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Deore LX Rapidfire gear indicator

Old 09-02-07, 02:54 PM
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Deore LX Rapidfire gear indicator

The gear indicator on my 7 speed Deore LX Rapidfire shifters isn't indicating!

I swapped handlebars yesterday...only loosened the 5mm allen bolt that tightens the handlebar clamp. All other cables intact, and after installation on the new bar, all shifting and brake functions worked fine. The one difference: the gear indicators are stuck. Left lever on "1" and the right lever on "7" regardless of the gear I shift to.

Any ideas on how to get the indicator function back?

Thanks in advance.
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Old 09-02-07, 03:06 PM
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you moved the shifters too far inward and they are binding on the rise in the riser bar. Losen them up, slide them out (away from the bend) a bit and re tighten. They should work fine after that.
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Old 09-02-07, 03:59 PM
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Originally Posted by brownlandshark
you moved the shifters too far inward and they are binding on the rise in the riser bar. Losen them up, slide them out (away from the bend) a bit and re tighten. They should work fine after that.
Thanks for the quick reply. I moved them farther apart...farther than with the original bar. No binding on the cables...but the problem is still there.

Any other ideas?
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Old 09-02-07, 04:05 PM
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Hmmmm. That should have done it. Be sure that the indicators are not resting on any part of the bar that isn't flat. The slightest pressure on them from the rise will cause the binding. If they work when they are not mounted on the bar then that's the problem. Otherwise they will need to be opened up and repaired. Tricky to do but possible.
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Old 09-02-07, 04:06 PM
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Take them off... They are broken or will catastrophically fail soon.
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Old 09-02-07, 04:14 PM
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Originally Posted by brownlandshark
Tricky to do but possible.
+1...with emphasis on the word tricky. I've repaired rapidfire trigger shifters before, but man, it's tedious. The shifter parts can be ordered through your LBS, if needed-

Last edited by well biked; 09-02-07 at 04:20 PM.
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Old 09-02-07, 05:28 PM
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I've opened them up in the past for cleaning and shifter repair...always careful to avoid digging in too deep. I just opened them up on the indicator side; even when put back together, the rear shifter doesn't want to play. Ugh.

I've successfully worked on my own bikes since my first ten speed (a Gitane) in 1973, but this one falls into the "too hard" category. After 14 years of service from these Rapidfires, I think it's time for some Grip Shifters... Now I just need to find them in 7-speed!

Thanks to all for the assist.
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Old 09-02-07, 06:38 PM
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Forgot to add what I discovered to be the problem: moving the shifters back to the original bullhorn bars, I'm sure I creaked the innards too much against the curves in the bars. As a result, the pins/cams/levers/springs inside the indicators got out of whack. Even trying to re-assemble without using the indicators wasn't working.

As mentioned by brownlandshark above, any pressure on the indicators will cause them to bind...in my case, it caused both pins that connect the cams to the indicator levers to slip out.

Thanks again.
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