Internal nipple wheels look clean, but they're a pain to service without the right tool. The spoke nipples sit inside the rim cavity, accessible only through the valve hole or small access ports, which means standard spoke wrenches can't reach them. Park Tool's SW-16.3 solves this with a long, narrow profile that slides through those tight openings to engage the nipple flats inside.

The 3/16" hex size fits nipples commonly found on wheels from DT Swiss, Mavic, and other manufacturers who use internal nipple construction. The tool's body is thin enough to pass through standard valve holes while still providing enough material for a secure grip on the nipple. You insert it through the access point, engage the hex flats, and turn from outside the rim. It's a specific solution to a specific problem—if your wheels use internal nipples with 3/16" hex flats, this is the tool that lets you tension and true them without fighting the rim design.

The stamped steel construction keeps weight down while maintaining the rigidity needed for accurate spoke tensioning. Unlike socket-style internal nipple tools that require precise alignment, the SW-16.3's wrench design gives you a direct mechanical connection to the nipple. You can feel exactly how much torque you're applying, which matters when you're bringing a wheel back into true or building tension evenly across a new lace pattern.... Read More