Replacing brake cable - easy job?

steerpike
steerpike Posts: 424
edited March 2009 in Road beginners
Hi - need to replace rear brake cable as it's knackered and frayed and not sliding through the casing freely. Is this an easy enough job for a beginner? Any recommended cables for a mid range road bike or are they much of a muchness?

Thanks

Comments

  • pneumatic
    pneumatic Posts: 1,989
    Yes, it is a relatively easy job. Ideally, you would replace all the housings as well as the cable, but I did mine recently after about 10000kms without changing the housings and it is fine.

    The trickiest part (for me) was getting hold of the end that is fixed inside the lever. After that I pulled it out, blasted some wd40 back down the casing and threaded the new one in. It helps to remember which bit of housing goes where! I had to snip off the nipple on the other end of the cable. Get some decent cable cutters for this (I borrowed some) as the cable frays really easily.

    I used unbranded brake cable that I picked up a few years ago at a bike sale and have carried around as a spare part on tour ever since.

    Others will doubtless improve on this advice, but, basically, don't be put off doing it yourself.

    Fast and Bulbous
    Peregrinations
    Eddingtons: 80 (Metric); 60 (Imperial)
  • steerpike
    steerpike Posts: 424
    thanks - I'll give it a whirl. Can you recommend what to grease the cables with? Light oil?

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