What brake cable is this?? Never seen it before!
05-06-19, 06:35 AM
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That style cable/housing has been out of production for many years. You either have to solder your own "blob" onto a cable or you can use a knarp on a regular cable, although it won't look as clean as the OEM cable.
https://www.amazon.com/ODYSSEY-Knarp.../dp/B0017GM1CG
https://www.amazon.com/ODYSSEY-Knarp.../dp/B0017GM1CG
05-06-19, 06:41 AM
#3
Blamester
It's possible they are brakes from a mixte where the cable enters from below and the pinch bolt is on top and it has been modified.
Or a redundant design.
Is the front brake the same?
Normal cable and a pinch bolt under the lower stop would work but a bit of a bodge.
Search for the brake brand if they have any or the bike model to find a replacement.
Or a redundant design.
Is the front brake the same?
Normal cable and a pinch bolt under the lower stop would work but a bit of a bodge.
Search for the brake brand if they have any or the bike model to find a replacement.
05-06-19, 07:33 AM
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I wonder if the 'Universal Brake Cable' I have seen at big box stores, and has two heads, would work for that...
https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/ODYSSEY...RD5FPX6O1E09J7
I have only ever seen them long enough for rear brakes, so using it as a front brake cable might be comically long.
https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/ODYSSEY...RD5FPX6O1E09J7
I have only ever seen them long enough for rear brakes, so using it as a front brake cable might be comically long.
05-06-19, 07:38 AM
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I wonder if the 'Universal Brake Cable' I have seen at big box stores, and has two heads, would work for that...
https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/ODYSSEY...RD5FPX6O1E09J7
I have only ever seen them long enough for rear brakes, so using it as a front brake cable might be comically long.
https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/ODYSSEY...RD5FPX6O1E09J7
I have only ever seen them long enough for rear brakes, so using it as a front brake cable might be comically long.
No, the commonly available "universal" cables have a) two ends of which only one is the correct shape and b) the amount of inner cable VS casing isn't dimensioned for the OP's brake system. Not mentioned is that these older double ended brake systems have a longer then usual adjusting barrel, as there's no other way (other then rim width or pad thickness) to vary the pad/rim clearance and thus the "brake adjustment". Andy
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05-06-19, 08:34 AM
#8
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I expect in 1958 , the factory got the whole brake assembly as one piece and bolted it on, and saved time in doing so ..
I was 11 years old . and in California at the time, So, far away from the Nottingham factory site .
Want to replicate the original ? (full restoration) you need to create a way to cast a zinc end
over the carefully frayed cable end, so it resists your hand lever applied force ...
...
I was 11 years old . and in California at the time, So, far away from the Nottingham factory site .
Want to replicate the original ? (full restoration) you need to create a way to cast a zinc end
over the carefully frayed cable end, so it resists your hand lever applied force ...
...
Last edited by fietsbob; 05-06-19 at 08:45 AM.
05-06-19, 08:41 AM
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"Weld" means that you join two pieces by melting (or, in the case of the old blacksmith hammer welding, very close to melting) and the two base metals join to become a solid piece of metal. You need both parts to be similar (around the same melting point) and of an alloy that is weldable. Some alloy compositions have components that migrate when you melt them, or grain structure that forms in the "Heat Affected Zone" so that welds are not practicle.
"Solder" and "Braze" means joining two pieces of metal with a third metal that has a lower melting point. Generally, soldering is lower temperature and brazing a higher (>450°C) one. In frame-building, "silver solder" is often used, which is a bit of misnomer as the melting point of silver solder is in the brazing range.
You have what is called a Bowden cable with cast-on stops at both ends. The stops at the end are an alloy of lead. I call it pot metal. These are cast on (see the second video, below). If you want an "original" job, you would figure out how to make a mold and melt some lead or solder or pot metal into the mold (the cable would probably need to be hot, and you'd want flux on it. Or, you could machine a little cylindrical end (in steel or brass, using a lathe) with a hole for the able in the center, and could braze that on. I would probably prefer the former, with a kink in the cable (like a little knot, see second video at 2:40 or so) that would be cast into the cable end to provide good support.
Given that this is a brake cable and significant skill would be required to do a reliable job, I wouldn't do this myself. I'd use an end that could be tightened with a set screw (see JohnDThompson pic above). Or, find someone that does this for a living and have them do it.
Some videos showing the general ideas that people have used to fix Bowden cables.
Last edited by WizardOfBoz; 05-06-19 at 08:44 AM.
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05-06-19, 09:02 AM
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You can also get some steel or copper tubing of the proper outside diameter, cut to proper length as the old cable ends, insert cable and solder. Hobby/model airplane shops often have tubing this size.
05-06-19, 10:33 AM
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BITD, motorcycle shops used to have equipment for this type of work, to replace throttle cables and such.
05-06-19, 10:48 AM
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I have a suggestion. Travel bikes use screwed-together connectors for the cables so that you can take the bike apart for packing. Here is an example: Cable splitters for S&S Coupled travel bikes
With these, you can use two brake cables per brake, and connect the “pear” ends with the connectors. No brazing or soldering required.
With these, you can use two brake cables per brake, and connect the “pear” ends with the connectors. No brazing or soldering required.
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05-06-19, 11:32 AM
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You might consider buying a new caliper + cable
05-06-19, 01:16 PM
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Hi all, I've got a '58 Raleigh Superbe and I need to replace the brake cables as they have snipped (they were rusty). But I've never seen brake cables like these so I don't know what I'm looking for, here are some pictures:
They have a pear shaped bob that pulls the brake just like the one I found at the other end of the cable in the brake lever:
I guess it looks something like this, it would have to come with the cable housing already on it since there's no way to thread it on:
Does anybody know what I'm looking for, I tried searching stuff like 'double butted brake cable' but I had no luck, if I can't find it I'll just replace the brakes for standard cable calipers but it would be a shame, I'd like to replace the cable if possible.
Any help would be appreciated.
Kret
They have a pear shaped bob that pulls the brake just like the one I found at the other end of the cable in the brake lever:
I guess it looks something like this, it would have to come with the cable housing already on it since there's no way to thread it on:
Does anybody know what I'm looking for, I tried searching stuff like 'double butted brake cable' but I had no luck, if I can't find it I'll just replace the brakes for standard cable calipers but it would be a shame, I'd like to replace the cable if possible.
Any help would be appreciated.
Kret
05-06-19, 01:45 PM
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Out of the two, I'm probably in the later group, having said that, no offense buddy but that massive paragraph is just technobabble to me so your lecture has fallen on deaf ears I'm afraid. Like last time when I had that fork threaded, life's to short for all that... Most people just want to ride their bike...
Forgive my wilful ignorance.
Forgive my wilful ignorance.
If you want to restore to nearly factory conditions, I'd see if there's some outfit that does this professionally. Else, buy a brake cable and a stop (like JohnDThompson shows) and have the LBS set your bike up. Enjoy the ride.
Enjoy your ride.
05-06-19, 02:25 PM
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I think this would be the best way to go about it.......
Silver solder like they sell for sweating copper water together might work and hold fast in the solder. But I'd probably find some silver solder with a higher silver content that will give a stronger braze. However the better silver solder alloys can require more heat to work with so that can be a negative to learn with first time on something like a cable.
Silver solder like they sell for sweating copper water together might work and hold fast in the solder. But I'd probably find some silver solder with a higher silver content that will give a stronger braze. However the better silver solder alloys can require more heat to work with so that can be a negative to learn with first time on something like a cable.
05-06-19, 03:05 PM
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Sounds like you've made good progress with good ideas to tide you over. Don't undo all that good work! Do NOT weld this cable. That was my point. I hope the boys at work will tell you that welding a cable that is both stranded, drawn (cold-worked) and possibly heat-treated is going to weaken the cable. Welding melts the metal in the cable. Even if you did get a good mechanical stop on the cable the heat from melting the cable metal could create a brittle region that will snap off. Not a good idea for a brake cable.
You can either 1) cast your own little piece of lead onto the cable (the lead melts, the cable doesn't), or 2) solder a little round stop (essentially a tube with a cable-size hole down the center) to the cable (the solder melts, not the cable), or 3) use a mechanical device, like you already have done with the derailleur stop.
If you want to do something that's serviceable and relatively nice looking perhaps the fellows at the plant can take a piece of 3/8" rod and turn one end down to mimic the shape of that little lead part that was on the cable end. Then drill a cable-size hole axially through the center for a new brake cable. then have them drill and tap a small hole radially and use this to install a set screw. It would look like the setups below if the black plastic shown on the cable ends were metal and part of the stop. For a brake cable I might install two setscrews.
This would give you a modern, adjustable setup using one-ended Bowden cables, which are readily available.
You can either 1) cast your own little piece of lead onto the cable (the lead melts, the cable doesn't), or 2) solder a little round stop (essentially a tube with a cable-size hole down the center) to the cable (the solder melts, not the cable), or 3) use a mechanical device, like you already have done with the derailleur stop.
If you want to do something that's serviceable and relatively nice looking perhaps the fellows at the plant can take a piece of 3/8" rod and turn one end down to mimic the shape of that little lead part that was on the cable end. Then drill a cable-size hole axially through the center for a new brake cable. then have them drill and tap a small hole radially and use this to install a set screw. It would look like the setups below if the black plastic shown on the cable ends were metal and part of the stop. For a brake cable I might install two setscrews.
This would give you a modern, adjustable setup using one-ended Bowden cables, which are readily available.