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36 hole spoke lacing: 3 cross or 4?

9K views 11 replies 11 participants last post by  Davidcopperfield 
#1 ·
I'm looking to build a strong, low maintenance UST wheelset for my VP Free.
I've ordered Mavic EX823 rims, brass nipples, straight guage spokes, Hope Pro II hubs (20mm front, 150mm rear)
Should I use 3x or 4x lacing?
 
#8 ·
4X is stronger side to side and 3X is stronger up and down. Do you tend to taco wheels or put flat spots in them? The strongest wheel you can build is still 32h 3X. The spokes all lace up 180 degrees from one another.
 
#10 ·
dhtahoe said:
The strongest wheel you can build is still 32h 3X. The spokes all lace up 180 degrees from one another.
Actually, a 36h 4x build will have a similar tangential spoke angle to 32h 3x. Although it's really not necessary to go 4x.

And--depending on your definition of "strong"--it will be stronger. Generally speaking, 36h will be 12.5% stiffer and more durable than an otherwise identical 32h wheel due to those four extra spokes.

I've built a mixed cross rear wheel that was 4x driveside, 3x NDS. The 4x should do a better job of transferring drivetrain loads. I can't say I noticed much of a difference though vs the earlier and otherwise identical all 3x build. But that was with heavy 2.3/2.0 spokes. Perhaps it would have been significant with standard double butted spokes.
 
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