Brake and gear cables - a different approach..?

[wafter]

Not something I've done before but I find myself potentially having to replace some cables on some bikes..

I read one source on the subject that suggested a dislike for "low friction" lined / coated cables, since the coating eventually wears off and potentially causes more drag than an uncoated alternative.

How's about running cheap, basic unlined / uncoated cables where the inner has been run through a bath of molten wax? Should bring similar benefits to chain waxing in that it won't actively draw abrasive contamination into the bearing surfaces through the open end(s) of the cable, while steel-on-steel with a decent lubricant should last pretty much indefinitely..

Tempted to give it a go on the Routier's brake cables since they really need doing anyway and the whole thing is an exercise in frugality so it's an appropriate candidate for dirt-cheap components

 

[Spiderweb]

I use ordinary uncoated SS cables. I usually drop a few drops of ceramic chain lube (I guess any chain lube would do but ceramic is what I have) onto my fingers and run the cables through to give a light coating. Seems to work well for me.

 

[boydj]

Quality stainless steel inner cables are not expensive. As above a very light touch of chain lube when installing and they will last for years.

 

[Gunk]

I was always taught to run them dry, over time the oil goes sticky.

 

[Cycleops]

Novel idea, always liked the idea of a Brazilian but not on a brake cable.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Quality stainless steel inner cables are not expensive. As above a very light touch of chain lube when installing and they will last for years.

As @Gunk has implied, the manufacturers recommend no extra lubricant. Using it is a hang over from the days before stainless steel cables and excellent plastic lined outers. And if you must, definitely not chain lube; light oil eg 3-in-One.
https://sheldonbrown.com/cables.html
@wafter has found a source that doesn't like 'coated' cables. They can probably find a source that doesn't like double butted spokes or even wearing of h******ts.
Galvanised cabled are many times more likely to suffer corrosion (rust), often where you can't see it.

 

[wafter]

Thanks guys - inspected the brakes a bit more last night and it turns out the rear inner cable is fraying at the lever, so wants replacing anyway.

I'm not sure if the outer is lined but looks useable so in the interest of cost I'll tidy this up and see how this goes with the new inner and a bit of wax

 

[GuyBoden]

I always grease the inner cable before inserting into the outer, so wax seems a good idea to me.

My experience is that stainless steel cables fray more than Galvanized cables.

Are stainless steel more brittle than Galvanized steel?

Or is it just my heavy handed approach to tightening cable clamps.

 

[oldwheels]

Some plastics do not like ordinary mineral grease or oil. I found this out the hard way by oiling the door and locker hinges on my motorhome and they become even worse than before. I had to dismantle and clean them all to get back to normal and only used silicone grease after which was ok.
Brake cable outers may react the same way so now I only use silicone grease on cables which seems to work ok.

 

[CharleyFarley]

When I was young it was recommended to put a drop of 3 in 1 oil onto the cable. Several years ago I bought a new bike and knew nothing about different types of cable housing. I decided to pull the gear cable out and with a bit of car grease on my fingers, smeared it very lightly on the cable. Over the next five or six days, it began getting harder and harder to change gears until I couldn't change at all. It took a lot of effort to pull the cable out of the housing, and I figured there must be some kind of liner that didn't like the car grease. So a new cable and housing was needed. I mentioned this on another bike forum and was told I don't know what I'm talking about. So now I don't lube cables with anything, and they work well even after many miles... 11,600 miles on my fat bike.

And since I found a brake cable rusting right next to the V brake pinch bolt, I use stainless steel. It's not worth saving a few pennies when your life may be at stake.

 

[keithmac]

Any time you add lubricant to a cable it attracts dirt and dust etc.

I've had no problem with Jagwire inner and outers, built a few of my children's bikes with them.

 

[boydj]

As @Gunk has implied, the manufacturers recommend no extra lubricant. Using it is a hang over from the days before stainless steel cables and excellent plastic lined outers. And if you must, definitely not chain lube; light oil eg 3-in-One.
https://sheldonbrown.com/cables.html
@wafter has found a source that doesn't like 'coated' cables. They can probably find a source that doesn't like double butted spokes or even wearing of h******ts.
Galvanised cabled are many times more likely to suffer corrosion (rust), often where you can't see it.

I've had coated cables and the coating gets very messy after a while at the points where the cable is entering/leaving the outer.

And I don't like wearing a helmet and would only do so if out with a fast group, which I almost never do.

 

[wafter]

Cheers all!

Gave it a go on the Routier earlier - with decent results so this is the path I'll be taking by default in future

I always grease the inner cable before inserting into the outer, so wax seems a good idea to me.

My experience is that stainless steel cables fray more than Galvanized cables.

Are stainless steel more brittle than Galvanized steel?

Or is it just my heavy handed approach to tightening cable clamps.

Could be that the stainless is softer than the carbon steel alternative.. unfortunately it seems they all take a bit of a hammering when nipped up..

Some plastics do not like ordinary mineral grease or oil. I found this out the hard way by oiling the door and locker hinges on my motorhome and they become even worse than before. I had to dismantle and clean them all to get back to normal and only used silicone grease after which was ok.
Brake cable outers may react the same way so now I only use silicone grease on cables which seems to work ok.

When I was young it was recommended to put a drop of 3 in 1 oil onto the cable. Several years ago I bought a new bike and knew nothing about different types of cable housing. I decided to pull the gear cable out and with a bit of car grease on my fingers, smeared it very lightly on the cable. Over the next five or six days, it began getting harder and harder to change gears until I couldn't change at all. It took a lot of effort to pull the cable out of the housing, and I figured there must be some kind of liner that didn't like the car grease. So a new cable and housing was needed. I mentioned this on another bike forum and was told I don't know what I'm talking about. So now I don't lube cables with anything, and they work well even after many miles... 11,600 miles on my fat bike.

And since I found a brake cable rusting right next to the V brake pinch bolt, I use stainless steel. It's not worth saving a few pennies when your life may be at stake.

Indeed on both counts - mineral-based oils and greases tend to act as solvents on plastics; softening them and causing them to swell and bind.. so synthetic grease is always a good call when plastics are involved. Conversely silicone oils aren't good for metal-metal loading and can promote damage.

Unlined outers with untreated cables should be fine with hydrocarbon-based lubes (although I'd steer clear of anything sticky for fear of it retaining contamination and dragging it back into the cable). Conversely lined outers are probably better with synthetic grease or nowt at all..

 

[Gunk]

I’ve just replaced a clutch cable on my BMW motorcycle and it looks as if the previous owner had lubed the cable at the clutch lever end, anyway it had become a black nasty sticky mess which was stopping the lever returning properly.

 

[CharleyFarley]

Indeed on both counts - mineral-based oils and greases tend to act as solvents on plastics; softening them and causing them to swell and bind.. so synthetic grease is always a good call when plastics are involved. Conversely silicone oils aren't good for metal-metal loading and can promote damage.

Unlined outers with untreated cables should be fine with hydrocarbon-based lubes (although I'd steer clear of anything sticky for fear of it retaining contamination and dragging it back into the cable). Conversely lined outers are probably better with synthetic grease or nowt at all..

A few years ago I bought a pot of White Lightning Crystal silicone grease; it's formulated for all bike parts. I've done the wheel bearings and headsets on my two bikes, and done their seat tubes, too. The only thing I haven't greased are the cables, and my prior experience with mineral grease had put me off greasing the cables. They function so well that I see no need to go to the trouble of greasing them.

One thing I don't care for with silicone grease is that if you decided to redo your wheel bearings, ordinary solvent such as citrus, doesn't touch silicone. The only thing I found to clean it was gasoline, and I don't like using that. Of course, if you're installing new ball bearings, then cleaning the race with a rag isn't a problem.