Bicycle Mechanics - Aero levers - no housing stop

I'll try to explain this the best I can. They are second-hand Dia-Compe aero brake levers. Can''t find a model number, but they're older (circa '90s likely).

Here's the problem: When I slip the brake cable housing into the hole there's nothing to stop it from going all the way through. Without the housing secured, if I pull the lever the housing would move with the cable and the the brake wouldn't do anything.

I figure once the housing is taped to the handlebar, it'll work just fine, but am I missing a part? The hole is big enough to accommodate a ferrule slipped over the end of the housing. I'm thinking a ferrule with a mushroomed end (the end that slides onto the housing) would work.

Yes, there's a large mushroom shaped ferrule that the cable end fits into and goes into that big hole in the lever. Ask your bike shop for one. The Bell brake/shifter cable kits available in department stores also come with two of them.

Edit: Oh wait... You said aero levers? In that case, I don't know. They might, but then I've never had aero levers, just regular Dia Compe/ Weinmann non-aeros.

I have the same issue with more modern ones. I think maybe you're supposed to put a cap on the housing, like when it goes into a braze-on. Naturally, that didn't occur to me until I'd gotten the levers to the "good enough" phase and wrapped my bars.

Dia Compe aero levers came with a round ball shaped stop that fitted onto the end of the housing. The ball shaped ferrule/stop butted up against the lever body's opening.

The aluminum cable housing stops that sometimes come with brake cable sets for department store bikes, should make a suitable substitute.

I have the same issue with more modern ones. I think maybe you're supposed to put a cap on the housing, like when it goes into a braze-on. Naturally, that didn't occur to me until I'd gotten the levers to the "good enough" phase and wrapped my bars.

No matter how you wrap the bars, there will always be creep and movement of the housing. You really need to fix the fit firmly at the brake lever to have properly functioning brake levers.

No matter how you wrap the bars, there will always be creep and movement of the housing. You really need to fix the fit firmly at the brake lever to have properly functioning brake levers.

+1 I initially set up the same brake levers without the ferrule (didn't realize it needed one) and found the brakes would pull the cable housing in when braking hard and that the levers would need to be physically pushed back after braking to stop the pads continuing to rub the rims.

Buy the ferrules, cheap and easy fix to have them work properly.