Straightening a shifter

kangarouge
kangarouge Posts: 210
edited January 2014 in Workshop
I need to straighten the rear shifter as it got skewed during a fall on the ice last week. Will I need to disconnect both the brake and gear cables at their respective mechanisms and pull the cables out in order to get to the shifter/handlebar clamp bolt? Can I get the job done with perhaps just taking out the brake cable ?

Comments

  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Shimano shifters you can leave all the cables attached. Looking from the front, peel back the rubber hood on the outside of the lever and you should see a hex socket bolt head. Stick an allen key in and loosen it just enough to straighten the shifter, then nip it up again.
  • wishitwasallflat
    wishitwasallflat Posts: 2,927
    Pretty much the same with SRAM just one Allen key bolt on the belt that fixes the shifter, so peel back the rubber hood (peel towards the front of the shifter) loosen the bolt adjust position and retighten. No need to touch any of the cables.

    Never had Campag myself but would be amazed if its any different.
  • kangarouge
    kangarouge Posts: 210
    Excellent. I assumed you had to access the bolt from inside when the lever is pulled. Clearly the time since I attached them to the bars and now has not been kind to my memory. Many thanks.
  • gozzy
    gozzy Posts: 640
    If it's just slipped round you'll be able to push it back into place easily.
  • andy_wrx
    andy_wrx Posts: 3,396
    Jeez, I'd hate to buy a bike 2nd-hand from you !

    Loosen the clamp, turn the shifter, re-tighten the clamp
  • kangarouge
    kangarouge Posts: 210
    Pulled the rubber hood back, was looking for the clamp bolt and then decided to try the grunt technique as suggested. It went back to its original position with one pull. Crude but excellent. However, I've got to straighten my mate's shifter after his fall previously, so I'll definitely be undoing the clamp on his.

    Thanks to all.
  • gozzy
    gozzy Posts: 640
    andy_wrx wrote:
    Jeez, I'd hate to buy a bike 2nd-hand from you !

    Loosen the clamp, turn the shifter, re-tighten the clamp


    Each to their own I suppose, but to me that seems a lot of faff for what is otherwise a 2 second job.
    If you consider it's already scratched the bars by sliding round, pushing it back is gonna make little difference.
    Although if I had carbon bars I'd probably be a bit more careful. On Al I've never given it a 2nd thought.

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