I have a set of Shimano Rapid Fire shifters and they were not shifting into all gears. After a little internet research I found they just needed a good spraying of WD-40 to start engaging the small spring. That fix worked like a charm however during re-assembly the nut holding it all together popped off! It's soft alumninum and there is such little room for the nut to thread onto I ended up stripping it. These things are reverse threaded Where can I get one? Is this something my LBS would have a draw full of or do I need to contact Shimano? I was going to try Home Depot but the reverse threading has me thinking I'll have zero luck in a hardware store with something so specific. I'm so mad at myself!

Some bike shops might have some old shifters lying around, a bike co-op would be more likely to. I don't know how specific those nuts are to each model of shifter.

I agree your best surce is going to be another old broken shifter.

That is not something you will be able to find at a hardware store or bike shop as an inventoried part. Like others have said, you will need to source that nut from another shifter like it. I have one of those nuts from a shifter that was broken but honestly, I have NO idea if it would be remotely the same size. The one I have came off of a thumb style early '90s shifter, its one of those shifters with the 2 thumb buttons on top of each other, not like yours.

Go to your bike coop or LBS and look for a dead shifter.

Success! I realize this is going to sound terrible but I cross-threaded the nut. I laid it on the bolt slightly at an angle and started twisting with my fingers until it got stuck. I then carefully applied downward pressure while twisting the nut (with pliers) and the bolt's threads basically re-tapped the soft aluminum nut. I checked frequently to make sure I wasn't damaging the bolt at all and all went smoothly.

I find it odd that they would use such soft metal for a piece that holds together the entire shifter assembly. When riding you tend to put a lot of pressure on those shift levers so I'd think you'd want something a little more sturdy...

Anywho, the bike is back to full function. If I ever upgrade these shifters I'll know what kind of quality checks to look for...

Thanks!!

The leverage on the shifter pivot axle is lateral, not vertical. All the springs and clips and levers in the shifter are pretty much forcing everything sideways, not in an up/down motion which is why you don't need a ton of strength to hold everything together.

Makes sense I guess. I don't know where these shifters sit on the quality scale of 1 to 10 but it seems like overall they have a lot of play and pressure on the plastic assembly. I'm fine with using them for now though because if I try out a real nice set I'll want them :-) I might as well wait for these to break first!

I see a Leatherman-type tool and a set of Channellock-type pliers in your photos. Using these tools on a bike is asking for trouble. Please invest in an inexpensive socket and ratchet set and some combination wrenches and use them instead. I'm glad you got the shifter fixed but the proper tools almost always make the job easier.

Yeah, I'm upgrading my tools as I go. It seems like every hobby I pick up involves more and more tool purchase. I had an Amazon.com shopping spree the other day and picked up a ton of essentials - including much needed tools