Chorus lever ratchet/indexing issue...advice

flanners1

The left hand ergopower ultrashift lever on 11 speed Chorus (not the most recent model) lost the indexing, so that both levers moved but did not connect with the ratchet system. I have had a look and the thumb mechanism had lost contact with the small indexing splines. I carefully rotated the mechanism back onto the splines and all is well again.

So my question is to those in the know once this has happened will it have a tendency to re-occur? At the time it was not under wired tension it was in my hand with no wires testing the shifting mechanism it over-shifted and lost contact with the splines. I have read once this happens it tends to re-occur as the mechanism may have previously been over stressed/not set up correctly. Can anyone offer an opinion I know it is subjective but I would welcome an idea as I do not wish to risk the lever breaking in the not too distant?

bondurant

I'm not sure I had the exact same problem as you with a Chorus lh shifter (2011 purchase), but mine also lost its indexing. I asked velotech for a recommendation, and the below is what I got back. I went for option 3.

1 - Strip the lever & rebuild into a new lever body shell - fixes the problem unless the lever is forced again, contingent on us having loose body shells as they are not officially available as a spare from the factory any more (though we have them a lot of the time because we often break up new lever bodies complete for odd spares).

2 - New lever body complete - as above, all new lever parts inside - to all intent and purpose, a new lever.

3 - Strip the original lever, carefully drill and tap the lever body shell, put in a set-screw to take the place of the internal stop that forcing the lever has broken off (the original part is plastic) and reassemble the original lever internals ... expensive but fixes the problem as close to permanently as can be acheived as it makes it almost impossible to force the lever again.

flanners1

Thanks for that, food for thought. I carefully rotated the smooth part of the barrel so that the splines reconnected again, all seems well again, fingers crossed. Have to say I much prefer the old style levers they feel far more robust in operation it almost feels like the indexing is going to break on the newer style; there is almost nothing in the weight between my Chorus 11 and Centaur 10 speeds either.

flanners1

Made enqs with Campag Service Centre/Downland Cycles...given the nature of the fault and in my opinion the pretty nasty index action on Chorus etc I have canned the Italian groupset and put eTap on instead.