[AzSpeedfreek]

Should I use both Wheelsmith Spoke Prep and Spoke Freeze when building a wheel or should I just use one or the other? If I should just use one which do you reccomend that I use Wheelsmith Spoke Prep, or Spoke Freeze? and why?

 

[GearHead]

You don't need anything to lock the nipples to the spokes if the wheel is built correctly. If the tension is high enough and you have even spoke tension, the nipples will not back off of the spokes.

I use oil to lube the interface bewteen the rim eyelet and nipple and anti-seize to lube the interface between the nipple and spoke.

 

[Homebrew]

You want everything lubricated but NOT glued. I also use anti-seize for the threads and marine grease on the eyelets. Good even spoke tension will hold the wheel together much better than any glue. If you don't have the magic touch calibrated fingers, I would recommend the Park TM-1 spoke tension meter. It takes the guess work out of tensioning. Also, get even tension early in the build process. It's very difficult to even up at high tension. Good luck.

 

[jcw]

I use Tri Flow initially on the threads, and follow with Spoke Freeze when the wheel is complete, mainly because that is how I was taught, it's always worked very well, and Tri Flow is much cheaper than spoke prep - especially if you buy it in the gallon container. And I never consider a wheel build to be complete without the spoke freeze. True, if the wheel is in perfect tension at all times then a spoke will never come loose, but if you actually plan on riding on the wheel that perfect tension thing goes right out the window. Just sitting on the bike loads the top spokes while de-tensioning the bottom spokes. Now throw in your average trail...

Should I use both Wheelsmith Spoke Prep and Spoke Freeze when building a wheel or should I just use one or the other? If I should just use one which do you reccomend that I use Wheelsmith Spoke Prep, or Spoke Freeze? and why?

 

[shiggy]

I use Tri Flow initially on the threads, and follow with Spoke Freeze when the wheel is complete, mainly because that is how I was taught, it's always worked very well, and Tri Flow is much cheaper than spoke prep - especially if you buy it in the gallon container. And I never consider a wheel build to be complete without the spoke freeze. True, if the wheel is in perfect tension at all times then a spoke will never come loose, but if you actually plan on riding on the wheel that perfect tension thing goes right out the window. Just sitting on the bike loads the top spokes while de-tensioning the bottom spokes. Now throw in your average trail...

Use the tread lock if you want but a properly built wheel does not need it.
If the static tension is high enough the dynamic tension never drops anywhere near the point where the nipples can unthread. I have checked the tension of 2-year old, well-used wheels built only with Phils Tenacious Oil. Virtually no tension change from newly built. If a spoke ever completely de-tensions you have a dead wheel.

 

[Ligero]

I agree that a thread locker is not needed. I have used spoke freeze and did not think it worked that good, it was used on low tension wheels like Zipp carbon rims where you can not exceed 100kgf of tension. Wheels that are built with a rim like Zipp or a Stans rim can have non drive side tensions as low as 40kgf which will not stay tight without some type of thread lock.

Every pair that I build now I use Dt prolock nipples with, you can get them in brass and alloy and they work really well for lubricating the threads when you are building and then providing a light thread lock when you are done.