Originally Posted by 79pmooney

I've been modifying FD cages a long time. In the old days (pre-CPSC) we took crescent wrenches to bent the front tabs in to speed up shifting. For years I,ve been removing the bolt between the cage plates at the bottom and reinstalling with #4 washers in a shorter stack than the original bushing to improve shifting onto the inner rings of triples. I wouldn't have a second thought about placing the outer cage in a vise and flattening it a little to improve shifting or reduce crank contact. (Unless it is a bulged shape where crushing the bulge would reduce stiffness or strength. Old SunTour, no big deal, new highly shaped Shimano? Maybe not.)