Converting Shimano Braided Brake Cables?

Bike Gurus,

I have a 1992 vintage Trek 950 mountain bike. I hope that this doesn't
disqualify me from this forum! I am raising the handlebars to improve
the fit. Because of this I am having to replace all of the cables and
housings to lengthen them.

The brake levers are Shimano SLX and use the braided, oversized, and
now obsolete style of brake cables. The issue is with the end that
goes in the lever. The original cable end barrels were smaller than
the hole and relied on a plastic shim to make it fit the levers.

The local LBS sold me the new cables with the larger barrels and told
me not to use the old plastic shims. However the fit is still loose
and the new cable barrels are too short to fully reach across the slot
in the lever, an obvious problem.

Is the a solution, like a smaller shim or different cable, to make
the new cables work? Failing this is there any place to get the old
oversize cables and housing material?


Thanks,

Steve

Steve Sr. wrote:
Bike Gurus,

I have a 1992 vintage Trek 950 mountain bike. I hope that this doesn't
disqualify me from this forum!

No, but the extraneous semi-colon disqualified your post from RBT.

I am raising the handlebars to improve
the fit. Because of this I am having to replace all of the cables and
housings to lengthen them.

The brake levers are Shimano SLX and use the braided, oversized, and
now obsolete style of brake cables. The issue is with the end that
goes in the lever. The original cable end barrels were smaller than
the hole and relied on a plastic shim to make it fit the levers.

The local LBS sold me the new cables with the larger barrels and told
me not to use the old plastic shims. However the fit is still loose
and the new cable barrels are too short to fully reach across the slot
in the lever, an obvious problem.

Is the a solution, like a smaller shim or different cable, to make
the new cables work? Failing this is there any place to get the old
oversize cables and housing material?


--
Tom Sherman - 42.435731,-83.985007
I am a vehicular cyclist.

On Jun 16, 6:19*pm, Steve Sr. wrote:
Bike Gurus,

I have a 1992 vintage Trek 950 mountain bike. I hope that this doesn't
disqualify me from this forum! I am raising the handlebars to improve
the fit. Because of this I am having to replace all of the cables and
housings to lengthen them.

The brake levers are Shimano SLX and use the braided, *oversized, and
now obsolete style of brake cables. The issue is with the end that
goes in the lever. The original cable end barrels were smaller than
the hole and relied on a plastic shim to make it fit the levers.

The local LBS sold me the new cables with the larger barrels and told
me not to use the old plastic shims. However the fit is still loose
and the new cable barrels are too short to fully reach across the slot
in the lever, an obvious problem.

Is the a solution, like a smaller shim or different cable, *to make
the new cables work? *Failing this is there any place to get the old
oversize cables and housing material?

Your old brake cables were probably 2.0mm with 6mm
diameter cable housing. New cables are typically 1.5mm
with 5mm diameter housing.

Are you sure you're using the right end of the cable,
or that you did get MTB and not road cables?
Brake cables often come with two soldered-on
ends (what you call the barrels), one smaller than
the other. The small cylindrical end is for road levers
and the large puck-like end fits many MTB levers.
It's hard for me to imagine a lever with a slot so big
that the puck end would be sucked into it.

Ben

On 17 June, 02:19, Steve Sr. wrote:
Bike Gurus,

I have a 1992 vintage Trek 950 mountain bike. I hope that this doesn't
disqualify me from this forum! I am raising the handlebars to improve
the fit. Because of this I am having to replace all of the cables and
housings to lengthen them.

The brake levers are Shimano SLX and use the braided, *oversized, and
now obsolete style of brake cables. The issue is with the end that
goes in the lever. The original cable end barrels were smaller than
the hole and relied on a plastic shim to make it fit the levers.

The local LBS sold me the new cables with the larger barrels and told
me not to use the old plastic shims. However the fit is still loose
and the new cable barrels are too short to fully reach across the slot
in the lever, an obvious problem.

Is the a solution, like a smaller shim or different cable, *to make
the new cables work? *Failing this is there any place to get the old
oversize cables and housing material?

You will run into this problem again if you need to replace a cable.
I dont think it is much of a problem from your description. It just
sounds like the barrel diameter is a bit smaller than the anchor hole
in the lever.

If it really bothers you that there is less area for support you
should learn to solder on your own cable nipples. Steel rod of the
correct diameter, drill for inner wire, coutersink one side. Thread
inner through rod, splay wires, flux, hammer in a sprig, solder, cut
off stray wires and sprig end with file, resolder to make neat if
necessary. Cut barrel to width.

Steve Sr. wrote:

The brake levers are Shimano SLX and use the braided, *oversized, and
now obsolete style of brake cables. The issue is with the end that
goes in the lever. The original cable end barrels were smaller than
the hole and relied on a plastic shim to make it fit the levers.

The local LBS sold me the new cables with the larger barrels and told
me not to use the old plastic shims. However the fit is still loose
and the new cable barrels are too short to fully reach across the slot
in the lever, an obvious problem.

It's not a problem in my experience. Sometimes the cable end can make
a creaking sound inside the lever, but I've never seen signs of
failure. I have used old Deore and Deore XT 2- and 4-finger levers
designed for 2mm cable with normal 1.6mm cable for many years
(sometimes with proper housing ferrules, sometimes not) without any
unwelcome side effects except for occasional noise.

I think the cables and housings used on those bikes may have some
overlap with the motocross world. Most motocross bikes have switched
to hydraulics by now, but a well-stocked motorcycle shop might have
some cables and housings you could evaluate for your bike.

Chalo

On Jun 16, 9:19*pm, Steve Sr. wrote:
Bike Gurus,

I have a 1992 vintage Trek 950 mountain bike. I hope that this doesn't
disqualify me from this forum! I am raising the handlebars to improve
the fit. Because of this I am having to replace all of the cables and
housings to lengthen them.

The brake levers are Shimano SLX and use the braided, *oversized, and
now obsolete style of brake cables. The issue is with the end that
goes in the lever. The original cable end barrels were smaller than
the hole and relied on a plastic shim to make it fit the levers.

The local LBS sold me the new cables with the larger barrels and told
me not to use the old plastic shims. However the fit is still loose
and the new cable barrels are too short to fully reach across the slot
in the lever, an obvious problem.

Is the a solution, like a smaller shim or different cable, *to make
the new cables work? *Failing this is there any place to get the old
oversize cables and housing material?

How much time and energy is this worth when you can get a really sweet
set of Tektro 354 levers for under a twenty? They'll pull cantis fine,
and if you ever decide to switch to linear pull brakes on one end or
both, they can pull that as well with a little adjustment.

On 17 June, 11:30, Chalo wrote:
Steve Sr. wrote:

The brake levers are Shimano SLX and use the braided, *oversized, and
now obsolete style of brake cables. The issue is with the end that
goes in the lever. The original cable end barrels were smaller than
the hole and relied on a plastic shim to make it fit the levers.

The local LBS sold me the new cables with the larger barrels and told
me not to use the old plastic shims. However the fit is still loose
and the new cable barrels are too short to fully reach across the slot
in the lever, an obvious problem.

It's not a problem in my experience. *Sometimes the cable end can make
a creaking sound inside the lever, but I've never seen signs of
failure. *I have used old Deore and Deore XT 2- and 4-finger levers
designed for 2mm cable with normal 1.6mm cable for many years
(sometimes with proper housing ferrules, sometimes not) without any
unwelcome side effects except for occasional noise.

I think the cables and housings used on those bikes may have some
overlap with the motocross world. *Most motocross bikes have switched
to hydraulics by now, but a well-stocked motorcycle shop might have
some cables and housings you could evaluate for your bike.


If it's a problem of specific housing diameter, the new housing can be
centred with the aid of adhesive shrink wrap tubing for wiring
cables. Using about 2 1/2" will also aid in the prevention of future
housing damage. Alternatively you could leave the handlebar section
with the old housing and join it to some new with the shrink wrap.
Anyway, if the old stuff is stiffer and better fitting, use the old
rear as the new front as long as it is still in good condition. This
is the most important brake reqiring the greatest force for good
operation.

On Jun 16, 11:30*pm, someone wrote:
*Steel rod of the
correct diameter, drill for inner wire, coutersink one side. *Thread
inner through rod, splay wires, flux, hammer in a sprig, solder, cut
off stray wires and sprig end with file, resolder to make neat if
necessary. *Cut barrel to width.

You can build a LEGO Mindstorm device to do that for you, of course.

On Wed, 17 Jun 2009 06:51:12 -0700 (PDT), landotter
wrote:

On Jun 16, 9:19*pm, Steve Sr. wrote:
Bike Gurus,

I have a 1992 vintage Trek 950 mountain bike. I hope that this doesn't
disqualify me from this forum! I am raising the handlebars to improve
the fit. Because of this I am having to replace all of the cables and
housings to lengthen them.

The brake levers are Shimano SLX and use the braided, *oversized, and
now obsolete style of brake cables. The issue is with the end that
goes in the lever. The original cable end barrels were smaller than
the hole and relied on a plastic shim to make it fit the levers.

The local LBS sold me the new cables with the larger barrels and told
me not to use the old plastic shims. However the fit is still loose
and the new cable barrels are too short to fully reach across the slot
in the lever, an obvious problem.

Is the a solution, like a smaller shim or different cable, *to make
the new cables work? *Failing this is there any place to get the old
oversize cables and housing material?

How much time and energy is this worth when you can get a really sweet
set of Tektro 354 levers for under a twenty? They'll pull cantis fine,
and if you ever decide to switch to linear pull brakes on one end or
both, they can pull that as well with a little adjustment.

Therse are Shimano Deore DX SLR integrated with the shifters. The rear
is old 7-speed. I wasn't planning on having to replace both brifters.
I doubt that I could find this combination for $20.

Steve

On Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:45:30 -0700 (PDT), someone
wrote:

On 17 June, 11:30, Chalo wrote:
Steve Sr. wrote:

The brake levers are Shimano SLX and use the braided, *oversized, and
now obsolete style of brake cables. The issue is with the end that
goes in the lever. The original cable end barrels were smaller than
the hole and relied on a plastic shim to make it fit the levers.

The local LBS sold me the new cables with the larger barrels and told
me not to use the old plastic shims. However the fit is still loose
and the new cable barrels are too short to fully reach across the slot
in the lever, an obvious problem.

It's not a problem in my experience. *Sometimes the cable end can make
a creaking sound inside the lever, but I've never seen signs of
failure. *I have used old Deore and Deore XT 2- and 4-finger levers
designed for 2mm cable with normal 1.6mm cable for many years
(sometimes with proper housing ferrules, sometimes not) without any
unwelcome side effects except for occasional noise.

I think the cables and housings used on those bikes may have some
overlap with the motocross world. *Most motocross bikes have switched
to hydraulics by now, but a well-stocked motorcycle shop might have
some cables and housings you could evaluate for your bike.


If it's a problem of specific housing diameter, the new housing can be
centred with the aid of adhesive shrink wrap tubing for wiring
cables. Using about 2 1/2" will also aid in the prevention of future
housing damage. Alternatively you could leave the handlebar section
with the old housing and join it to some new with the shrink wrap.
Anyway, if the old stuff is stiffer and better fitting, use the old
rear as the new front as long as it is still in good condition. This
is the most important brake reqiring the greatest force for good
operation.

It is a problem that both the housing and inner wire obsolete.
Splicing sections of housing might be a possibility but I would need
more than I have. The rear wire could be reused for the front but I
still would need a new rear wire which doesn't appear to be available.

Steve