# Change Hudz w/o cutting cables?



## E 12 (Jul 13, 2008)

To make a long story short, my LBS ordered me a set of Hudz shifter covers (Ultegra 6600) and they went ahead and installed them prior to cabling and taping my bars. Unfortunately, the color doesn't match what I was trying to match them to on my frame. Is there any way at all to change these back out without having to tear off the tape and cut the cables? These are brand new sealed Gore cables and I do NOT want to cut them to change the hoods. Any ideas?


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

Just stretch them forward over the top of the hoods and down. Voila!


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

easy to do....no problem... change from the front.


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## E 12 (Jul 13, 2008)

I must be missing something.....I'm talking about the 6600 Ultegra. With the NON-hidden cables that come out of the side of the shifter. It's possible to stretch the Hudz covers over the front and put stock ones back on without removing the cable?


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## savagemann (Dec 17, 2011)

Ultegra 6600 you will have to disconnect the shift cables to get the hoods off the front.

No need to take the tape off.

If you had 6700 you wouldn't need to disconnect anything as all the cables are under the tape.


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## E 12 (Jul 13, 2008)

That's what I was afraid of - I certainly do not want to have to cut brand new cable to change these hoods. I'm afraid I'm stuck with the non-matching color until I change cables.


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

Forgot about the non aero shifter cables on older Shimano. Sorry. savagemann nails it.


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## savagemann (Dec 17, 2011)

No need to cut the cables.
Just disconnect them from the derailluers and you are good to go.
Of course you'll need to reconnect the cables when you are done.
Make sure you shift into the small ring on the front and smallest cog on the back before disconnecting them.
If you accidently shift the shifters while removing/installing the hudz, be sure to reshift them to the neutral/resting position before reconnecting the cables.
Then adjust the barrels to achieve proper tension and you are good to go.
Anytime you shift the shifters with the cables disconnected it is good practice to hold onto the cable to pull tension on it before doing so.
Otherwise the cable head can get bound inside of the shifter.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

E 12 said:


> I must be missing something.....I'm talking about the 6600 Ultegra. With the NON-hidden cables that come out of the side of the shifter. It's possible to stretch the Hudz covers over the front and put stock ones back on without removing the cable?


I missed the Ultegra 6600 part.... 

Why would you have to cut the cable? Just remove them. You'll have to take the ferrules off the ends and adjust the derailleurs...


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## SilverStar (Jan 21, 2008)

No need to cut the cables....just slit the Hudz at the point where the cable enters, slip them off, slit the new ones and slip them on!

I am kidding, of course.


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

savagemann said:


> No need to cut the cables.
> Just disconnect them from the derailluers and you are good to go.
> .


Depends on the frame's routing. If it isn't 100% external, he's going to have to slap in new cables unless he manages to keep them from fraying once the crimp is pulled.

In that case, sorry OP. Just have to suck up to changing cables OR if you know your way with a soldering tool you may just do the ends of the cables and then be able to reuse them.


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## E 12 (Jul 13, 2008)

Unfortunately, they are Gore sealed...which means I doubt I could re-use the cables if I tried to remove them. I didn't instal them, but my LBS that they were a hassle to route, specifically on my cross frame. Looks like I'm stuck until I re-cable


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## brucew (Jun 3, 2006)

E 12 said:


> Unfortunately, the color doesn't match what I was trying to match them to on my frame.












Krylon: Products: Fusion for Plastic®


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## batman1425 (Nov 29, 2005)

*Gore brake setup as well?*

Is it a full Gore setup with brakes and shift cables or just the shift cables? If you just did the shifters, here's what I would do.

1. Disconnect the brake cables and pull them out. 
2. Undo the bar clamp holding the whole shifter to the bike, allowing the shifter to pull away from the bar. 
3. Now that the clamp is undone, slide the huds backwards off the lever, put your new ones on the same way. 
4. Re-attach the lever, and re-run the brake cables. 

No need to undo the tape or cut the brake cables, just undo the binder bolts. 

Even if you did both, this would save the shifting cabling, which in my opinion is the more important of the two.


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

batman1425 said:


> Is it a full Gore setup with brakes and shift cables or just the shift cables? If you just did the shifters, here's what I would do...
> .


Problem with that I presume for the OP is that he doesn't want to go through that hell (for some of us, myself included) process of aligning things.


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## batman1425 (Nov 29, 2005)

The tape is still in place so that will give a point of reference for where the levers should sit on the bars (approximately). To get it perfect, just use a piece of string to measure from the end of the drop to the bottom of the shifter along the curve of the bar. Use that to reset the correct lever height and just eyeball the side to side placement. Shouldn't take more than 15-20 min to do.


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## sp3000 (Jul 10, 2007)

Batman is right, this is the way to go. There is one thing to be weary of though, if the bar tape has been wrapped in such a way that it covers the base of the shifter you may have trouble re-seating the shifter when you go to bolt it back down. If not and you can pull it away clear you will be sweet, you should also find the clamp wont move so you may only have to re-align the shifters side to side a little as you tighten them up.


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## 007david (Dec 24, 2007)

You could also take them off from the back, but you'd have to disconnect the brakes. Pull the brake cable from the shifter, unscrew the binding bolt from inside the shifter, leave the band clamp and brake housing on the bar for reference (and of course leave the shift cable and housing set up), then take the hudz off from the rear. After that it's just a matter of running the brake cable again, and putting the shifter back in place.

On the whole it's about the same level of hassle as the shift cable, but it is an option.


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## EMB145 Driver (Aug 17, 2006)

I recently changed frames and moved the Gore sealed cables from the old frame to the new frame, no problems. You should be able to pull them off, change the hoods, and reinstall them without too much difficulty


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## Triggsie (Sep 19, 2011)

batman1425 said:


> Is it a full Gore setup with brakes and shift cables or just the shift cables? If you just did the shifters, here's what I would do.
> 
> 1. Disconnect the brake cables and pull them out.
> 2. Undo the bar clamp holding the whole shifter to the bike, allowing the shifter to pull away from the bar.
> ...


I did this yesterday when I installed white hoods onto my fiancee's Allez with 105 (5600) components. The cable routing should be the same as your Ultegras. The bar tape was on top of the shifter bases a bit, but I just put them in place and used a screw driver to flip the tape back over the shifter bases.


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