sovende

I'm replacing the OEM (I think) cables and housings on my '85 Miyata Two Ten. I've read in several cable & housing related threads that ferrules should be used on the cut housings. The OEM aluminum barrel adjusters do not accept the ferrules. I have some steel barrel adjusters in my spare parts box. Other than the tiniest bit of weight difference, the hex vs knurled locking nut and rust resistance, is there any advantage to one over the other? I would like to use the ferrules at the "business" end of the housing as has been recommended and it aesthetically looks better. I will add that the housing receivers on the lever assembly DO NOT accept ferrules. Aesthetically, Es macht nichts as the hoods hide the housing end but is there a functional purpose to the ferrules?

tyrion

Without ferrules, the pressure put on the housing by braking could squash/deform the ends of the housing - the braking will be mushy and maybe dangerously so. The ferrules are needed to hold the ends of the housing intact.

The barrel adjusters might act as ferrules if the fit is nice and tight on the housing - I'm not sure.

JanMM

There are a variety of sizes of ferrules/housing end caps available. Sounds like you need some narrower ones. For example: Bikeman: Housing End Cap

70sSanO

I’m not so sure about that. I’ve run brake housing without a ferrule without any ill effects. If the housing is squared off and it sets into the brake barrel adjusters.

Where is the housing end going to go? It is in the adjuster. The cable is under tension.

John

blamester

Same. Cut them square. Seat them by pulling the brakes really hard when you are done and readjust if nessecary. Squeeze harder than you would ever have to brake in real life.
Always test the brakes by pulling hard on them after adjustment or cable replacement.

Eric S.

I will always use a ferrule if possible but if there's no room I haven't found it to be a serious problem. Just use 1/2" or so more housing so that if you someday discover that it is deforming you can just trim a little and start over.

sovende

I see your point! I've used a Dremel tool with a cutoff wheel to cut the housing so the cut is pretty square. The housing fits snuggly into the aluminum barrel adjusters but would require a ferrule to have the same fit in the steel barrel adjusters. I would think that there would be a bit less friction (steel on steel) with the steel barrel adjusters but since the actual need adjustment is infrequent, it prolly doesn't make a difference.
Lucky that I have a lot of time to waste as it seems like that's what I'm doing with this "issue" 😜. Thanks for the reply!

sovende

Interestingly, the cable replacement kit that I have came with the aluminum inserts that fit between the cable housing and the body of the brake lever assembly. These inserts are "stepped" so that they can receive either bare cable housing or housing with a ferrule. They don't have the groove with spring steel retainer like the OEM piece but since there is constant tension, I don't think that will be an issue. Since I can, I will use ferrules on both ends of the cable housing for both front and rear brakes. I always save any OEM parts that I remove in the event I make an error in judgement RE: component "swapping"!

canklecat

Some of my brakes can hold a ferrule, some can't. I can't feel any difference in braking, none that can't be attributed to the brake design. If the cable housing fits the guide/barrel doodad on the caliper without much wiggle room, it'll be fine. The ferrule doesn't really do anything other than increase the diameter of the cable housing. (With some shift cable/housing ferrules there's a rubbery O-ring inside that helps exclude water/debris, so it's more useful.)

As others suggested, after using a cable/housing cutter to cut it to length, I use an ice pick or other tool to de-ovalize the housing end, then file off the end until it's square and clean, no burrs. I have a moto tool but generally use files for this stuff.

A cheap batch of brake cable housing I bought a couple of years ago (Sunlite, I think?) is kinda squishy, which is the main hindrance to solid braking. After the cable housing has been on awhile with lots of braking it settles in and works fine. Next time I'll spring for the cost of low compression housing.

70sSanO

I’ve seen at stepped (different diameter) ferrule like that.

IIRC, the housing didn’t seat at the bottom of the ferrule, but stops at the step, at least it didn’t for me. I removed the outer plastic casing to get the spiral housing to seat at the bottom of the ferrule.

I don’t remember the exact situation, I doing this weird mod. I thought it was really odd, but the last thing I wanted was a gap in the ferrule.

John

Russ Roth

Some of the old housing was not as thick as modern stuff, I've actually had to partially shave a bit of the plastic coating off to get the housing to fit on some frames since the old housing was just a tighter wound metal spiral with a thin layer of clear or white plastic over it and more like 4mm in diameter. With the exception of SIS der and compressionless brake housing there isn't an actual need for ferrules but you should always use one if it helps the housing to stay seated better and tighter.

frogman

I started using my Dremmel with a cutoff wheel for cutting brake and shifter housings also. Makes a nice square clean cut and the ferrules usually slide on nicely.

sovende

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I ended up using the OEM cable housing receivers at the lever end of the housing and the steel adjustable barrels (able to accept ferrules) at the cantilever end of the housing. A tiny bit of the ferrule protruded above the brake hoods and I didn't like the "look". I'm sure that the function was not a factor. I do like the "snap ring" that holds the housing receiver in the body of the lever body. Prolly would never happen but that piece could pop out of position during wheel removal when the straddle cable is unhokked and cable tension is released. Just sayin' that it could. I think that using the ferrules at the catilever ends of the cable housings look appropriate and prolly reduces resistance to turning the adjuster barrel as well as potential for disrupting the cut end of the housing. I'm guessing not too much risk of that under most situations but no matter, it's a done deal!