Cable Housing Questions
05-01-10, 08:02 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Cable Housing Questions
I just changed an older hybrid from a 7 speed to a 9 speed. It's all assembled, I've ridden it around a bit and it rides well (for the most part... see question #3). Now I just have a few questions regarding final adjustments/tweaks. Please click on image thumbnails for full size view.
1. Housing Ends - Why is the wire of the housing sticking out? I’m guessing this happens when the housing is bent and one side is longer than the other??? Is this a symptom of being too long (please see question #2 below)? Should I trim the wires hanging out of the housing? I have a couple extra black plastic tip covers left over… am I supposed to put them on the housing where the housing meets the cable stops too (I just have them where the cable meets the levers/shifters)?
2. Cables – cut conservatively knowing that I could always shorten later… look too long?
3. Trouble shifting – sometimes in the mid gears of my cassette I shift using the index lever, the levers click indicating a shift, but the chain doesn’t move. If I wait and ride around like this sometimes it eventually shifts (seems to shift when bumps are hit) and sometimes it doesn’t. If I shift a second time sometimes it jumps two gears or only shifts a single ring. The high and the low seem to be set properly as I can get to the largest and smallest cogs. Could this be due to too long housing? I have SLX 3x9 shifters, Deore DX derailleur, Ultegra 13-25 9 speed cassette, and 9 speed shimano chain.
1. Housing Ends - Why is the wire of the housing sticking out? I’m guessing this happens when the housing is bent and one side is longer than the other??? Is this a symptom of being too long (please see question #2 below)? Should I trim the wires hanging out of the housing? I have a couple extra black plastic tip covers left over… am I supposed to put them on the housing where the housing meets the cable stops too (I just have them where the cable meets the levers/shifters)?
2. Cables – cut conservatively knowing that I could always shorten later… look too long?
3. Trouble shifting – sometimes in the mid gears of my cassette I shift using the index lever, the levers click indicating a shift, but the chain doesn’t move. If I wait and ride around like this sometimes it eventually shifts (seems to shift when bumps are hit) and sometimes it doesn’t. If I shift a second time sometimes it jumps two gears or only shifts a single ring. The high and the low seem to be set properly as I can get to the largest and smallest cogs. Could this be due to too long housing? I have SLX 3x9 shifters, Deore DX derailleur, Ultegra 13-25 9 speed cassette, and 9 speed shimano chain.
Last edited by tjc4golf; 05-01-10 at 08:42 PM.
05-01-10, 08:09 PM
#2
Thrifty Bill
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1. You need to get a lot better set of cable cutters. They should be flush on the end, nothing sticking out. They need to be really neat, smooth and clean.
2. The Park tool site has an excellent guide on properly setting up a derailleur. The high and low settings are stops only.
3. Need to take some pictures of the derailleurs, showing how the cables are mounted on that end.
2. The Park tool site has an excellent guide on properly setting up a derailleur. The high and low settings are stops only.
3. Need to take some pictures of the derailleurs, showing how the cables are mounted on that end.
Last edited by wrk101; 05-01-10 at 08:14 PM.
05-01-10, 08:28 PM
#3
cab horn
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1) Derailleur housing MUST be terminated with the appropriate ferrule unless otherwise specified (11s campy shifters for example), if it is not capped or the wrong ferrules are used the cables will blow through under shifting load - resulting in erratic/crappy shifting. Those wires will also stick out like that even when terminated properly with use. You can trim those and then re-cap it when you're doing a tune.
2) The housing doesn't look like it's excessive in either direction. Hard to tell without actually having your bike here. Follow sheldons guide for housing cutting.
2) The housing doesn't look like it's excessive in either direction. Hard to tell without actually having your bike here. Follow sheldons guide for housing cutting.
05-01-10, 08:40 PM
#4
Senior Member
Thread Starter
1. You need to get a lot better set of cable cutters. They should be flush on the end, nothing sticking out. They need to be really neat, smooth and clean.
2. The Park tool site has an excellent guide on properly setting up a derailleur. The high and low settings are stops only.
3. Need to take some pictures of the derailleurs, showing how the cables are mounted on that end.
2. The Park tool site has an excellent guide on properly setting up a derailleur. The high and low settings are stops only.
3. Need to take some pictures of the derailleurs, showing how the cables are mounted on that end.
(1) I don't believe the cutters are the problem. I researched the wire cutters I bought. I also researched the Park Tool wire cutters online and viewed them in person at Performance Bike. In the end I bought a better version from Home Depot (and saved a few bucks). Cable housing tips were very clean after cutting. And I cleaned them up a bit more afterward with a fine file. They looked great initially. It was only after mounting on bike that the wire sticking out appeared (it may have happened as soon as I put the cable on the bike but I only noticed it a few days later).
(2) I'll double check the Park site for derailleur info.
(3) Here's a pic of the rear derailleur. Will post a pic of the front if necessary but I'm not having trouble with that one...
05-01-10, 08:47 PM
#5
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Thread Starter
1) Derailleur housing MUST be terminated with the appropriate ferrule unless otherwise specified (11s campy shifters for example), if it is not capped or the wrong ferrules are used the cables will blow through under shifting load - resulting in erratic/crappy shifting. Those wires will also stick out like that even when terminated properly with use. You can trim those and then re-cap it when you're doing a tune.
Understand it's difficult to tell from photos. The housing that seems longest to me is the rear brake cable housing best seen in the bottom left of fourth pic in the thread (second pic of bullet #2).
05-01-10, 08:51 PM
#6
cab horn
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Brake housing needs to be terminated with ferrules if, when appropriate. Use the appropriate size 5mm/4mm. I find that 5mm metal SIS ferrules hold better than regular 5mm "brake housing ferrules" - they don't deform under heavy braking stress.
For example, 11s campy and 7900/6700 shimano brake calipers do not require ferrules either at the shifter end or at the brake end. Frame stops still require ferrules.
For example, 11s campy and 7900/6700 shimano brake calipers do not require ferrules either at the shifter end or at the brake end. Frame stops still require ferrules.
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