acrafton

Hey - I have a very annoying problem on one of my 9-speed brifters - the brake lever is loose and rattles over ANY non-smooth pavement. It actually bounces up and down over bumps and makes a very annoying noise. If I hold the lever it does not move and so it does not make a noise. Also, the first quarter inch of travel down (when applying the brakes) has no resistance and this is why it rattles.

So, How can I fix this? It is though I need to tighten it or increase tension. Note that it is NOT the nameplate issue that has been ref'ed her, but actually the lever moving up and down over bumps causing the noise.

Thanks
Adam

HillRider

Was the lever ever removed from the mounting body? Shimano brifters have a small "mousetrap" type spring that holds the lever in place when no tension is on it. If the brifter was disassembled and then reassembled without that spring or with one leg of the spring off it's anchor point, the lever will move freely before the brake cable slack is taken up.

acrafton

No. It was removed from the handlebars for retaping but not from the bracket/mounting body that holds. it.

slider77

My first impression, is that it sounds like a problem with slack in the cable tension as you indicated, rather than an issue with the brifter lever itself. Have you checked:
1) that the corresponding brake caliper is returning to the full release position on its own.
2) proper cable routing (i.e. boss seating, etc) and adjustment;
3) Smooth travel of the cable through the housing and lever path?

pmseattle

I have seen this problem on my own, and other people's, 9-speed Ultegra brifters. I have also noticed that 9-speed Dura-ace brifters seem to be immune to it, probably due to a stiffer return spring.

I adjusted it out of my own set of Ultegra brifters by removing all slack in the brake cables. In effect I am using the spring on the brake caliper assembly to augment the spring in the brifter, so that the brake lever is held tight enough against it's stop that it won't rattle.

Which is pretty much what the previous poster seems to be saying

slider77

I've heard the same, but I am not sure why. The ST-6510 version is suppossed to use the same return spring as the DuraAce ST-7700 (Y-6BD 74000, Y-6BD 75000). Not sure about the earlier 6500/6501 versions.

The return springs supposedly can be replaced, though it looks a bit contrived with their "special" TL-ST02 tool.

see:
https://www.shimano.com.au/publish/co...st_6510_si.pdf
https://www.shimano.com.au/publish/co...st_6510_ev.pdf

pmseattle

[QUOTE=slider77]I've heard the same, but I am not sure why. The ST-6510 version is suppossed to use the same return spring as the DuraAce ST-7700 (Y-6BD 74000, Y-6BD 75000). Not sure about the earlier 6500/6501 versions.

The return springs supposedly can be replaced, though it looks a bit contrived with their "special" TL-ST02 tool.

Interesting - I didn't see that in the manual that came with my Ultegra brifters. Maybe I'll try it. Both of mine rattle like crazy unless the cables are completely tight.

HillRider

The "special tool" is a small metal tube about 1/16" in diameter and about 3/4" long that is used to slip over the end of the spring leg to make it easier to put in place. One is included with every brifter set.

acrafton

It looks like it was a loose cable and a frayed cable as well. . .tightened it and it got much better. Probably need to replace it to make it totally fine. Thanks!

HillRider

Soon to be followed by a broken cable. You don't "probably" need to replace it, you certainly need to replace it.