Retrieving spoke nipples are those which have broken inside the rim and have been removed and unscrewed from the spoke heads on those rims which have just a single valve hole and all of its spoke holes are sealed and invisible, many times when spokes break or become unattached from the spokes these nipples would fall off inside the rim space and when the wheel rotates, you will hear the noise of the nipple which is present inside the rim. there are many methods and ideas through which you can extract the inner stuck spoke nipples from rims through valve hole place. It is also a major problem during the building of the wheel by yourself and you would not be able to control and locate the spoke nipples on their actual hole places, and these will move and fall within the rim
Extracting Spoke Nipple From Valve Hole:
There is also a method in which you have to remove a single spoke and unscrew it from the rim hole and make a way for the inner stuck spoke nipple to come out from this hole. and the other idea is that you can face the valve hole of the rim in a downward direction towards the surface and shake the rim from left to right, continuous shaking would allow the internal stuck spoke nipple to fall out from the valve hole but in one condition this method is impossible which is that if your other spokes and spoke nipples are not stretched fully then their internal rim head ends would pop within the rim and these would act as a barrier in front of the inner stuck nipple due to which it would not move and would not be able to cross from the pop head ends of the internal spokes when spokes and wheel are fully tensioned and the internal nipple is freely moving all around then it is possible it will come out from the valve hole.
But still, if this method is not working then as we know rims are strong and hard in manufacturing, these would not bend and deform easily, you can bring the rim near the ground surface and hold it from your both hands for a few millimeters above the ground surface and start shaking and when you notice the internal stuck nipple came on the mouth of the valve hole and easily reachable. repeat this process 4 to5 times regularly and within seconds, the broken nipple will be in your hands.
Attach Gummy Thing On The Head Of The Tool:
If You are inserting any tool within the valve hole or using long thin steel for extracting the inner stuck nipple then it would be better to stick a gummy material on the upper head of the tool because this head goes inside the rim it will easily stick the spoke nipple and act as a magnet and fetch the internal nipple outside from the valve hole, without gummy material it would be hard to bring the nipple near the valve hole, which is an aluminum or steel piece and it would not follow your tool without any gummy material.
Insert Sticky Glue on Valve Hole Area:
Freely spoke nipple is not going to stop its movement and rotation within the rim as far as you will block its track and it will come near the valve hole when you shake the rim, so put some sticky glue near the valve hole area inside the rim, when the broken nipples come near this liquid it will stick and capture within the glue and now it is easily reachable, you can fetch it out from the valve hole.
Using Useless Spoke:
Find any broken or spare spoke from your garage or from any of your mechanic friends, and insert it within the valve hole, it is easily accessible and reachable till the inner spoke nipple and you will easily fetch the internal nipple outside from the valve hole.
And these useless and extra spokes are used for inserting and installation of new spoke nipples within the rim, you can insert the spoke nipple from within the spoke hole of the rim, and with the help of this spare spoke you can hold the inner end of the nipple by inserting the spare spoke from the valve hole, after that tight the spoke nipple with the help of spoke wrench torque tools and when the spoke nipple is fully tightened, remove the backup spoke or useless spoke from the valve hole. although it is not easy or approachable work it will take a little bit more time than the other methods and it is permanent work for installing a new spoke nipple.
Using any gummy glue on the insertion end of the spoke head would 100% work appropriately in fetching and extracting the inner stuck spoke nipple from the valve hole.
Using Dental Picks:
Thin steel rod clamps which are used for plucking teeth and for dental purposes and may other home purposes are also reliable tools for this problem, you can insert these tools within the valve hole when the nipple is stuck within the glue or sticky material, these dental picks would easily give access to the internal broken spoke nipples.
Breaking rubber Bead Of Valve Stem Of Rim?
The valve hole contains rubber material on its round sides which are flexible rubber and you can easily remove it if you want to increase the stem valve hole of the rim, yes it is an applicable method but if you have got a new rim then it has side affects of air leakage in the future and you have to further recover the rubber of the stem valve, it is not a secure process for your bike rim, so according to my opinion avoid this method, because it will cause you to spend extra bucks in its making when you extract the inner spoke nipple.
Using Thin Metal Wire For Retrieving Of Spoke Nipple:
You can also insert thin metal wires for inserting from the valve hole place, all of these methods would help you in extracting internal spoke nipples because there is no disadvantage or negative effect of using these methods for the broken nipple.
Using Of Gorilla Glue:
It is among one of the most recommended glues and sicky materials used for the retrieving of the internal broken spoke nipples, the reason is that it has a greater value of expansion power and when it goes in the internals it would not stick and stay on a single place, but it spread all around through which it can easily grab the spoke nipple and come out from the rim. and for installing a new spoke nipple you can also use this glue for staying and giving the same position to a new spoke nipple.
Removing of Rim Tape:
All methods of removing, extracting, and retrieving the internal broken spoke nipples need to remove the wrap tape from the centerline of the rim, it is necessary without removing the wrap tape it is not possible to extract the internal spoke nipple. remove the tire from the rim and hang the wheel on the wheel builder machine for making your work easier.
Difficulty In Retrieving Spoke Nipples On Curve Wheels:
There is a clear difference in designing and shape of wheels in the mountain biking and road biking world, there are many wheels that have flat center lines and the other categories of wheels have curved or aero lines, which have a smaller inner diameter and spoke nipples would not easily move out and when you want to retrieve them, these will move continuously from left to right side within the internal layers of the rim and makes everything difficult and irritating as compared to flat and smooth wheels.
What To Do If Spoke Nipple Have Stuck Within The Rim?
Mostly it happens when there is no noise and sound from the inner broken and fallen spoke nipples, these would be stuck within the rim on the other spoke holes, you can hang the wheel on the truing stand and with the help of any heavy tool or wrench hit left and right side of the rim with a small force so that the inner stuck nipple would come down on the mouth of the valve hole to extract easily.
Can You Ride Safely With A Broken Spoke Nipple?
If any of the spoke released and unscrewed from the spoke nipple on the trails when you are riding aggressive hills, then don’t be confused, you will safely reach your hoke or any mechanic builder by riding many miles because a broken spoke nipple would not cause any damage to bike tire and rim, it just floats within the internal of the rim and also the tire never punctures or flat on the trails by a broken spoke nipple, and remember never deflate the tire if this happened with you on the trails, you can easily reach your safety point.
Using Of Vacuum Pump For Retrieving Internal Spoke Nipple:
Giving a high air pressure by a vacuum, pump from the valve hole of the rim, the internal spoke nipple would directly come outward from the hole, with the help of long air tube of vacuum pump, insert one en within the valve hole and release pressure, it is a most helpful and cheap method for retrieving rim spoke nipples.
Tools Used For Retrieving Spoke Nipples Inside The Rim:
- Needle Nose Pliers
- Tweezers
- Bamboo Shish
- Kabob Skewers
- Mulfinger Nipple Loader
- Vise-Grip Locking Pliers
- Triple Spoke Wrench