/2017 1:09am
12/12/2017 1:09am
You want the wrench to fit tightly around the nipple. Otherwise youll round it out.

Youre only going to widen it by using a mill.

You sure the corrosion isnt making the nipple measure wider than it is?

Alternatively, you can take the tire off and use an allen socket to turn them.
KDXGarage
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KDXGarage 12/12/2017 1:58am
12/12/2017 1:58am
Acidreamer wrote:
You want the wrench to fit tightly around the nipple. Otherwise youll round it out. Youre only going to widen it by using a mill. You...
You want the wrench to fit tightly around the nipple. Otherwise youll round it out.

Youre only going to widen it by using a mill.

You sure the corrosion isnt making the nipple measure wider than it is?

Alternatively, you can take the tire off and use an allen socket to turn them.
I do want it to fit snugly. It is too small to fit right now, so I need to make one side deeper.

I am looking for an option besides a mill.

There is no corrosion on the outside of the nipples. I am wanting to make sure there is none inside the nipples on the threads of the nipples or spokes. I am not looking to disassemble the wheel just make sure they all turn freely.

The insides of the nipples have a flat head fitting. One generally can not get a good enough grip on a flat head nipple to turn a stuck nipple free. Thus, the need for a spoke wrench (and penetrating oil).

I am currently thinking very small flat file and lots of elbow grease or the Harbor Freight air file. I don't know how well it will do on steel, though.
Acidreamer
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Acidreamer 12/12/2017 3:29am
12/12/2017 3:29am Edited Date/Time 12/12/2017 3:30am
Acidreamer wrote:
You want the wrench to fit tightly around the nipple. Otherwise youll round it out. Youre only going to widen it by using a mill. You...
You want the wrench to fit tightly around the nipple. Otherwise youll round it out.

Youre only going to widen it by using a mill.

You sure the corrosion isnt making the nipple measure wider than it is?

Alternatively, you can take the tire off and use an allen socket to turn them.
KDXGarage wrote:
I do want it to fit snugly. It is too small to fit right now, so I need to make one side deeper. I am looking...
I do want it to fit snugly. It is too small to fit right now, so I need to make one side deeper.

I am looking for an option besides a mill.

There is no corrosion on the outside of the nipples. I am wanting to make sure there is none inside the nipples on the threads of the nipples or spokes. I am not looking to disassemble the wheel just make sure they all turn freely.

The insides of the nipples have a flat head fitting. One generally can not get a good enough grip on a flat head nipple to turn a stuck nipple free. Thus, the need for a spoke wrench (and penetrating oil).

I am currently thinking very small flat file and lots of elbow grease or the Harbor Freight air file. I don't know how well it will do on steel, though.
Rocky mountain carries a spoke wrench thats like 6 sizes in 1. Its made by tusk. Order that and use the one that fits. I think it costs like $5 or something like that.

https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p/841/2936/Tusk-6-Way-Spoke-Wrench

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pete24
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pete24 12/12/2017 6:28am
12/12/2017 6:28am
go buy a tiny adjustable wrench any kind will do they have fairly wide jaws and you can adjust it to fit any nipple it works good
KDXGarage
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KDXGarage 12/12/2017 10:29am
12/12/2017 10:29am
Tusk - Fits: 6.5 mm, 6 mm, 5.7 mm, 5.5 mm, 5 mm and 4.4 mm.

I have already had a 4.3 mm on it... too big.

I am going to try a small hand file.

I am leery of trying a two sided wrench. Yamaha does not sell just one nipple, just like on other Yamahas, one has to buy a whole set of spokes and nipples. YAH, KAWASAKI for not being that shitty.
project racer 12/12/2017 5:33pm
12/12/2017 5:33pm
I have a set of old Easco midget wrenches. Has a nice six point 4mm wrench in the set, as well as many half sizes up to 12mm. As Pete said, a small ,quality crescent wrench that holds it setting will work perfectly.
Tracktor
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Tracktor 12/13/2017 1:46pm
12/13/2017 1:46pm
I have done similar by carefully using a die grinder with a cutoff wheel to resize the wrench......
Markee
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Markee 12/14/2017 2:07am
12/14/2017 2:07am
I would be surprised a 83 would have any spokes nipples that would turn at all. Even with the proper or modded spoke wrench. Good luck. I normally file or dremel. You can pinch in a vice if you went to far, but this weakens the open end obviously.
Paw Paw 271
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Paw Paw 271 12/14/2017 10:41am
12/14/2017 10:41am
BikeMaster makes the correct spoke wrench and it's only about $5.00.

Paw Paw
pCp 252
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pCp 252 12/15/2017 2:57pm
12/15/2017 2:57pm
You can use a file to take away material from an old, smaller dimensional spoke wrench. I needed to do this recently. Had an old spoke wrench that was a bit too small to fit on my new wheel I had just laced up. I used a flat file and in less than two minutes, I had the perfect size. Just take your time and file away tenths of MM at a time until it fits.

imoto34
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imoto34 12/15/2017 4:03pm
12/15/2017 4:03pm
I found some long midget wrenches at I think harbor freight that I like to use. They are 7 or 8 inches long so its effort less.

endurox
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endurox 12/18/2017 12:13pm
12/18/2017 12:13pm
Motion Pro makes spoke wrenches in many sizes.
KDXGarage
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KDXGarage 12/18/2017 5:52pm
12/18/2017 5:52pm
Thanks, but I don't think they make one that size.
RandyS
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RandyS 12/20/2017 6:51pm
12/20/2017 6:51pm
Ask yourself, what would Burt Munro do, Burt would use a MF nail file if that's all he had. I have a bicycle spoke wrench that I filed 40 years ago for spokes on my SL70 that still works to this day.
KDXGarage
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KDXGarage 2/13/2018 9:48pm
2/13/2018 9:48pm
Follow up:

Hand filing / sanding the Park Tool wrench was useless. Too hard.

I was able to get the wrench to fit well enough (two sides, not three) and with the help of a Park Tool truing stand, got the wheel trued well.
lumpy790
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lumpy790 2/15/2018 1:46am
2/15/2018 1:46am
How about paying $8 at your local dealer?



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