Can I use wet chain lube to lubricate shift cable?
#1
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Can I use wet chain lube to lubricate shift cable?
is it ok to give a squirt of dumonde tech lite formula into the housing before running the cable through and calling that good? all these lubes are like $10 - $15 a piece and i'd prefer not to buy a bottle when i need a drop if i have something that will suffice. thanks.
#2
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Right or wrong i do. Never had an issue.
Jon C on GCN just uses what ever lube he has at hand too.
Jon C on GCN just uses what ever lube he has at hand too.
#3
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Between slick, polished or coated, cables and lined housing, I call that good enough and don't bother lubing cable. Hasn’t been an issue.
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Me, too, I find that lubing them just helps them to pick up dust and grit better. I use the die-drawn(slicked) inners and lined housings, the coated ones are difficult to clamp securely and the coating comes off and causes problems.
#6
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Agree about coated cables. Die drawn is the way to go.
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Stuart Black
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Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
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Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
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Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#8
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Depends on the lube. I tried Park CL-1 chain lube on cables a few years ago. When I finally replaced the cables I realized the CL-1 had become tacky, making the cables feel a bit sluggish. That's probably the same characteristic that makes CL-1 a good wet weather chain lube.
But not problems with Boeshield T9, Tri-Flow and most other wet lubes, especially penetrating lubes. They don't get tacky after the carrier evaporates.
But not problems with Boeshield T9, Tri-Flow and most other wet lubes, especially penetrating lubes. They don't get tacky after the carrier evaporates.
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Made a huge difference in the short term.
But what about all that "WD 40 is NOT a lubricant!" conventional wisdom?
It freed things up, but I can't help feeling like we really need to use something else for actual lasting lubrication?
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Just did that thisafternoon to the "slow" rear brake cable on the sat in a garage for years craigslist find that became my nephew's new ride, because it was borderline unusable the can was right there.
Made a huge difference in the short term.
But what about all that "WD 40 is NOT a lubricant!" conventional wisdom?
It freed things up, but I can't help feeling like we really need to use something else for actual lasting lubrication?
Made a huge difference in the short term.
But what about all that "WD 40 is NOT a lubricant!" conventional wisdom?
It freed things up, but I can't help feeling like we really need to use something else for actual lasting lubrication?
I'd use it if I had it, before going out and buying something else to sit on my shelf.
Oddly enough I just found out that chain lube works as a tapping fluid.
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Depends.
Over time I’ve use a lube and not used one at other times.
I’ve stopped using a lube on my mountain bikes as dust goes everywhere. I’ll clean my housings with WD-40 and leave it at that. If find that using the “slick” cables are the biggest improvement with trigger shifters.
John
Over time I’ve use a lube and not used one at other times.
I’ve stopped using a lube on my mountain bikes as dust goes everywhere. I’ll clean my housings with WD-40 and leave it at that. If find that using the “slick” cables are the biggest improvement with trigger shifters.
John
#13
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Slotted cable stops allow you to very easily pop the cable out, slide the housing out of the way, and lubricate the cable within. I regularly apply a little Tri-Flow to mine, and notice an immediate improvement in brake response and lever feel. But if you really want them to be slick, use a bit of this:
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