Shimano 11 speed (105) Rear Gear Cable Replacement

[roubaixtuesday]

Rear gear cable snapped on the way home.

I can't seem to get the ratchet in the right place to fit a new one. Trying to change "down" ie big lever, only results in one gear "change" so there's nowhere for the new cable end to sit.

I'm guessing this is because the old snapped off end of the old cable is jammed in there somehow?

Any other ideas? Any tips? I'm flummoxed, and definitely don't want to start dismantling it.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Take some panels off the lever and have a poke around to see what‘s there that shouldn’t be.

 

[Heigue'r]

Take some panels off the lever and have a poke around to see what‘s there that shouldn’t be.

This and a bit of swearing should help

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Take some panels off the lever and have a poke around to see what‘s there that shouldn’t be.

Confess to worrying that if I undo the wrong screws a loud "sproing" followed by a gazillion parts exploding will result. Nevertheless, needs must...

 

[Sea of vapours]

In case you don't know that there's a small screw beneath the shifter which allows a panel to be removed, and the broken bits to drop out, here's a sub-minute video showing said screw/panels:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Znc6pZXN_O0

When you remove the srew, iirc, two small panels come off - take note of how they go back on before removal (though it's pretty obvious).
EDIT: No sproing will occur - the are just access panels - no springs are released!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

P.S. This is why I moved to bar end levers. Dual control were breaking cables in lever far too often. No broken cables since and if they do I can fix in 5 mins at side of road.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Sorted!!

Thanks for info on access panel.

All now working.

Never had a problem with these before, always managed roadside.

A quiz will follow...

 

[iluvmybike]

It is a very common problem on all the Shimano 11spds. Best to change cables annually to avoid this happening

 

[Ajax Bay]

Think most STIs (ie not just 11sp) which have the gear cable routed under the bar tape have this hazard as the cable is repeatedly bent in the the same place and the strands sequentially suffer from fatique breakage. As you say, mitigation is set frequency (eg annual, or distance dependent) change of the RH STI cable.