Need Spoke HELP!!!

[Uncle Stretch]

This guy got me a set of wheels off of a worksman bike , because I wanted a front drum brake (I dont know why). Any way the rims cleaned up pretty good just a couple tiny spots of chrome loss. Ok I digressing. The spokes look like pieces of rebar. They must be 10 guage . The other wheels he has gotten me were 12 ga and these look bigger. The question is can you use smaller spokes even though the hub is for bigger ones . Can i stick 14 ga spokes in the hub or will something bad happen to me. The second question is if you run a front hub brake which side does the hand lever thing go on the left or on the right , or doest it really matter and is just some personal preference deal . I know someone out there has the answer to these life changing questions. :roll:

 

[bartleydad]

Ok . I ownede a bike shop for about 10 years a while back. did alot of wheels for bmxers. Any way you canput lighter duty spokes in it but you have to watch out for hole diameter . the smaller spokes may be to small for holes in hub. Then you will have to replace hub also. goodluck. bartleydad

 

[aka_locojoe]

I think I recall this discussion either here or at my LBS. If I remember correctly there was talk of using little washers.

 

[Crassly]

I think you need to watch that the spoke head doesn't pull through the hole in the hub when you tension it. I also have heard of using small washers. Why not just use the large diameter spokes the hub was designed for? A far as which side the handle goes on, I have always seen the handle on the same side as the side of the hub it pulls from.

 

[Uncle Stretch]

I probably will use the big ones, they are just so big that I would rather have something smaller,but its not a big deal either way. They were $10 for both wheels ,so im not really out much,and with my frames whats another pound or so of weight. ha ha