Did the late 70s to early 80s have thicker shift cables? It seems the smaller shift cables of today can more easily slip through the pinch bolt. I've got an old suntour VX front derailleur and that pinch bolt will not clamp the cable in the indent on the casting where its supposed to go. The nut is plenty tight against the flat plate that holds the cable. IT slips when you pull the shift lever a few times. (suntour downtube ratcheting power shifters)

Are there different size shift cables and can you still get the larger ones for older bikes?
I know ive taken what appeared to be larger diameter cables off on older bikes but perhaps they were just coarser wound so they looked bigger. Todays cable strands are so fine it might just be an optical illusion.

You can put a thin washer on the "underside" of the cable to allow for a better grip.
Yes, cables were a little bit thicker, sometimes not stainless, and often not rolled smooth and slick as they are today. You should check out old mid-80s mountain bike brake and straddle cables, some almost 3mm thick!
Phil

Thanks...yeah the fancy stainless ones sure are slippery
Ill see if i can find a small washer. I assume this goes over the casted indent where the stock cable would run and then give you a completely flat surface to clamp against capturing the cable.

brake cables are 1.5 - 1.6 mm

shift cables are 1.1 - 1.3 mm

the next 3 responses will contradict this

I built up the trough with JB-Weld on both my Victory derailleurs.
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Kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy:
https://bikerecyclery.com/nos-shiman...-individually/

but if i wasn't this dumb, you wouldn't look that smart.

edit: that's actually a pretty good website linked.

have you (or any innocent bystander reading this) ordered from them? good service/ accurate parts descriptions?

thanks

5mm Schorr washer should increase the grip.

Campagnolo used them under the brake lever to band clamp fastener.

Dang.....that might be the exact thing i need. I love this forum.
Thanks so much. Ill try and hunt those down.

Long have I thought that cables, from different times, might not be the same diameters. This thread got me off of my butt, finally. Having lots of old and new cables, both transmission and brake, I just went and measured. Here is what I got...

Shifter Cable Old - 0.057" = 1.45mm
Shifter Cable New - 0.042" = 1.07mm

Brake Cable Old - 0.061" = 1.55mm
Brake Cable New - 0.056" = 1.42mm

I used a 1" micrometer to measure and check several cables. These are my results and not, necessarily, to be taken as gospel. I might add that, over the years, brake and shifter cable heads have changed in size and appearance also.

I can't post a link, but google "Yokozuna Friction Shift Cable 1.5mm EACH (No packaging)". I purchased some for my mid-80's Suntour group. They measure 1.5mm like the original Suntour cables as opposed to the more modern/standard 1.2mm cables. *Available on the yokozunausa and somafabshop websites.

Yeah, the modern 1.1mm shift cable rather suck for durability compared to 1.5mm, at least with vintage DT and thumb shifters from SunTour. I've resorted to using a short section of Jagwire "shift cable inner housing" over any areas of contact, notably through the BB and right around the shifter cable grooves. I can't say it really helps of not for fraying at the shifter, but it did stop the fraying under the BB since the cable guides are part of the BB shell, no nylon attachment guide. The inner shift housing is just like the inner brake housing except it's for 1.1mm cables. The larger for-brake stuff didn't fit through my frames cable guides.

Also, 1.6mm brake cables are too big to glide in Jagwire lined brake cable housing. I was going to use some new old stock brake cable on a new setup and I found out that way.

Campagnolo Nuovo Record brake cables were 1.8 mm ø, while the shift cables were 1.6 mm.

Here's your correct shift cable for DT shifters, at a more friendly price.

https://www.somafabshop.com/shop/636...ory=2793#attr=

wow...that might be a great option. Ill check them out. Thanks.