Suntour friction shifters. What cable?

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Leaway2

Lycrist
I have Suntour fiction shifters on a new (to me) bike. The shifters are working so I don’t want to dismantle them to take a look, but the dérailleur cable ends have had no crimps fitted and have become "frayed". The cable ends look very small, smaller the Campag. Can you advise which cable end I need?
Sorry no picture as I am at work. Looking at Ebay has not given me any clues athough I did some Googling and it suggested cutting the larger part off a Compag cable.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
If they're the ones I think they are, if you put it in bottom gear at the back, clamp the cable where it enters the outer (to prevent it sliding back in) and then move the shifter to top gear, the shifter end of the cable should eject slightly and allow you to see what end is on the cable. I'd expect it to have Shimano small road ends, but once it's out, you could measure it.
 
Location
Loch side.
Just about any gear cable can be made to work with these odd-sized shifter anchors - if you have access to a bench grinder. Hold the cable end like a little drumstick, about 50mm from the end so that it has a little bit of bounce. Now align it horizontally to a grinding wheel (spinning of course) and bring it closer. As soon as it starts to bounce back, twist it with your fingers so that the head rotates. Keep the twist up smoothly whilst controlling the bounce against the wheel. Soon you'll end up with Campag size (if you started with Shimano size) and if you carry on any longer you can even end up with sizes that will fit stupid old lock-out forks remote control mechanisms or anything else you want to fit a cable to.
If you attempt to hold the cable head rigidly against the wheel you'll end up with a lop-sided head.
 

Poacher

Gravitationally challenged member
Location
Nottingham
If they're Suntour Powershift levers, ordinary dérailleur cables fit just fine; no need for any messing about with dangerous machinery or searching for obscure fittings.
I've had these on several bikes (still have on a couple), and they're damn fine shifters. (Of course, if they're not Powershift, it's a case of suck it and see.)
 
OP
OP
Leaway2

Leaway2

Lycrist
If they're the ones I think they are, if you put it in bottom gear at the back, clamp the cable where it enters the outer (to prevent it sliding back in) and then move the shifter to top gear, the shifter end of the cable should eject slightly and allow you to see what end is on the cable. I'd expect it to have Shimano small road ends, but once it's out, you could measure it.
Nice, I will try that tonight. Thanks for all your answers.
 
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