Gear cable housing question.

weedy1
weedy1 Posts: 143
edited March 2009 in Workshop
I'm replacing my cable housings so I've read park tools and Sheldon brown and........
both say use compressionless housing but.......
from the shifter to the barrel adjuster I've currently got shimano sis housing which looks exactly like brake cable housing ie spiral wrap. This came on the bike from new.

Can I swap out the shimano sis gear housing for compressionless or am I asking for trouble?

the loop to the rear mech is compressionless btw.

My bikes got Tiagra shifters/levers with 105 mech/rear and Tiagra/front.

Just wanna find out wtich would be best and if possible why.

Thx

Comments

  • maddog 2
    maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    spiral is for brake, longitudinal wires is for gears.

    You can run the latter as brake outer, but it's a bodge really (and brake cables are fatter than gear cables)

    I've never run spiral as a gear outer but I suspect it would be rubbish.
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    NEVER use gear outer for brakes. It can collapse under load. It is very stiff for the design loadings but can not stand high ones.
    Using brake outer on gears will give a spongy operation and is not to be recomended. This outer is designed to take high compresion loads but has a little give in it.
  • synchronicity
    synchronicity Posts: 1,415
    John.T wrote:
    NEVER use gear outer for brakes. It can collapse under load. It is very stiff for the design loadings but can not stand high ones.
    Using brake outer on gears will give a spongy operation and is not to be recomended. This outer is designed to take high compresion loads but has a little give in it.

    100% correct.
  • gundersen
    gundersen Posts: 586
    I've read park tools and Sheldon brown

    try not to read too much - 9 times out of 10 you only get confused.

    and yes shimano sis is compressionless
  • weedy1
    weedy1 Posts: 143
    Many thx for the replies i'm all sorted out now :)

    <3<3<3

    Lock thread pls.