36 spoke wheel pattern is divided into four sets of spokes and each set of spoke contains 9 spokes, all of these sets are inserted and installed within the rim and flanges of the hub in a correct way, without these 9 sets it is not possible to install these spokes random wise and individually.
First Set Of 9 Spoke Insertion Pattern Within The 36 Hole Wheel:
First of all, you need 36 hole flange hub to install 36 spokes with their lower heads within the flanges of the hub and their upper heads within the spoke nipple threads.36 hole wheel pattern has its specific set of 9 spokes which are installed within the rim, and you cannot install a random number of spokes( more or less than 9).it is the first set of spokes. and these 9 sets of spokes are not installed on the regular spoke holes within the rim which are present one after the other, while starting the installation of spokes, the first spoke is called the spoke key which is installed on the right or left side of the valve on any side depends on the wheels.
This 9-set spoke pattern is not installed one after the other within the rim and wheel, after installing the spoke key, leave three spoke holes and install the second spoke in the 4th rim hole by threading the spoke head into the spoke nipples. after the second insertion of the spoke install, the third spoke in the fourth hole by leaving three spaces. this is the accurate method of installation of the first 9 spokes within the rim, and if any of the holes you have missed in counting and you have installed the spoke after one or two spoke holes within the rim, then it makes everything wrong in the end which becomes more complex and you don’t know where I have missed anything, to avoid this pattern, when you have installed all 9 spokes then further count the spoke holes of the rim whether there are an equal number of 3 hole space between each spoke, The pattern for the insertion of the first 9 spokes within the rim is given below:
1st spoke on the left or right side of the valve stem which is the key spoke, 2nd spoke 5th rim hole,3rd spoke head in 9th rim hole,4th spoke head in 13th rim hole,5th spoke head in 17th rim hole,6th spoke head in 21 rim hole, 7th spoke head in 25 rim hole, 8th spoke head in 29th rim hole, 9th spoke head in 33rd rim hole, and 33+3 rim holes, again you will see the 1st spoke key from where the spoke pattern is starting.
This is the exact pattren of installation of the 1st nine heads of spokes within the 36 wheel rim holes.
First 9 Spoke Insertion pattern Within The Hub Flanges:
Hub contains 18 spoke holes on the right side(drive side) and 18 spoke holes on the left side(non-drive side), while the rim contains 36 spoke holes. now inserting the first 9 sets of spokes on any side of the holes of the hub flanges also requires spacing between them, these 9 sets of spokes are inserted on the same side of the flanges and you cannot insert any single spoke on the other opposite side of the hub, after that here comes the spacing point, as you know each side of hub contains 18 holes and we are going to insert 9 spokes in them in the first set, you can insert 1st key spoke on any hole of the same side and when it comes to inserting the second spoke, leave one flange hole and insert the 2nd spoke within the third hole, after that leave 4th hub hole and insert the third spoke in 5th hole, this is the specific pattern, leave one hole and insert the other spoke in the next one for insertion of spokes within the 36 hole pattern of the wheel. the pattern is given below:
1st spoke in the 1st hole, 2nd spoke in the third hole, 3rd spoke in the 5th hole, 4th spoke in the 7th hole,5th spoke in 9th hole,6th spoke in the 11th hub hole, 7th spoke in the 13th hub hole, 8th spoke in 15th flange hole,9th spoke in 17th hub hole, and after the insertion of the last 9th spoke within the 17 holes of the hub flanges, again there is 18th hole and after this final hole again the circle is repeating and starting from 1st spoke in 1st hub hole.
this is the exact pattern of insertion of spokes within the hub flanges of the drivetrain.
What To Do After Insertion Of 1st Set Of 9 Spokes?
After the insertion of 9 spokes within the rim and hub of the wheel, now it is time to install the second set of9 spokes within the wheel, but before inserting the second set, an important thing to remember is that you have to give the direction and location to the wheel hub, before the insertion of 2nd set, and the correct way is that you have to rotate the hub in the backward and forward direction by judging the insertion of the spoke key within the rim hole, either it is inserted in the back side of the valve or after the valve stem.
If the 1st spoke key is inserted before the stem valve then rotate the hub also in a backward direction before inserting the 10th spoke of the second set and if the 1st spoke key is inserted after the stem valve then rotate the hub on the front side before the insertion of the 10th spoke, after giving the position to freehub of the wheel now its time to insert the 1st spoke of the second set within the rim and hub flanges.
The main purpose of rotating and moving the hub is to create tension so that the hub does not remain loose.
Second Set Of 9 Spoke Insertion Within the 36 Hole Wheel:
Now install the 10th spoke which is actually the first spoke of the second set, within any hole of the flange hub, there is not a specific number of holes for the flanges of the hub for the 1st spoke of the second set. after inserting the 1oth spoke within the hub, now you can count from the nearer rim of the new inserted spoke, the spoke which is present nearer to this new spoke, count 9 spoke holes on the rim, after the 9th spoke hole on the rim, insert this new spoke with in the 10 spoke hole on the rim.
Before installing the 10th spoke within the 10th rim hole, cross this new spoke with that spoke which is present nearer to the 10 rim hole. this crossing is necessary for the 1st spoke key of the second set to create tension in between spokes, and install this new spoke within the threads of the spoke nipples to hold it tightly.
After the installation of the 10th spoke now the remaining process becomes easier, because the remaining eight spokes of the second set are installed in the same way as the installation of the first set of spokes within the rim holes( skipping 3 rim holes for the next spoke).
Install the eighth spoke in the next empty hole of the hub flange and skip three rim holes, install it in the 4rh rim hole but before installing in the 4rh rim hole, first make a cross with the last crossing spoke by bringing this 8th spoke in the lower position, so that every spoke would make a cross on the last nearer spoke of the rim hole, it is necessary to produce tensioning within the wheel.
After installing all of the 9 spokes of the second set, again count the rim holes between them, if all of these spokes have a gap of three rim holes, then you have accurately installed the second set of spoke within the rim holes.
the 9 holes of flanges that have been left after lacing the first set of 9 spokes, install the second set of nine pokes within the remaining holes of the hub flanges, in this way one side of the hub holes is filled with 18 spokes after completion of two sets which is actually completing one side of the wheel completely with 18 spokes.
3rd Set of 9 Spoke Insertion Within 36 Spoke Wheel:
Now it is time to install 3rd set of 9 spokes within the wheel and hub flanges of the drivetrain, the method is the same as that of the insertion of 1st two sets of spokes, but it is just a little bit handy while inserting the first new spoke which is 19th spoke and the first spoke of the third set.
While inserting the 19th spoke on the other side of the hub flanges, make sure the spoke which is present on the opposite of the hub flanges and which is exactly parallel to the insertion of this new spoke, so that the hub hole of this 19th spoke and the hub hole of the opposite side of spoke are parallel with each other, if these both are parallel then you have to follow the same spoke and install this 19th new spoke of the third set nearer to that matching and parallel spoke and install it within the rim hole.
After installing the first spoke now the work is the same and just repeated for the other spokes inserted within the wheel. (skip 3 rim holes and one hub hole for inserting the remaining spokes).
4th Set Of 9 Spoke Insertion Within 36 Hole Wheel:
It is the last set of 9 spokes, which also have the correct way of installation of spoke within the rim and hub flanges, after completing these three sets of spokes now you can inspect the wheel there are three spokes which are making a group around the whole wheel and within each group of spokes, there is a single rim hole where you have to install the final set of spokes.
these 4th set of spokes are installed in such a way so that these would make a cross with the 3rd group of spokes that you have recently installed within the wheel.
After inserting 1st new spoke of the 4th set within the hub hole, no it’s time to install this spoke within the rim and count 9 spoke holes within the rim, and install this new spoke within the 10th rim hole, before installing it within the spoke nipple of the 10 spoke rim hole, 1st make a cross with the 9th spoke of the 3rd set. but this counting is just for 1st new spoke of the 4th set, after its installation, the remaining 8 spokes are installed by skipping just 3 rim holes and installing them in the fourth rim hole.
While skipping the three rim holes cross all of these final eight spokes under the 3rd spoke and install it within the threads of their spoke nipples.
Conclusion:
When inserting one end of spokes within the flange hub and the other end within the rim holes, these spokes will be bent a little from the middle section, it is normal, when you cross these spokes between the other spokes these will also bend, it is normal, but stay alert sometimes these spokes will scratch from the center of the rim to avoid scratching place your finger on the upper head of these spokes while crossing them with the other spokes.
After wheel lacing when you are tightening the spokes with the spoke key, then tight the threads of all the spoke nipples with an equal torque force, if a single spoke is tightened or loose from the other spokes then it will cause untrue of the wheel when the wheel rotates on the trails.
After inserting one set of 9 spokes always count the skipping holes between them for correction and always check the crossing spokes so that these are exactly crossed with each other as described in their exact crossing method within the given post.