Shimano 105 5600 - 5700 shifter compatibility

Mac9

Are the newer 5700 shifters compatible with 5600 derailleurs and brakes?

I have a 10 speed double 5600. I've been reading info on various sites but have found it confusing and unclear. I've seen mentions of incompatible spring tensions meaning the front and rear mechs would need to be switched to 5700 too?

Can anyone shed any more light on this? I was under the impression that it would be a straight swap, no issue but maybe it isn't so simple?

majormantra

It will be fine. Shimano did slightly change the pull ratio of the brakes with 5700 but plenty of people mix the parts without issues.

Mac9

Ok cheers, I had assumed that to be the case but the pull ratio stuff really confused me!

andy_wrx

My theory on the spring tension is that as 5700 has under-the-tape cabling, with greater friction, I think the 5700 mechs have slightly stronger return springs in them.

Thus you'd need 5700 mechs if you ran 5700 shifters (cables) - but you're talking about 5700 mechs with 5600 shifters which will be fine.

Certainly I've run 6700 Ultegra front mech with 6600 shifters and it's been fine.

Mac9

I'm talking about 5600 mechs with 5700 shifters.

So in this case the mechs would have to be changed?

The Mechanic

No, you do not have to change your mechs. I have Ultegra STIs on one of my bike with a 6500 front mech and a M771 XT MTB rear mech. It all works fine.

Mac9

So even, say ultegra 6700 10spd shifters would work fine with 105 5600 mechs?

KINGGARY

I have chopped and changed 5600/5700 parts for years on one of my bikes with no issues at all.
My front mech is now 5700 with 5600 levers and it all works fine, i think Shimano like to scare people with the pull ratio of the brakes, but there's many bikes out there with Shimano levers and after market brake calipers that work just fine. It may only be a mm or two difference and how accurate do people have there pad to rim set ?

antfly

http://www.celebrazio.net/bicycling/shimano/2009_compatibility.html

See what Shimano have to say..which doesn't really mean it won't work, of course.

Different brake pull ratios just don't work as well as they should though, it is noticeable.

majormantra

andy_wrx wrote:

My theory on the spring tension is that as 5700 has under-the-tape cabling, with greater friction, I think the 5700 mechs have slightly stronger return springs in them.

That may well be true, but that doesn't mean it won't work, it just means it may not work as well, and shifting may deteriorate slightly faster with 5700 shifters and older mechs.

andy_wrx

MajorMantra wrote:

andy_wrx wrote:

My theory on the spring tension is that as 5700 has under-the-tape cabling, with greater friction, I think the 5700 mechs have slightly stronger return springs in them.

That may well be true, but that doesn't mean it won't work, it just means it may not work as well, and shifting may deteriorate slightly faster with 5700 shifters and older mechs.

No, I'm not saying it won't work.

It will work fine, shifting will not deteriorate.

Remember when you shift to a bigger ring (I won't say upshift or downshift, as it's different front and rear) that the shifter pulls the cable and tugs the mech across.
But when you shift to smaller ring, the shifter releases some cable, it's the return spring in the mech that tugs that cable back and moves the mech over.

Now I reckon when Shimano went cables-under-tape in 105 5700 & Ultegra 6700, these mechs have a slightly stronger return spring to pull the cable back against the slightly higher cable friction
(remember how people say how shifting is stiffer with 5700/6700 vs 5600/6600 when you're shifting to the bigger ring and so the shifter is pulling the cable : higher friction in the cable and pulling against that stiffer spring).

So using 5700 or 6700 shifters (and under-the-tape cabling) with 5600 or 6600 mechs is what Shimano are on about - the slightly weaker spring in the mech might not be able to pull the cable back.

But the reverse, 5600 or 6600 shifters with 5700 or 6700 mechs with the stronger spring will be no problem at all, you'll maybe just feel slightly stiffer changes as you're pulling against the stiffer spring.
- I run 6600 Ultegra on one bike and replaced my front mech with 6700, works fine for me and I can't say I noticed it stiffer

And I reckon actually that even with 5700 or 6700 shifters and the older mechs, if you have well-maintained and lubed cables, smooth-curve cable runs and generally minimise the friction, it would work too - it's probably Shimano trying to cater for someone with a poorly-maintained bike, gunked-up cables with kinks in them

Mac9 wrote:

I'm talking about 5600 mechs with 5700 shifters.

So in this case the mechs would have to be changed?

KINGGARY wrote:

I have chopped and changed 5600/5700 parts for years on one of my bikes with no issues at all.
My front mech is now 5700 with 5600 levers and it all works fine

No, what you're proposing works for Gary with 105 and for me with Ultegra, older mechs with newer shifters, so you're fine

Mac9 wrote:

So even, say ultegra 6700 10spd shifters would work fine with 105 5600 mechs?

Certainly - both are 10sp Shimano, you can mix and match 10sp Tiagra, 105, Ultegra or Dura Ace : just don't mix with 9sp or 11sp or Campag or SRAM

KINGGARY wrote:

i think Shimano like to scare people with the pull ratio of the brakes, but there's many bikes out there with Shimano levers and after market brake calipers that work just fine. It may only be a mm or two difference and how accurate do people have there pad to rim set ?

antfly wrote:

Different brake pull ratios just don't work as well as they should though, it is noticeable.

Different brake pull ratios - but the pull ratio for the derailleurs has not changed

majormantra

andy_wrx wrote:

No, I'm not saying it won't work.

Well you did write:

andy_wrx wrote:

Thus you'd need 5700 mechs if you ran 5700 shifters

..but anyway I agree with everything in your last post, especially this:

andy_wrx wrote:

And I reckon actually that even with 5700 or 6700 shifters and the older mechs, if you have well-maintained and lubed cables, smooth-curve cable runs and generally minimise the friction, it would work too - it's probably Shimano trying to cater for someone with a poorly-maintained bike, gunked-up cables with kinks in them

flasher

5600 RD on 5700 shifters work fine, but the 5600 FD works but not at all well.

teamcrane

In using 5700 shifters with 5600 callipers and 5600 front mech I have had no problems.

dgunthor

if you have 5600 shifters at the moment and they work fine, i'd stick with those. the 5700 under tape setup is inferior IMHO, you'd need to go to 5800 to get better shifting (and lots of upgrades as it's 11 speed)