# crimping ferrules?



## PoorCyclist (Oct 14, 2010)

Is it necessary to crimp down the ferrules for brake cables,
or do you just slip them on. What tool do you use to crimp it?


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

I don't use ferrules on brake housing at all. Only on derrailleur housing, and then - no crimping.


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## Kontact (Apr 1, 2011)

Brake or derailleur housing can be crimped, but there is no good reason to do so. I wouldn't and don't.


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## frdfandc (Nov 27, 2007)

I don't crimp ferrules.


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## andulong (Nov 23, 2006)

Crimp, lightly just so they don't fall off. For those non-crimpers out there what do you do, glue them on?


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## Kontact (Apr 1, 2011)

andulong said:


> Crimp, lightly just so they don't fall off. For those non-crimpers out there what do you do, glue them on?


Not worry about it?


If I take my cabling apart, I want the pieces to come apart for service. Why would I want or need them held together?


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## TheDon (Feb 3, 2006)

Try some solder or super glue, works better than crimps.


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## Kontact (Apr 1, 2011)

TheDon said:


> Try some solder or super glue, works better than crimps.


We're talking about housing ferules, not cable ends. You can't solder a ferule onto a plastic covered cable housing.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

PoorCyclist said:


> Is it necessary to crimp down the ferrules for brake cables


No. As soon as you attach the inner wire to the calipers and let the caliper arms spring back, the housing ends are pushed against the housing stops. There's no way the ferrules can come off.


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## andulong (Nov 23, 2006)

Alright, the OP said Ferrules..not cable crimps...that is where I went wrong. Ferrules definitely don't get crimped, heck, some of them are almost impossible to push on to begin with. Cable crimps...yeah, crimp those.


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## TheDon (Feb 3, 2006)

Kontact said:


> We're talking about housing ferules, not cable ends. You can't solder a ferule onto a plastic covered cable housing.


misread the op, i kind of thought he meant cable ends, since there's no reason to crimp ferrulse


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## bdaghisallo1 (Sep 25, 2007)

Actually, I crimp the ferrules on my brake cable housing. I use the CNC ferrules from biketoolsetc.com. I used to do it with the derr housing too, but I use DI2 now so no need for that. 

It's something I have done for the past five years so I keep doing it.


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## Kontact (Apr 1, 2011)

bdaghisallo1 said:


> It's something I have done for the past five years so I keep doing it.


Well, there's a reason.

The Shimano cable cutting tool does have a place to crimp the ferrules built into it, if that's your thing. But crimping is just an impediment to doing maintenance, and makes it harder to re-use the ferrules, which otherwise wouldn't wear out.


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## zac (Aug 5, 2005)

Kontact said:


> Well, there's a reason.
> 
> *The Shimano cable cutting tool does have a place to crimp the ferrules built into it*, if that's your thing. But crimping is just an impediment to doing maintenance, and makes it harder to re-use the ferrules, which otherwise wouldn't wear out.


What!? No they don't. The crimping is for the cable ends, not the ferrules!

You are confusing the ferrules with the cable end crimps. You don't crimp the ferrules, ever! Why would you do this? You risk crushing the housing, even if ever so slightly, and restricting the movement of the cable. Also if you crimp the ferrule, you are going to deform it, this will now be a starting point for the introduction of moisture and grit getting into the housing.

The ferrules and housing are designed for each other, they fit tight enough already, and for those of us who have been doing this a long time we have gone from simple stamped out generic parts to finely machined parts mated to the housings, at least on the better cables that are available. Indeed you should use a little grease to get them on, and seal out the moisture from getting into the housing. But one thing is certain, you do not crimp either a brake or derailleur ferrule.

EDIT: I see that you are aware of the difference from some of your other posts, and I see now that you were probably being tongue in cheek to the poster you were responding too...but still the Shim cutters do not have a ferrule crimping slot.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

PoorCyclist said:


> Is it necessary to crimp down the ferrules for brake cables,
> or do you just slip them on. What tool do you use to crimp it?


Assuming, per the discussion, that you're talking about cable ends rather than ferrules, you have to crimp them or they'll fall off. Wire cutters work nicely. Just a couple of gentle crimps, enough to make them secure but not crush the cable.

A lot of people just put a bit of super glue to keep the cable from fraying. Heat-shrink tubing (for wire insulation) works neat, too.


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## octapotamus (Feb 11, 2011)

The tension in the cable/housing keeps the Ferrules in place. I would never crimp them as there is no need, and it would mark an otherwise neat little part.


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## octapotamus (Feb 11, 2011)

Ugh, someone please tell me how to avoid double posts, seems to occur randomly...


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## bdaghisallo1 (Sep 25, 2007)

octapotamus said:


> The tension in the cable/housing keeps the Ferrules in place. I would never crimp them as there is no need, and it would mark an otherwise neat little part.


http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.c...=Cable-and-Housing&tc=Crimpers&item_id=LY-T08

If you get a tool especially made to crimp the ferrules, you won't mark them up at all. But you do need ferrules designed to be crimped. I have tried it with normal ones and they don't crimp too well.

This benefit is mainly for gear cable housing. Crimping the ferrules stops them being pushed off as the housing gets compressed and stops the housing liner separating from the outer casing of the housing, leading to spongy shifting.

Some may scoff but I noticed a sizeable improvement in the crispness of shifting when I started to use crimpable ferrules on gear cable housing. It also extends the period in which the housing functions as it does on day one, without it deteriorating.


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## Kontact (Apr 1, 2011)

zac said:


> What!? No they don't. The crimping is for the cable ends, not the ferrules!
> 
> You are confusing the ferrules with the cable end crimps. You don't crimp the ferrules, ever! Why would you do this? You risk crushing the housing, even if ever so slightly, and restricting the movement of the cable. Also if you crimp the ferrule, you are going to deform it, this will now be a starting point for the introduction of moisture and grit getting into the housing.
> 
> ...


Nope, you just don't know what you're talking about.

See the hexagonal cut out 1/2" above the spring? That's a ferrule crimper.


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## martinrjensen (Sep 23, 2007)

I was confused by this too. I'm thinking if you didn't crimp the ferrules (ends) they would fall off. Never thought about the housing ferrules but I guess that's the correct term for them. I suppose I will now have to stop calling them the little silver cable housing end cover thingies.


TheDon said:


> misread the op, i kind of thought he meant cable ends, since there's no reason to crimp ferrulse


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## cmdrpiffle (Mar 28, 2006)

Okay, I crimped once. Just once. Let's say I was 'crimp curious'. I was young, and all the other guys were doing it.

Oh wait, what's going on in this thread again?


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## kykr13 (Apr 12, 2008)

The thing that goes on the end of a cable to keep it from fraying? Yes, they need to be crimped. They will slide right over the cable and won't stay without crimping (or superglue, I guess...).

The metal pieces that go on the end of a housing, no, I don't crimp them either. I think my Park Tool cutter has a place for crimping these (which is separate from the spot for crimping the cable ends) but I see no reason to do this.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

cmdrpiffle said:


> Okay, I crimped once. Just once. Let's say I was 'crimp curious'. I was young, and all the other guys were doing it.


I hope you used protection.


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## martinrjensen (Sep 23, 2007)

I'm really thinking that if you crimped the ferrule, you would risk crushing the inner core a little bit, and it wouldn't take a whole lot to put friction on the cable. It wouldn't help any thing to crimp the ferrules anyway as the cable tension keeps them on. The cutout in the picture of the crimpers looks to me like it's designed to crimp the cable ends.


JCavilia said:


> I hope you used protection.


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## Kontact (Apr 1, 2011)

martinrjensen said:


> I'm really thinking that if you crimped the ferrule, you would risk crushing the inner core a little bit, and it wouldn't take a whole lot to put friction on the cable. It wouldn't help any thing to crimp the ferrules anyway as the cable tension keeps them on. The cutout in the picture of the crimpers looks to me like it's designed to crimp the cable ends.


Why do you think I posted about it? I didn't have a dream that is for ferrules - I've used the tool dozens of times! Have you ever picked one up? 

It doesn't crush the ferrule. It squeezes it into the hexagon that fits the housing tighter on the flats of the hex. It does not do it by pressing on the housing - you can do it without the housing in place.

The other method you'll see fairly often is staking - the ferrule will have a single punched point on the side.


Crimping ferrules helps keep them together with the housing, so precut cabling on partially assembled bicycles often comes like this. But there isn't much reason to do it on your bike at home for the reasons I already stated, and it is just something else to screw up.


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

Kontact said:


> Nope, you just don't know what you're talking about.
> 
> See the hexagonal cut out 1/2" above the spring? That's a ferrule crimper.


Or, it's a spot to help round the cable back out after the cutting naturally crimped it a bit, as occasionally happens. 

Whichever.


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## martinrjensen (Sep 23, 2007)

Well I can understand doing this for premade cables maybe. And I have never even seen one let alone pick one up, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn the other night.


Kontact said:


> Why do you think I posted about it? I didn't have a dream that is for ferrules - I've used the tool dozens of times! Have you ever picked one up?
> 
> It doesn't crush the ferrule. It squeezes it into the hexagon that fits the housing tighter on the flats of the hex. It does not do it by pressing on the housing - you can do it without the housing in place.
> 
> ...


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