How to Adjust Louet Wheels

How to Adjust Your Louet Spinning Wheel

When you observe the wheel from the side and the wheel appears to "wobble", (that is, it does not run straight) you can make some simple adjustments to correct the situation.

First, establish the extent of the wobble:

1.) Put your hand on the mother of all, as shown in illustration. With your other hand, turn the wheel. You will notice that the wheel varies during the 360 degree turn of the wheel.

2.) Does the wheel hit your thumb once or twice during the revolution of the wheel? If the wheel hits your thumb twice (180 degrees apart), then the wheel is warped and needs to be replaced. This is a rare occurrence! If the wheel hits your thumb once during its 360 degree revolution, the wheel can be adjusted.

3.) Go back to step 1. and mark the spot on the wheel where the wheel hits your thumb. (a yellow post-it sticker is good for this.)

4.) Use the Louet wrench to turn the nut on the shaft backwards about half a turn. Next, push the wheel in the opposite direction of the wobble.

Place yourself behind the wheel, put your fingers around the upright and push with your thumbs against the wheel. Then tighten the nut again.

5.)To verify whether the wobble has been corrected, go back to step 1., check the revolution of the wheel. If the wheel runs true (1/16" - 1/8" off is acceptable) you are done. If the wheel still wobbles, you adjusted it too far, or not far enough. If it was too far, loosen the nut again and adjust the other way. Usually, this is sufficient. If it was not far enough, repeat the process and try again. If you are unsuccessful after several repeats, you must try more drastic measures.

6.) The illustration shows all the components of the shaft, bearings, spacers, washers and nut. You must dis-assemble all of it. First, take off the nut and washer. Remove the wheel and shaft from the upright post. Next, remove the bearings from the plastic cups which are in the upright post. If you put a straight screw driver into the hole in the bearing, it can be easily removed. The plastic cups also need to be removed.

7.) Once everything is out, re-assemble all again, in reverse order. Make sure the longer spacer is between the plastic bearing cups. It takes a bit of force to put the bearings back in again. Try a screw driver sideways, push the bearing with two hands into the plastic cup this way. Take the wheel and shaft assembly and insert the bolt back through the bearings. Make sure the small spacer is in place. Install the washer and nut. Do not tighten nut all the way.

8.) Turn the wheel and see if it runs true. At this stage, it usually takes very little additional adjusting to get the wheel to run true.

Back to Louet Wheels