Wheels and spokes · Glossary

Does tightening the loose side fix it?

Quick answer

No. The tension ratio between the drive and non-drive side of a rear wheel depends only on spoke count, the hub flange hole diameter and spoke length, not on how much you tighten. It is static, not adjustable: crank the loose side's nipples until the tensiometer matches the tight side and the rim moves toward that side, pulling the wheel off-center. On an ordinary disc rear the non-drive side sits around 52% of the drive side; DT Swiss asks for a 60% minimum, and that floor is reached by changing the geometry (hub, offset rim), not by forcing the loose side.

It's the fix that looks obvious on the truing stand and makes the wheel worse when done without understanding why the loose side is loose in the first place.

The short answer, and why it gets asked so often

It happens on the stand: you measure the non-drive side with the tensiometer, it reads well below the drive side, and your hand reaches for the spoke wrench on its own. The instinct makes shop sense: two similar numbers look better than one high and one low.

But the ratio between sides isn't something you dial in by tightening. It comes from the hub geometry — the angle each spoke pulls the rim at — and that geometry doesn't change because you turn a nipple. It's a relationship derived from statics, not a shop adjustment, and the code that computes it is published.

What it depends on, and what it doesn't

The ratio between the drive side and the non-drive side depends on exactly three things: spoke count, the diameter of the holes each spoke passes through at the hub flange, and the length of each spoke. Nothing else.

It does not depend on how you built the wheel, on the spoke gauge you used, or on how hard you tighten either side. Tightening the loose side doesn't move that ratio at all: it moves the rim out of place while the ratio between sides stays exactly where it was.

What happens if you do it anyway

On an ordinary disc rear the non-drive side ends up around 52% of the drive side's tension. If the drive side is at 1200 N, the loose side sits somewhere between 600 and 900 N depending on the hub: between half and three quarters of what the table shows, not a mistake to correct.

Turning the loose side's nipples to close that gap without touching anything else doesn't raise that ratio: it shifts the rim toward the side you're tightening. The dish indicator on the stand moves, and not in your favor.

What you can actually do

Park Tool puts it in a line worth reading slowly: «the opposing side will simply have lower tension when the centering, or dish, is correct». Unequal tension isn't the fault: it's the sign the wheel is right.

Real centering means alternating both sides while watching the stand's dish indicator, not chasing a matching number on the tensiometer. And if the loose side needs to run higher — DT Swiss asks for a 60% minimum of the tight side — that comes from changing the geometry that splits the tension, with an offset-drilled rim, not by forcing the non-drive spoke past what its angle allows.

Typical ratio (non-drive / drive)

52%

DT Swiss minimum

60% of the tight side

Loose-side range example

600 – 900 N with the tight side at 1200 N

What the ratio depends on

spoke count, hole diameter, spoke length

What it does NOT depend on

how hard you tighten or how the wheel was built

Source

dish_oracle.py; Park Tool, Wheel Dishing (Centering)

Common mistake: Turning only the non-drive side's nipples until the tensiometer reads close to the drive side, without watching the dish indicator. The rim moves toward the side being tightened and the wheel ends up off-center, not fixed.

Stuck with your wheel?

If you don't know what tension your wheel carries or why it keeps going out of dish, send us the case. Real diagnosis, nothing to sell you. Message us on WhatsApp

Frequently asked

Does tightening the loose side center the wheel?

No. The ratio between sides depends on hub geometry — spoke count, flange hole diameter and spoke length — not on how much you tighten. Turning only the loose side pushes the rim off-center instead of fixing it.

What determines why one side ends up tighter than the other?

Only three things: spoke count, the diameter of the hub flange holes, and spoke length. It does not depend on how the wheel was built or how hard either side is tightened.

What happens if I tighten the loose side to match the tension?

The rim moves toward the side you're tightening. On an ordinary disc rear the loose side sits around 52% of the drive side; if the drive side is at 1200 N, the loose side runs between 600 and 900 N depending on the hub, and forcing it further doesn't raise that ratio, it pulls the wheel off-center.

So how do you center it correctly?

By alternating tension on both sides while watching the stand's dish indicator, not by chasing a matching tensiometer reading. Park Tool sums it up: the opposing side will simply have lower tension when the centering is correct.