105 sti lever

[jayce]

just bought a lever off ebay its left hand and it will trim and go to top ring but will not come back down only if i play around for a while it cost me 75 quid with delivery im well p***ed off so is it broke or can it be fixed cheers

 

[jpembroke]

There's just been a discussion about this here:

http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=28403

Seems a few people have had trouble with malfunctioning 105 STis and have had them replaced. I've solved problems with a couple of stiff/clunky STis (105 and Tiagra) by correcting the cable routing at the front mech, which is certainly worth checking. However, your problem sounds like it could be a sticking cable. Did you install new cables and cable outers when you fitted the new STi?

 

[roadiewill]

another broken one???

 

[jayce]

yes all new when i fitted the lever i checked the cable was sliding ok the one who i bought it off said it was working fine he took it off a winter bike that he didnt use much ive sprayed light oil and when i mess with the lever and the downshifter at the same time i can get it to shift down after a fiddle so im gutted

 

[jpembroke]

Disconnect the cable from the front mech. Now click the LH shifter up and down. If there are discernible clicks and you can see the mechanism move inside (peel back the hood and peer inside) then it's not broken.

Before you disconnect the cable, make a note of how you had the cable clamped at the front mech. If after disconnecting it and clicking through the gears as suggested above you discover the LH shifter is functioning fine then I strongly suggest you clamp the cable in a different way. Make sure the cable end routes outside of (behind) the tiny plate and over the top of the bolt (not under it or inside of the tiny plate). It should protrude towards you when you clamp it, not straight upwards. Look for shallow cable guide grooves to guide you. The difference this makes can be quite amazing.

 

[jayce]

Disconnect the cable from the front mech. Now click the LH shifter up and down. If there are discernible clicks and you can see the mechanism move inside (peel back the hood and peer inside) then it's not broken.

Before you disconnect the cable, make a note of how you had the cable clamped at the front mech. If after disconnecting it and clicking through the gears as suggested above you discover the LH shifter is functioning fine then I strongly suggest you clamp the cable in a different way. Make sure the cable end routes outside of (behind) the tiny plate and over the top of the bolt (not under it or inside of the tiny plate). It should protrude towards you when you clamp it, not straight upwards. Look for shallow cable guide grooves to guide you. The difference this makes can be quite amazing.

when there is no pressure it works fine up and down the clicks a there but when you connect the cable it wont click down dont know if its the tension on the cable but the front mech is right ive followed the line and the little groove

 

[jpembroke]

OK. Sounds like a duff'n then. But before you replace it at great expense i'd still experiment with routing around the bolt in different ways.

As mentioned above, I've had two calls in the last year about supposedly duff LH shifters (a 105 and a Tiagra). They were stiff on the upshift and either didn't downshift or did with an almighty clunk. All I did was unclamp the cable at the mech and re-clamp it in a different way. Solved the problem; shifter was smooth as butter.

If you've done all this then sorry for banging on. Sounds like you've been sold a lemon and that sucks.

 

[gavintc]

I have 105 on my winter/commuter and noticed a similar problem as soon as it was fitted. Occasionally, it will not drop from big ring to little ring. I just have to soldier on in big ring for a few seconds and then try it again. It works 2nd time around.

 

[jayce]

OK. Sounds like a duff'n then. But before you replace it at great expense i'd still experiment with routing around the bolt in different ways.

As mentioned above, I've had two calls in the last year about supposedly duff LH shifters (a 105 and a Tiagra). They were stiff on the upshift and either didn't downshift or did with an almighty clunk. All I did was unclamp the cable at the mech and re-clamp it in a different way. Solved the problem; shifter was smooth as butter.

If you've done all this then sorry for banging on. Sounds like you've been sold a lemon and that sucks.

got in touch with the guy i bought it off and he said send it to him and he will give my money back so sorted,got to find another lever now though

 

[Marin Maniac]

Maybe of interest to some peeps about the clunkiness of these shifters. I was having a poke about a mate's Trek with Ultegra shifters and the LH shifter is probably about clunky as mine on the down shift as my Tiagra shifter. Made me feel a whole lot better!

 

[jpembroke]

This is what I've been boring everyone about:

The image was accompanied by the following text:

"On Shimano bottom pull derailleurs it is important to note that the cable runs UP AND OVER the leverage tab. Many people make the mistake of using the leverage tab as a cable pinch by running the cable UNDER the leverage tab - this changes the pulling leverage of the front shifter and makes it impossible to properly adjust the front derailleur."

This is what I've been boring everyone about. Not only does routing the cable under the leverage tab make it impossible to index the gears, it can also make upshifts very very stiff, and downshifts return with an incredibly violent 'clunk'. If this saves one person from buying new STis then i'll be a happy man.

 

[jayce]

thats good better to get it right this is what this forum is about to help and get the bikes tip top and running smooooooooooooth as silk

 

[Marin Maniac]

Checked mine and all routed ok.

 

[jayce]

just had my money back off the 105 lever so im looking at a pair of ultegra 6600 ,they have 6600 or 6600 sl which ones

 

[jpembroke]

the ones that match of course. If you get the grey ones then you'll just end up having to replace everything else to match them.