Hi,

I need to get some end caps for break / dérailleur cables.

Is there a way to crimp them without a special tool? Would the wire cutters on an ordinary pair of pliers work if I'm careful?

I also saw some plastic end caps on the internet, how do those stay on? Crimping?

Some end caps are intended for break cables others for dérailleur cables, does it really matter?


Thanks

Cable cutters have a special crimper but I don't use it, I use pliers and turn them diagonally and then crimp.

Brake unless it's broken.

It doesn't really matter all that much you can just get the generic multipurpose ones and save some money. Also I'm pretty sure the plastic ones you refer to are ferrules that go on the end of the cable housing and not the cable.

I use a dull set of diagonal cutters fro crimping, but anything will do. If the crimping tool is sharp you have to be careful not to cut them through, but otherwise it's no big deal.

As for gear vs. brake cable crimps, the difference is the ID. The brake crimps are fine for either, but some crimps made for gear wire may be small for some brake cables.

If you cable cutter doesn't have a crimper built in, needle nose pliers work fine. If you use a wire cutter you will cut / destroy the end cap

Take it you are talking about inners, as the outer have ferrules. The ferrules shouldn't need to be crimped, you should get specific ferrules when you purchase the outer cable (brake 5mm/ gear 4/4.5mm)

For inners they can both use the same end spec end cap.

Hmmmm, I'm with jimc101. I think the OP might be talking about housing ferules with the mention of plastic ones.

Factory ones often come crimped but I've never tried to crimp one at home. Luckily I only have to change cables occasionally so the worry about dropping ferules isn't that great. I guess you could put a drop of super glue on them...

which also works nicely in place of cable end caps.

Just 10 minutes ago used the last of 100 alloy cable ends that I bought in 1987 from Nashbar. Time flies.
Crimped it carefully with diagonal cutters, as the position was bad for my old SunTour cable cutter/crimper or the Park tool.

Like several of the others, I gently crimp them in 2 spots using diagonal cutters.

I do the same but just seems to easy.

I use needle nose pliers to put a light squeeze on the end caps. I haven't had a problem with them staying in place.

If I need to remove the cable for some reason, I'll squeeze the end cap at 90 degrees to the original crimp and gently pull it off. The cable end is typically undamaged and I rarely have difficulty re-threading it through housing, if I want too. Most of the time, I end up reusing the end caps.

My favorite tool for crimping caps onto the inner wires is my duckbill pliers, which clamps them on really well with no particular finesse required.

I don't use metal caps anymore. I get 3/32 shrinkable plastic wire insulation tubing from Home Depot, slide an one inch piece to where I'm going to cut the cable, and use a lighter to shrink it on the cable. Then I cut it leaving about 3\4 of an inch of plastic insulation. This way if you ever have to remove the cable, it is not frayed and slides back through housing easily.

This is interesting a completely different idea I still think the classic 1/2 in crimper for about 5 cents is equal but very interesting.

I'm a heat shrinker too, since I had a big box of it leftover from an electronics project.

Big fan of solder and superglue as well.

One of the reasons for capping the cable is so it doesn't punch holes in the bike motor I have yet to find an alternate method that's as effective as a crimped-on aluminum cap.

When I cant find official cable tips I've been known to crimp old spoke nipples instead. Just use some diagonal wire cutters.

lately been using superglue, since it lets the cable slide back through the housing if lube/adjustment is needed without having to snip the end off.

started heat shrinking my cables last year and I'll never go back to crimp caps!

Heatshrink - great idea.

When I was an impoverished student I used to dip cable ends in silastic which worked fine too.

I've been a heat shrinker/Bic lighter guy for decades (electronics guy). It comes in many colors, too.

I simply stick the end of my cables into my tube of goop rather than use crimped ends. Keeps them together nicely and pulls off with my fingers if I need to pull the cable out of the housing for some reason. Goop, (or shoe goo) is one of my favorite tool box must-haves

i use a pair of cheap azz cable cutters with a little notch cut out, works a treat !

I use heat shrink tubing on some. On the nicer, keepers, I use the aluminum ends and
crimp them with an old pair of wire strippers my Dad had. The are Southwestern Bell
from the 40's! But they do a beautiful job and they don't come off!!

+1 re the solder. I use the aluminum caps (crimp 'em with an ordinary wire-crimp tool), but I always trim the cable end and flow solder into it to keep it from fraying.

a dab of JB Weld does a good job. Just wipe it smooth so there is not a hardened globule on the end when it is cured.

-j