Originally Posted by
veganbikes
If you are replacing cables always replace housing unless for some reason it is a brand new housing and you frayed the cable when installing it or some such error.
This. Often when changing only the inner cable, the groove the old cable has worn in the housing (a cause of much of the new cable "stretch") does not fit the new cable well, which causes excess friction. It is my experience that it is well worth the additional work involved. I use die-drawn stainless inner wire with lined housing; coated inners are problematic and unnecessary.