Fitting 5800 calipers
My Trek came with un-branded calipers, so I'm upgrading to the 5800 one's to match the rest of the groupset... and, of course, hope to benefit from the better performance!
A few questions...
1) The outer cable ends have the little sleeves on them (don't know the technical name), but they won't slip into the cable adjuster on the caliper - can these be left off?
2) Can someone tell me why the blocks are adjusted toe-in - surely as the block wears it flattens off anyway?
3) I've heard Shimano blocks are harsh on ally rims - should I change to KoolStop or SwissStop (recommendations welcome)?
Thanks in advance,
Steve
A few questions...
1) The outer cable ends have the little sleeves on them (don't know the technical name), but they won't slip into the cable adjuster on the caliper - can these be left off?
2) Can someone tell me why the blocks are adjusted toe-in - surely as the block wears it flattens off anyway?
3) I've heard Shimano blocks are harsh on ally rims - should I change to KoolStop or SwissStop (recommendations welcome)?
Thanks in advance,
Steve
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You have to cut these off with some good quality cable cutters before you can remove the cable from the existing calipers. Once you have threaded the cable into your now 5800 calipers it is advisable to fit some new terminal sleeves but not essential.
They're cheap enough to buy
https://www.merlincycles.com/gear-inner ... AgKy8P8HAQ
or just pop to your LBS and they may give you a couple free gratis.
Is it OK to omit theses? Blocks toe in? And best blocks?
Any help appreciated... Thanks
Toe in is something I've never bothered with but which others insist on. You do as you like. 5800 calipers are pretty chunky and stiff things; I doubt you'd need to set them up toe in to avoid squealing or juddering.
Again, I'm on stock Shimano inserts / blocks on 2 bikes, have pretty effective braking and have yet to wear out a rim. However I'm only 63kg, it isn't exactly mountainous round here, and 99% of my riding is on quiet country roads and I rarely have to brake anyway. YMMV as they say. SwissStop blue / KoolStop salmon seem to be commonly recommended by the alloy rim preservation society...
Block are usually toed in to increase modulation and also to reduce any squealing noises when braking (if, indeed, that is an issue).
There are endless threads on BR taking about the merits, or otherwise, of Shimano pads and their alternatives - just do a search. My personal experience is that higher-end shimano pads are OK but my preference is for Swisstop BXP Pro (the blue ones). They work very well and seem to be reasonably long lasting. I am firmly of the belief that pads are an area where one should never, ever skimp and that even an extra few mm stopping distance would be worth every penny in the event that you needed it .
Having said that, somebody will be along in a minute to tell me that I'm wrong.
Kinesis Racelight 4S
Specialized Allez Elite (Frame/Forks for sale)
Specialized Crosstrail Comp Disk (For sale)
Kinesis Racelight 4S
Specialized Allez Elite (Frame/Forks for sale)
Specialized Crosstrail Comp Disk (For sale)
Yes... Ferrules was the term.
Changed the calipers now - thanks all. I managed to squeeze and twist the old crimps off, along with the ferrules. I could undo the cable clamp to remove the cable but it still wouldn't have gone through the cable adjuster with the crimp on.
I haven't bothered with toe-in. I have, on occasion, had squealing brakes but that usually signifies to me the rims and blocks need a good clean (provided they were quite in the first place, of course).
Having a look around it seems that Shimano have 'upped their game' (inc Ajay's remarks) regarding higher end brake blocks, so I'll see how they perform for now, and then maybe try Salmon's or Blue BXP's if I feel the need.
Many thanks again,
Steve
Replaced my non-series Shimano brakes with Ultegra 6800s on standard pads (not toed in) and things improved measurably. No squeaking. Seemed to modulate fine. I did screw up the cables though by pulling off the crimps and the inner started sticking in the outer as it had frayed when pushing it into the caliper. Ended up having to re-cable.
Replaced the standard (worn) pads on my wife's 5800 brakes to Swissstop blues and she says the braking is much better.
Personally, I'm going to wait until my pads wear out but I'll certainly be giving the blues a try after that.
Kinesis Racelight 4S
Specialized Allez Elite (Frame/Forks for sale)
Specialized Crosstrail Comp Disk (For sale)
Correction - I just had to go into the shed and happened to look down and noticed that the 105 5800 calipers on my Allez have got OEM cartridges on them (I must have known that and forgot as I have changed the pads to Swisstops!). Sorry for the bum steer earlier.
Kinesis Racelight 4S
Specialized Allez Elite (Frame/Forks for sale)
Specialized Crosstrail Comp Disk (For sale)
just upgraded to 5800 from ultegra 6600 and the new 105 is 2 steps forward -the braking is noticeably more impressive despite my 6600 calipers having bxp pads
Yep, I was impressed too. Seems like I made a worthwhile upgrade.