# Shifter Cable



## wrongway (Sep 28, 2015)

Has anyone tried making their own shifter cable for the Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub? I came across a year old article in which a guy claimed he found a way. I don't know how to share it here. It was on Old Roads, I believe.


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## bricycle (Sep 28, 2015)

the actual external cable, or the chain thingy that goes into the axle? the chain/rod I've made out of an old spoke and another piece of shift chain....


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## wrongway (Sep 28, 2015)

The actual cable the goes from the trigger on back. I would like to be able to build the pulley style as well as the one that doesn't have the pulley. The article talked about the cable stretching and I wonder if that is an issue I'm fighting on my '68. One day I had various combinations or rear wheels and triggers on, but to no avail. Couldn't make it shift properly. This article talked about using small pieces of brass tubing to crimp on the ends of the cable.


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## SirMike1983 (Sep 28, 2015)

Old SA cables were of a fixed length. The longer cables went on the 23 inch frame mens' bikes and the shorter ones on the 21 inch frames. The cable terminates at the hub end with a cylindrical metal cap, and the barrel attaching to the indicator chain/spindle went over that end piece and was loose so it could turn.

Cable stretch is a real concept, but is often a bogeyman people blame whenever the cable does not seem to fit or the shifting is weird. Often the cause is a bad pulley, bad cable routing, problems in the trigger shifter, or the wrong length cable. Sometimes you have a bad spring in the SA hub as well, but that is less common than a routing or wrong cable issue. Make sure you have the correct length cable for your frame size. Make sure the pulley is set up properly and turning, with the cable running straight over it rather than bailing off the side of the wheel. Check the trigger shifter to make sure the cable is set in the sleeve properly.

Modern cables are generic usually. It's a single ended cable with a pinch bolt and hitch linking to the hub's indicator chain/spindle. What you would have to do is attach a fixed piece of metal that slides under your adjustment barrel. You'd need a very small knarp to do this, either with a set screw (not sure there is one that size) or through a pinched metal sleeve. The other possibility is to make a casting mold and set the cable end into the mold, then pour in molten metal. I've seen people do this with blocks of wood with a hole drilled inside as a mold. A little block of iron or steel probably would work better for that.  I suppose you could solder on a cap too, if you're good with soldering tools. 

I honestly don't think it's worth it to get into casting and soldering, but I've gotten more pragmatic the more of these I work on.I end up using the modern cables if I have to. They're easy to adjust to just the length you want and work reasonably well if your other shifting components are in good order.


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## fat tire trader (Sep 29, 2015)

I have a lead soldering pot that is made for soldering lead ends onto cables. I use it occasionally when I can not get a new cable. For the Sturmey cables, I just order the new ones and I try to keep them in stock at the bike shop where I work, The Trips For Kids Recyclery in San Rafael. I also have a large inventory of old nos cables that I keep for my jobs.

http://www.alliedelec.com/american-beauty-300/70141063/?mkwid=sabYU23qn&pcrid=30980760979&gclid=CLWfoafAnMgCFQZafgodQPAJkQ


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## jlr551cfd (Sep 30, 2015)

One possible option is to find a hobby shop that carries RC airplane parts... They have various cable stops with set screws. They come in different sizes, I was gonna use them in a Dana 3 speed grip shifter but I went a different route. You can set these on the shifter end then cut the inner cable to length!






I ground off the tab and a little off of one side and it fit in the shifter slot.





Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Gordon (Oct 1, 2015)

I have considered making these cables. I was planning on using fishing leader crimp sleeves. They are cheap and come in all sizes. (eBay) I believe a standard shift cable is 1.1 or 1.2 mm.


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## wrongway (Oct 2, 2015)

I bought some cable and some steel roll pins and was able to make a cable for my 1968 Raleigh Sports. This is the cable that uses the pulley. So far I'm not sure if this is a success or an experiment. I was able to ride it across the street and for maybe half a block. Shifted through all the gears pretty much normal. I think I'm on to something.....maybe......


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