When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I installed shorty risers and love them, but the stock mousetrap cable is a bit long now, creating a tighter ratio bend (see photo) and a bit more resistance in the pull than before. I have found 8" over cables, presumably for ape hangers, but nothing shorter than stock.
So, I would like to cut off the handlebar end, trim the housing and cable to fit (I have excellent cable cutters), and reinstall a new end. I have universal, brass set screw-type ends, but would rather have a swaged end so I don't worry about it vibrating off.
Anyone have detailed swaging tips and maybe sources for good-quality ends that would fit?
Check BMI Karts , they have old H-D cables for almost free
Might have something you can use
Okay, thank you. I'll try hunting for some DIY videos on swaging methods, just thought I'd ask here first. But I agree it would be good to have one or two to experiment with.
Okay, I got an OEM-style cable at BMI for $16, and a long-armed swaging tool that has multiple dies. Seems like a good investment, as cables always seem to be too short or long, and this way I can make 'em just right for my needs (plus it'll be handy for making up gate support cables for my split rail fences, as I've been swaging on the anvil, kind of crude...).
The only harder part turns out to be finding the right cable ends. Best bet may be either to cut down stainless versions used for deck cable railing setups, or simply use two of McMaster Carr's softer metal offerings to obtain the stock length, as what they sell isn't very long.
I'll keep looking but thus far can't seem to find good reproduction cable ends in the right size. With all the aftermarket stuff out there, seems kind of weird...
I've soldered a fair few cable ends doing custom setups not having access to a swag tool. Right dia. stock, a hacksaw and drill press make your own.
Well, you give me a good idea. The online metal mart where I've bought various things over the years does have a Very Large Array of tubing in many materials and tempers. Wouldn't even have to drill, just cut to length and crimp.
I'll check out their smaller stuff and see if the wall thickness is appropriate. I'd rather have steel than aluminum, frankly, so this might be the way to go. Thanks for jolting the old noggin!
Back in my brit days I had to braze the ends back on a few cables to get back on the road, luckily gas stations back then had a service bay or two and the goods if a guy knew how to use them.
Well, I got much of the woodworking done, so was able to resolve the totally unacceptable situation in the first photo... those covers, however, are just amazing. The snow shed right off and they dried in an hour or two in the sun today (the covers, I mean), and I was able to get them back in their storage sacks without any fancy folding. The bikes look great--though the Paint Shaker took an uncharacteristic four or five kicks to start, as it was colder than a well digger's behind out there this morning...
Anyway, the second photo shows what I'll be resolving as soon as I get the new ferrules. I've decided aluminum is what most people use and should be more than adequate, especially with a mousetrap that removes the bulk of the stress on the clutch cable. The new tool is amazingly well made and looks like it'll crimp the crud out of them with little effort. You know, I may just modify the extra I bought on recommendation above, and attach it to the inside of a frame member with some nifty metal clips I saw on the Triumph website. Well, I'd then have to add another tool to the onboard kit to R&R the snap ring if the cable ever went out. Hmmm...
I've fiddled with the throttle cable a bit but actually it works with such little effort and so smoothly, that I don't think I'll bother shortening it. That particular bend doesn't look as bad as it does from this angle. The two others, though, have got to be fixed.
Yes: I got a new, shorter once-piece hose for the brake, too. I will be eliminating the hydraulic switch in favor of just the foot lever OEM switch. I've been through two hydro switches which are total you-know-what. If there's someone behind me, I'll just use both brakes to alert them it's time to back off. Hydraulics tomorrow, cable and photos showing housing and wire modification procedure soon, I hope...
Last edited by NM Pan-shovel; Nov 27, 2023 at 05:23 PM.
Here we go - copper stops in various sizes including 1/8" like my mousetrap cable (price is .12 cents each), and you needn't buy a truckload as with Scamazon. These are used for sailboat rigging, so have ample strength for this application. If I want more length, I can just stack 'em up, cut or sand one to generate ideal length, etc.
I'll double check the recess in the lever against McMaster Carr, which has aluminum and offers full specs, if I run up against any O.D. critical restrictions with these. But for the price, worth a shot--and unlike aluminum, which is capable of holding 35% of the working load limit of the steel cable to which they are applied, copper is capable of holding 100% of the working load limit of a steel cable. I like that.
Last edited by NM Pan-shovel; Nov 27, 2023 at 07:17 PM.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
Mousetrap cable mod question
