Spoke Nipple WashersUpdated 7 months ago

Q: Are Nipple Washers Required for Stan's Rims?

A: Nipple washers were required only on Stan’s “Race Gold” rims, and not required on any others. 

Nipple washers are an optional way to extend the fatigue life of an alloy rim’s spoke holes. A nipple washer works by spreading out the stress at the spoke hole, which decreases the peak stress at the spoke hole’s edge, where fatigue cracks typically start. Spoke hole fatigue cracks are a natural way for any alloy wheel to end its life. For some riders the wheel’s life ends before the spoke holes can fatigue, due to traumatic causes, such as a hard sideways landing that buckles the wheel, a particularly sharp impact that splits the rim, or a crash that bends or breaks the rim. If you expect to avoid killing your wheel by these methods, then nipple washers could help give your rim a longer fatigue life.