wheelreason

Worked on lots, not many in quite some time though...

Duragrouch

I just looked at my 30+ year old Park CN-4 cutters; They also appear to be lefty like pic shown, and they do have tiny crimper for core-cable-end-cap, but they lack crimper for housing ferrule, which explains why it never occured to me to crimp ferrules. Also, the ones included with housing purchase are plastic.

Kontact

On the contrary, the assumption of several posters was that there was NEVER a reason to crimp. So I offered an example.

Kontact

As I already pointed out the crimper is for 5mm housing ferrules. Which aren't made of plastic.

Duragrouch

Yes, I thought I implied that I wouldn't crimp because they were plastic, perhaps that was not clear. Also, my 5mm brake cable housing (replacement, not on bike), came with plastic ferrules. So did the 4mm shifter cable. Obviously, metal is better, but not a surprise that brand-x housing from china off amazon, came with plastic. In fact, looking now at original grip-shift housing, it has plastic ferrule that has ring-crimps, my guess is a process done with heat.

LesterOfPuppets

On old school MTBs also. Pop them cables out of the stops and lube 'em up, it's easier to get things back together if the housing ferules are crimped.

Crimping in bike factories is where it really comes in clutch. You have someone prepare thousands of housing lengths, cap 'em and crimp 'em and throw 'em in a box so the assemblers just thread the cables through and anchor them down.

Kontact

Metal is normally used for 5mm housing because the walls are only .25mm thick or less. I don't know how that would work with plastic, and I've never seen plastic ferrules that thin. I wouldn't use those Chinese ferrules.

4mm housing now commonly use plastic ferrules that grip the housing nicely. But they are three times as thick as the brake ferrules (brake and shift stops are the same inner diameter).

Iride01 

I didn't see anyone that said no one should ever crimp their cables ferrules or ends.

I pretty much thought that crimping them was more a factory assembly line thing that made it easier and assured for better quality assurance of the final factory build.

However your example of it making it easier for old school mountain bikes does make a good case for it. Though I don't think cables today need to be re-lubed. If they've gotten bad enough to bind, then it's time for new.

_ForceD_

FWIW…I quit using crimpers and now use small diameter heat shrink tubing available at most hardware stores, and in a variety of colors.

Dan

Kontact

Two people said there is no reason.

Kontact

How do you use heat shrink on a ferrule????

Aubergine 

He meant for the cable ends, I assume,

Iride01 

But the way it was said, I didn't take it that there is no reason or that the OP shouldn't if that is what is desired.

It's just that those members had no reason to. So are you calling them wrong for not wishing to? Does Shimano or SRAM tell us that we must crimp our cable ferrules?

roadcrankr 

Excellent idea. I typically use a dab of epoxy to keep cable ends from fraying.
Many tend to over-crimp with those little metal dealies, leading to a frayed end when removed.

Kontact

Nope. You and kaputsa said that there is no reason to do it. Which is entirely different than saying that YOU have no reason to do it.

Iride01 

You obviously can't read. I never stated there isn't any reason. I just said that if everything else is correct, there isn't a need too.

The other said they couldn't see any reason to crimp them. Again not a commandment that they shouldn't be crimped.

Seems you just don't like any suggestions that seems to disagree with you and you go out of the way to show your annoyance by calling out something that should have been better just to ignore..

Kontact

Iride01 You must come from a country where "no need" and "no reason" aren't synonymous.

And you're the one doing the calling out.

_ForceD_

Not on the ferrule, just on the end of cable itself. Get the very small size. FYI…heat shrink reduces down to about half the size it is before it’s shrunk down.

Dan

79pmooney

I must be missing something. I've just been slipping on those little metal sleeves, caps then just giving the cap a gentle diagonal squeeze with regular old pliers type wire cutters. Caps stay on and are easily re-used after just running the proper sized small nail or brad into them. In a pinch, needle nose pliers or vice grips, but the wirecutters always seemed to me the cleanest.

I'll have to look, I may have had an official "crimper" in my shop forever on my Shimano cable cutters.

Kontact

ARe you talking about wire crimps or housing ferrules? Topic is housing ferrules.

LesterOfPuppets

Maybe a pic would help

ScottCommutes

One advantage of the crimped ends is that they stay on and are generally easier to work with. also fewer tiny bits to loose.
One advantage of the un-crimped ends is that if the cable end is a bit frayed, it is easier to work it through each piece one at a time.

79pmooney

Thanks. Yes I was confused and talking about the wire end crimps. I've never even thought to crimp the housing ferrules. Compression keeps them in place nicely. Never thought about bicycle production lines. So that explains why they are 1) so hard to pull off and 2) useless after doing so.

Duragrouch

Looking at mine now, the plastic ferrules on the brakes, the hole for them at the brake lever adjuster is plenty large for that, oversize even. Same at the shifter. So I think both are designed to fit plastic ferrules. Looking on amazon now, I see plastic ones for about $7/100, aluminum ones for same price, and ones that just say "metal" with a comment saying, "Very cheap. Very lightweight. Better off buying plastic ones. Don't recommend." Ya just can't win. Fortunately, the plastic ones are adequate. I'll check at my LBS if they have ones that are stainless steel or nickel plated brass. Which I would reuse over time, as there is no need to crimp on mine to hold in place during installation.

zandoval 

I just use what ever is handy, pliers, dikes, wire strippers, vice grips, no biggy. But if you must have a proper tool then you might want to consider some large gauge Wire Ferrule Crimpers.