Bicycle Mechanics - Shimano 600 Brake Lever Cable Binding

Working on replacing the rear brake cable and have binding issues at the lever. Used a dremel to cut flush the cable housing and even tried another cable housing to rule out the housing. The housing being used is the standard spiral wound housing, not SIS and wondering if this could be the issue.

The weird thing is it intially does not bind but as the lever is cycled a dozen times the binding starts and progresses to the point where there is a nasty grinding feeling to it. Did not apply any lubricant to the cable or housing.

The housing that goes into the brake lever fits into what is best described as an oversized ferrule or cable end that slides into a recess in the brake lever. Could this be sliding out when the brake lever is cycled?

I had this problem but was using a standard 5mm ferrule, not knowing an oversized ferrule was required so the housing was getting sucked into the lever as I braked. I ended up using an oversized ferrule with an exaggerated flare on the end. This ebay listing would seem to indicate that a rounded ferrule is what is required http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Old-Stock-Shimano-600-Brake-Levers-Non-Aero-/390297118487


but they are not what I used. Mine were cylindrical but the flared end keep them from slipping into the brake mechanism.

Edited to add: I used something like this: http://www.bikeman.com/BR2792.html. (http://www.bikeman.com/BR2792.html)

A bit of a jerry-rig but its worked without a problem.

Thanks DOS, forgot to mention mine are aero style levers with the cables exiting the side of the brake lever body. Hopefully someone has run into this problem. I've already searched Sheldon Brown's articles on brakes and found a useful tip on pre-taping the brake cable to the bars before wrrapping it in handlebar tape. Nothing like wrapping it nice and finding out your brake cable sticks.

but they are not what I used. Mine were cylindrical but the flared end keep them from slipping into the brake mechanism.[/QUOTE]

Found the problems, the assembly required two ferrules and the smaller one has a cone shaped end that fits into the larger one in the brake lever body. The brake cable was wearing an oblong hole on the larger ferrule because the brake cable housing was not centered in the larger ferrule. It also need a slight bit of lube. All is well now.

Thanks DOS, forgot to mention mine are aero style levers with the cables exiting the side of the brake lever body. Hopefully someone has run into this problem. I've already searched Sheldon Brown's articles on brakes and found a useful tip on pre-taping the brake cable to the bars before wrrapping it in handlebar tape. Nothing like wrapping it nice and finding out your brake cable sticks.

but they are not what I used. Mine were cylindrical but the flared end keep them from slipping into the brake mechanism.[/QUOTE]

I failed to notice that the ebay link I attached was for the non-aero type. I too have the housing under the tape aero kind of 600 levers. My little jerry-rig worked because I was able to jam the sucker into the lever but I guess its even more jerry-rigged than I thought.

Yep, those aero levers can be pretty picky about your cable/ferrule setup. If you do it wrong chances are everything will go to heck.

A tip for anyone reading: DON'T put the R lever on the left side of the bars, or vice versa. I did this once thinking it wouldn't matter, but the cables exit from different angles and you'll probably get binding issues. I felt dumb.