How to Fix a Wobbly Bicycle Tire
A wobbly bicycle wheel is considered to be out of true. When a wheel is brought back into true, it rolls straight, without any movement from side to side or "hops." Bringing a wheel into true is not a difficult process, but it can be time consuming. Truing bicycle wheels is like tuning a guitar; it must be done every once in awhile to ensure good results during use.
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Instructions
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Finding the Wobble
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1
Place your finger on the side of the bicycle frame to give yourself a reference point. Make sure that your fingertip is level with the rim's braking surface.
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2
Spin the wheel to see if there is enough of a wobble to affect riding. If the wheel moves enough that the rim touches the brake pads, or seems to wobble between them, the wheel is out of true.
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3
Remove the wheel from the bicycle and place it in a truing stand. If you do not have a truing stand at your disposal, use an old bicycle fork mounted to a bench, or simply flip your bicycle over and tape a reference point to the frame. If using a truing stand, adjust the reference points on the stand so they align properly with the rim's braking surface.
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4
Spin the wheel and take note of where the wobble occurs.
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5
Grab the wheel at the wobble point and move it back and forth slowly to find the exact section of spokes where the wheel is out of true.
Fixing the Wobble
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6
Take note of where the spokes run to along the hub. If the spokes run to the opposite side of the hub where the wobble is, they must be tightened to bring the wheel back into true. If the spokes run to the same side of the hub, loosening the spokes will fix the wheel.
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7
Tighten the spokes that run to the opposite side of the hub than the wobble using a spoke wrench. (Always tighten spokes before you loosen them.) Tightening 1/4 of a turn at a time will cause significant changes, so be careful not to tighten too much, as the spokes may break. The nut you're turning will be upside-down, so tighten to the left (opposite of tightening with a standard wrench).
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8
Move the wheel back and forth to test the changes. Sometimes you will have to move back and forth between several spokes to work the kinks out. Be patient and repeat the previous step, turning only 1/4 turn at a time, until you have worked out the wobble.
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Tips & Warnings
Occasionally, spokes will be too tight to tighten further. In this case, loosen them instead. Do not loosen the spokes too much, or the wheel will become unusable. It's possible to chase a wobble around the rim if the wheel is in particularly bad shape. In this case, attack the wobble from both sides, slowly moving and turning on one end, then the other, until the wobble has been worked out. If there is a hop in your wheel (an up and down wobble), tighten or loosen from the exact opposite side of the wheel to either bring it in or out. This is often a more complex process and may lead to you chasing the hop around the wheel indefinitely. If you can't get it out, take your bike to a professional wheel builder at your local bike shop and they will have it out in no time.
Be cautious when truing your wheel, especially if this is your first time. Tightening or loosening spokes too far can cause the wheel to become unstable and even collapse.
