22. How To Replace Cable Housings
Measure, cut, lubricate and replace your old seized or damaged cable housings.
IMPORTANT: Nuts and bolts on your bike should always be tightened to the manufacturer's specifications.
DownloadIf your cable housing is old and stiff, or damaged, it’s a good idea to replace them to improve your braking and shifting. So how do you know how much length you will need? It’s easy if your old cables are still attached as you can simply measure them, but sometimes you’ll need to measure them manually.
Materials
It’s quite difficult to evenly cut cable housings with regular pliers, so I’d recommend picking up a proper cable cutter before you begin. However, you will need some regular cutters on hand to cut off any sheared spiral housings, and a scribe or some kind of sharp poking device is handy to poke out the inner lining clear. You’ll also need to install ferrules on each end of your housing, so you’ll need two for each section of housing.
Types of Housing
It’s also very important to know that there is a big difference between brake and shift housings. Brake cable housings have a coiled metal spiral embedded in them, while compressionless shift cables have a series of tiny round wires running parallel along the length of housing. If you were to use brake cable housings on shift cables the result would be very poor shifting.
Calculating Length
As I mentioned before, if your old housings are intact you can simply take them off and measure them for the exact replacement length. However, if there are no existing housings, you’ll have to buy more than you think you’ll need and then trim it down. For example, if I needed to replace the rear derailleur housing, I would take a ruler and move it along the estimated path and then add another few inches just to be safe.
Housings should make a smooth curve, with no sharp bends. For example, the length shown here is ideal. This would be too short, and this would be too long. The sections that run from your handlebar to your frame shouldn’t be too long, but there should be enough room to turn the handlebar all the way in both directions.
Cutting Cables
Once you’ve measured twice, cut the housing clean across using the cable cutter. The inner spiral on brake housings will sometimes shear leaving some metal poking out. Trim this with your wire cutters until the end is flush. Then clear a hole in the plastic lining with your poker. Shift cables usually cut clean and just need the lining poked through.
Installation
Once all of your housing sections are cut and trimmed, slide a ferrule on the end of each. I like to also squirt a drop of Tri-Flow into the housings to keep them operating smoothly. Now you’re ready to install the housings and reinstall the inner cables. I’ll demonstrate how to replace your inner cables in an upcoming tutorial.
Tags
Recommended Books:
- Park Blue Book
Hundreds of photos and hundreds of procedures. - Zinn & MTB
Mountain Bikes: Maintenance, repair, and troubleshooting. - Zinn & Road
Road Bikes: Maintenance, repair, and troubleshooting. - Sutherland's Manual
Sutherland's handbook for bicycle mechanics on CD-ROM.
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15 Responses to “How To Replace Cable Housings”
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and oh, if you have a maintenance/repair question, please ask in the help forums.
Recommended Tools:
- Shimano TL-CT10
Designed specifically for bicycle cables and casing. - Tri-Flow Oil
Light viscosity allows for deep penetration into moving parts. - Handlebar Holder
Prevents the handlebars and front wheel from rotating. - Park Shop Apron
The SA-3 shop apron is made from heavy 10 oz. cotton canvas. - Starter Tool Kit
11 genuine Park Tool products & a custom Park Tool toolbox. - Advanced Tool Kit
The AK-37 includes all the most frequently used tools.
Another great video! I really appreciate the clear instructrions you provide here.
How often do you recommend cable housings should be changed?
Thanks Pete. Housings can last long time if they are maintained. I wouldn’t replace them if they are still in good visible condition and functioning smoothly.
Alex, this is great stuff. I discovered your site through CyclePig and have to say I am impressed. I watched one of your videos while I’m here at work but will watch the rest later.
Question, what theme are you using?
Thanks Bryan, I’m really glad you’re finding the tutorials helpful. I’m using the Jello Wala Mello theme by Small Potato.
Hi,
Do you do all your videos on you tube as well? I have most of them but seem to be having a job getting this one How To Replace Cable Housings.
I would also like to know is it possible to down load your videos to watch off line as well.
Regards Anthony.
Hi Anthony,
You can subscribe or watch all of the videos here on this website. Visit the following page to download videos.
Hi Alex,
Thanks for the link I see now I can down load all your videos from this site and download them on to my computer.
Regards Anthony.
Hi Alex,
Your videos are so helpful. I learned a lot form your site. I hope you have one that shows how to replace an inner brake cable.
Thanks.
Calvin
Status of this Request
Are you using any grease on the wires before inserting them into the cables?
Some people prefer to grease the cables. I prefer to use light oil. It’s a matter of personal preference.
Hi Alex,
I see that the ferrules on the old housings have a nice “all-around”, or circular crimp on them to hold the ferrule to the housing. What kind of tool can I buy to make this crimp when I put together the new housing and ferrules?
On modern cable housings/ferrules, there is no need to crimp them. Once they’re installed they’ll stay in place.
instead of decent cable cutter (that I did not have) you may use Dremel with cutting disc (the thin one) – makes for a really clean cut. just wear your bicycle glasses and apply the tool so the direction of rotation of the disc helps the debris to fly away and not into your face (better safe than sorry).
Hey Alex,
I have some friends that commute up here in my town of Rochester, NY. We get the range of weather -20 f to 90+ f. So I need a good housing which can withstand, meaning keep out, the abuse of the salt on our roads. Do you know anything like that, or should i just keep replacing the housing like I always do?
Thanks,
Alex
Hi Alex,
I haven’t heard of salt-resistant housing. It might help to keep your housings well-lubricated with a light oil like tri-flow.