frayed cable-ends? new caps? solder?
02-11-15, 10:54 PM
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frayed cable-ends? new caps? solder?
I have 3 frayed, 2 badly. F-derailleur + r-brake due to no-helmet-impact-dazed careless adjusting minutes after a wreck and the caps got vanished, not sure how my r-derailleur got like that. (and not sure how i messed up the f-derailleur in a wreck)
I'm sure a bike shop might sell new caps for them, but are they easy to put on when badly frayed? bad enough/high-enough that I can't really cut off the bad part.
Looking at how tiny the caps are it seems it'd be about impossible to put a new one on a cable end as bad as 2 of mine are.
Would twisting it up with a drill then putting solder on it be a good solution?
I'm sure a bike shop might sell new caps for them, but are they easy to put on when badly frayed? bad enough/high-enough that I can't really cut off the bad part.
Looking at how tiny the caps are it seems it'd be about impossible to put a new one on a cable end as bad as 2 of mine are.
Would twisting it up with a drill then putting solder on it be a good solution?
Last edited by John Redcorn; 02-11-15 at 11:06 PM.
02-12-15, 12:50 AM
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Clean the ends up with a pair of good ****s and clamp on new caps. easy as pie. you'll need two sizes for the caps. Ten for a buck at your local bike shop. Don't solder.
02-12-15, 01:47 AM
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I think solder can look nice on a vintage bike. But if the cables are already short and frayed that doesn't sound like a real option. For an emergency repair you can hand-twist the frayed ends and use an inch or so of electrical tape to hold it together.
I think my LBS sold me caps for 5 or 10 cents each... not much.
Replacement stainless steel cables were only $3.99 I think. Sometimes it's best to just replace the cable.
I think my LBS sold me caps for 5 or 10 cents each... not much.
Replacement stainless steel cables were only $3.99 I think. Sometimes it's best to just replace the cable.
02-12-15, 01:57 AM
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I actually have used jb weld or 2 part epoxy on the end of my cables to prevent fraying, both work fairly well.
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02-12-15, 05:03 AM
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For temporary stop to the fraying, twist back together by hand with pliers and tape. Replace the cables, when you replace the cables you can solder or add new crimp caps. I usually solder.
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Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
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02-12-15, 10:11 AM
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Like above .. Zn treated steel cables solder easily . I solder where I Will Be Cutting them.
02-12-15, 01:45 PM
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I've heard of people using heat shrink tubing. The advantage is it can be removed if you need re-thread the cable. Never tried it myself.
02-12-15, 02:47 PM
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If you can't get the cable strands wrapped back tightly, you may have to replace the cables. I've soldered new cables before. It just requires getting the manufacturing oil off them so the solder will flow into the strands. End caps are the easiest, though. I get them from Pricepoint, 50 or 100 at a time. They just pinch on with pliers, and if you're careful you can re-use them
02-15-15, 11:33 PM
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Solder is rarely an option on used wires because of a likely oil film on the strands. If you can roll the wires between your fingers small enough to slip on a crimp, do it that way. Sometimes you have better luck cutting them back a bit to get to a less frayed area.
Or you can by some heat shrink terminal covers from Radio Shack (while they're still in business) and use those. They have the advantage of being larger for slipping onto frayed wires. Plus in the future, you can shrink them on before cutting, and they do an excellent job keeping wires together.
Or you can by some heat shrink terminal covers from Radio Shack (while they're still in business) and use those. They have the advantage of being larger for slipping onto frayed wires. Plus in the future, you can shrink them on before cutting, and they do an excellent job keeping wires together.
