Replacing old brittle cables

[JoeFaz]

Greetings:
New guy here again.
I will be replacing brake and shift cables on my 43 year old Raleigh Grand Prix. It's been hanging from my rafters for 20+ years, and the cables are old, dry, rusty and ready to snap. Before that happens, I'd like to replace them, but not sure where to start. Will I need any sort of special tools? Also, are there specific cables I'll need to source for this old bike? ANY advice on replacing the cables will be greatly appreciated!
TIA!

[Bill]

(01-03-2013, 04:20 PM)JoeFaz Wrote:  Greetings:
New guy here again.
I will be replacing brake and shift cables on my 43 year old Raleigh Grand Prix. It's been hanging from my rafters for 20+ years, and the cables are old, dry, rusty and ready to snap. Before that happens, I'd like to replace them, but not sure where to start. Will I need any sort of special tools? Also, are there specific cables I'll need to source for this old bike? ANY advice on replacing the cables will be greatly appreciated!
TIA!

First out of love of bike mind posting a picture of your ride ? Going on the picture would be helpful to see what kind of brake set you have in order for us to help determine what you are looking for.

[nfmisso]

Hi Joe;

Bill likes to look at pictures

The standard Bell set of replacement cables will work fine - $6 at Wal-mart. There are "better" cables out there, but most of us can not tell a functional difference.

You will need a cable cutter - these are hard steel cables, so a properly hardened tool is required. I have a Craftsman diagonal cutter that works well, and I have other Craftsman diagonal cutters that do not work at all.....

* a wrench to fit the bolts that retain the cable on the brakes.
* pliers to pull and hold the cable tight while you tighten the retaining bolt.
* light oil to lubricate the inside of the housings
* if your bike does not have quick release for the brakes, a third hand (clamp) to hold the brake pads against the rim while you do up the cables is nice to have.

You NEED new brake pads. Kool Stop are among the best.

Consider replacing the brakes with modern dual pivots. The difference in braking power is amazing - one a budget, replace the front first.

[JoeFaz]

Thanks, Nigel. Good stuff to know.

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(01-04-2013, 09:37 AM)Bill Wrote:  

(01-03-2013, 04:20 PM)JoeFaz Wrote:  Greetings:
New guy here again.
I will be replacing brake and shift cables on my 43 year old Raleigh Grand Prix. It's been hanging from my rafters for 20+ years, and the cables are old, dry, rusty and ready to snap. Before that happens, I'd like to replace them, but not sure where to start. Will I need any sort of special tools? Also, are there specific cables I'll need to source for this old bike? ANY advice on replacing the cables will be greatly appreciated!
TIA!

First out of love of bike mind posting a picture of your ride ? Going on the picture would be helpful to see what kind of brake set you have in order for us to help determine what you are looking for.

I'll try to get some pics this weekend.