SRAM Rival gear cable threading

joey54321

I know this is an issue that has been raised before, but I have read everything that I can find on the matter and still can't make any progress. The cables just hit a dead stop and no matter how hard I push they don't budge, just split up.

how on earth do you get the darn cables through?!

If it is of any use I am attempting to use Jagwire racer cables.

Thanks for any help that can be provided.

wishitwasallflat

I did this quite recently on my APEX shifters and AFAIK the cable route etc is the same - have you got both deraileurs in the lax cable position - FD on lowest = smallest ring RD on highest = smallest sprocket? If you run both through range with no cable attached and watch you can see the hole and how it moves and lines up. You should be able to see the hole in the plastic sleeve thing that you thread the cable through - I think it's white on the front (left hand) shifter and red on the rear (right hand). I just threaded the cable end through those and with a very gentle push it went through.

I am sure I read if the FD one is difficult if you set it for the big ring trim that can help.

If you know all that already all I can suggest is are you using 1.1mm cable - SRAM is 'optimised' for 1.1 and most cables are 1.2 - it should work anyway but maybe ....

Failing that take a break from it - relax and try again patience is the key I expect - once mine was lined up properly it took very very little force to slide it through - good luck and let us know how it goes.

This is a good resource for specific SRAM fettling tips -

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/sram/

joey54321

I tried it in all positions, is the relaxed position where the plastic stopper that you thread the cable through is at the lowest or highest point?

wishitwasallflat

It is at lowest - i.e. it rotates round and so moves up as it winds in the cable. At its most unwound position its lined up with the hole you thread the cable through and you should be able to see the angle it lies at so you can see how to aim the cable. One thing occurs is it possible a bit of frayed old cable or other debris is stuck in there? Or is there any other possible block along the route the cable follows? Also - apologies if its obvious but are you threading the cable through the lower gap in the plastic housing of the shifter body and aiming for the hole in the part which rotates (red or white plastic ring)?

Sorry to not be more helpful but mine was simple so I didnt really find any of the problems there may be.

pete54

Have you peeled back the top of the hood ( you might also have to move a bit of bar tape ) so you can see the two channels that the cable can go down. On my setup you needed to poke it down the 'straight on' channel rather than the 'right turn' whilst pushing the cable from the side of the shifter.

joey54321

I have removed the hoods and the plastic outer part.I don't think there is anything blocking it as if I don't push it through the moving plastic part it does sometimes go through.

There isn't a problem of which channel it comes out of...it doesn't get that far.

lochindaal

I had a similar problem with jagwire cables recently.

When using a cheap decathlon cable which has been soldered it goes through easily. Because with jagwire you have to cut off the campag stop end you are pushing through an unsoldered end.

Make sure your cut is good and you have no frayed ends. As has already been said ensure the shifters are in a the correct position. There are two holes in the shifter housing which can line up with the gear mech. I find it easier to go through the larger one. You should get a straight feed through the hole and into the hole for the cable. After that it is just luck and can be frustrating.

wishitwasallflat

Ahh ...

When I did mine I used SRAM specific Jagwire 1.1mm cable so I didn't have to cut the end until after it was all threaded and anchored and run up and down gears a few times to stretch off - so maybe the finish on the end of the cable is the problem as lochindaal says?

joey54321

can anyone point me towards some sram specific cables?

wishitwasallflat

I used these cause the standard 1.8m ones were too short for my RD -

http://www.sigmasport.co.uk/p/19160/sra ... ables-22m/

mine were Jagwire non coated

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/jagwire- ... 64941.html

also these are SRAM own brand but I heard that Jagwire are better (trust the www at your peril of course !) and a local lbs stocked them

http://www.hargrovescycles.co.uk/produc ... rtno=38293

this might be interesting

http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index ... 90702.html

Good luck !

joey54321

Can all those inner cables go in a standard outer cable?

Thanks for all the links!

wishitwasallflat

Yes thye will be fine - standard gear cable outer is 4mm diameter

styxd

Its a pain in the arse. I've done it in the past and they've gone in near enough first time. Had to do it last week at about 2am on Saturday morning, took me fucking ages but got there eventually. I put a bit of a bend in the end of the cable which may have helped. Do not cut your cable before trying to fit it though, make sure the ends are soldered. Dunno what sort of cable I used, just standard stuff I think.

nevman

Just spent a frustrating morning changing the rear mech cable but there is a fix that may help future fettlers.
I agree,standard gear cable appear too small in diameter but they will go on-the hard bit is the first 4/5 cms round the cable puller-as above make sure you release all the now absent cable so the hole is at the bottom,insert fresh cable,push down a bit then make a small loop,about the diameter of a finger and push the top of the cable loop.This gives a bit of purchase on the slippery fella as it needs a bit of force to get it to pop out of the top of the shifter.This was the only way I could find to do this-pushing used toothpast back in a tube would seem like a doodle now,good luck.Oh,and if flush,buy the dedicated cables.The front mech was a lot easier with a Clarks cable unlike the Bay one I just fitted.

wishitwasallflat

The slick stainless ones from here are fab -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JAGWIRE-Inner ... 27cb2ae223

JiveWeasel

Despite my best efforts to get single ended replacement gear cables for my SRAM shifters, I managed to buy double ended Shimano-SRAM/Campag Jagwire cables as the description on the web retailer was not accurate. So, I had to cut the campag end of the shift cables.

Despite making repeated clean cuts using quality Park cable cutters, every time I tried to push the cable into the shifters the cut end of the cable came apart just enough to catch a wire strand or two in on the side wall at the start of the curve into the plastic shifter spool.

After a long and frustrating set of attempts to push it through I tried dipping the end of the freshly cut cable into my wife's nail polish. After letting it dry for 10 mins it went straight through without a hitch!

rfretwell

Must've been the right colour then!