# Internal Cable Routing Noise - Look 586



## adlerburg (Feb 1, 2008)

Hi,
I just finished a build of a Look 586 and 1st ride was today. One thing that was driving me nuts was a rattling sound when I would ride on any rough surface. I isolated the issue to the rear brake cable that is routed through the top tube. The clacking would stop when I tensioned the cable and hit the rear brake. When I let loose (and I was on rough surface), the rattling reappeared. I'm using the Nokon cable housing.
Has anyone else had this issue, and if so, has anyone resolved it?
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Mick
View attachment 131780


View attachment 131781


----------



## foz (Sep 30, 2004)

Rattling cables is one of the downsides of hidden cables. There's not a lot you can do about it. Make sure the cable is as tight as it can be without the lever being pulled - the less slack there is, the less it'll move and rattle. The only other thing you could try would be to cover the section of bare inner cable that runs inside the frame with some rubber heat shrink tubing. This won't stop it rattling, but it might make it quieter.


----------



## Spunout (Aug 12, 2002)

Can you fit those balls/rubber washers which slide onto the cable, into the frame?

Internal cabling sucks, unless you end up going full-housing all of the way through.


----------



## carbon6 (Mar 7, 2008)

I have the same problem with my 586 frame using the 7800 brake cable/housing. I run the cable straight thru and the vibration sucks. I noticed you have a couple of ferrules added. Was that by design?


----------



## adlerburg (Feb 1, 2008)

The ferrules just terminate the regular polymer housing that I ran through the frame. It was a trick way to butt the Nokon housing up to it so it had a nice finished look


----------



## spepic (Jan 25, 2007)

How do you guys find the braking, same as normal rear brakes?

The rear brakes on my Ora suck, still can't figure out a solution. I get a rubbing noise when I use the brakes, trying to figure out a way to lubricate the cable that runs through the frame, silicon spray and WD40 aren't thick enough.


----------



## adlerburg (Feb 1, 2008)

Brakes are perfect. In fact, using the Nokon cables for the 1st time and the brakes and shifting seem marketably smoother than ever before using standard housings.


----------



## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*thoughts..*

Although it will add a bit of weight, it would be tempting to just run a full length housing. The older LOOK frames with hidden cables required a full length housing.


----------



## adlerburg (Feb 1, 2008)

Hi,
It is pretty much full length housing. I have the typical polymer housing running through the frame, then the Nokon housing butting up to the ends of that on both sides.


----------



## Adjudic8r (Mar 11, 2007)

I have a 586 with Campy cables and experiance the same problem. I warpped some electrician's tape around the cable as it enters the housing, which has helped some.


----------



## carbon6 (Mar 7, 2008)

Braking is normal. I don't have any rubbing or screeching when applying the brakes.


----------



## carbon6 (Mar 7, 2008)

Unlike adlerburg's setup going from Nokon->regular->Nokon, I'm running one continuous length of housing (DA 5mm) from lever to brake. The noise quiets down if I apply pressure to the housing as it enters the top tube -- either by pulling or pushing the housing.


----------



## adlerburg (Feb 1, 2008)

Is the electrical tape exposed? That would suck having to see electrical tape when Look went through the painstaking effort of such a clean looking application.
I did notice that if I tension the cable, the rattling seems to disappear. While riding on rough road producing the cable rattle, I can make it cease by applying the rear brake. The rattle also ceases if I engage the rear brake lever enough to tension the cable, but not engage the brakes. I'm going to pull the cable as tight as it will go without actuating the rear brake... see if that cures it. It would make sense that it would since by me doing it manually at the lever, it seems to resolve the issue.
If that doesn't work, I was thinking of the following solution.
1- removing the cable housing from the internal route
2- fill the entire route with clear silicone
3- carefully and securely terminate and seal one end of the cable housing
4- push that end through the route until it comes out the exit hole
5- carefully and thoroughly clean all the excess silicone that was pushed out
6- remove the sealed termination on the cable housing end used to push through
7- allow the silicone to dry
8- terminate with ferrules and run the cable through the housing as I originally did.
For those not using the Nokon->normal->Nokon as I did... and just running normal housing through, this solution would be much simpler... not having to worry about the connection of the Nokon housing.
I wonder if the silicone might be harmful to the frame's finish(?)


----------



## adlerburg (Feb 1, 2008)

This sounds like a silly question to me, but.. is the rattling the cable housing in the frame, or the cable in the cable housing? I would assume the former..... but perhaps not?


----------



## carbon6 (Mar 7, 2008)

It's the slapping around of the housing in the top tube. There's not enough room for the cable to rattle in the housing. I'll try the tape method first. I wonder if Chas has heard about this problem from the Look forum.


----------



## adlerburg (Feb 1, 2008)

I've PM'ed Chas and made him aware of this thread


----------



## awiner (Aug 28, 2007)

I DO NOT have this issue on my 595.... I wonder if the Campy brake cable is a ***** thicker and holds tighter in the head tube.


----------



## adlerburg (Feb 1, 2008)

*BFV !!!! (Bicycle Fricken Voodoo)*

OK.... I'm stumped now. THE RATTLING STOPPED! After 200 miles have been put on the bike, I noticed today as I was finishing my ride that everything seemed awfully quiet. I proceeded to go down some of the roughest roads that clearly produced the rattling before... and nothing! Whisper quiet now.... with the exception of the dang blasted SRAM Red chain whirrr. 
Settled in? Anyway... I don't want it back so I won't attract it back by giving it too much attention 
Has anyone else that has experienced the issue, have it resolve itself like I did???
Thanks,
Mick


----------



## kiwisimon (Oct 30, 2002)

adlerburg said:


> Brakes are perfect. In fact, using the Nokon cables for the 1st time and the brakes andshifting seem marketably smoother than ever before using standard housings.


sorry couldn't put it off anymore and now the issue has solved itself "seem marketably smoother " i think you meant markedly smoother, although that is something Nokon do market. Glad it worked out in the end.


----------



## adlerburg (Feb 1, 2008)

AND.... Now my Englisch is better as well!!! Who's better than me!


----------



## carbon6 (Mar 7, 2008)

My rattling has not stopped as there's significant movement with the cable going through the top tube. I pulled the housing out and can see a one inch section (about a third of the way into the top tube) that's dusty from the rattling inside. Electrical tape was a little too thick so I ended up wrapping two layers of white teflon tape (plumbing source) on that one inch section. The housing outside diameter measured 4.97mm before and 5.37mm after. This gave a snug fit in the tube. So far it seems to work. I'm glad your rattling stopped, Mick. But if it decides to come back, you can try this method.


----------



## adlerburg (Feb 1, 2008)

Thanks.... Teflon plumber's tape tends to bunch up. Did you have that issue, or did the cable housing push through the channel somewhat easily?
What cable housing are you using? Someone earlier on said they used Campy housing and did not have the issue. I would assume different brands have slightly different thicknesses.


----------



## Faustokappy (Sep 8, 2006)

*Internal Cable Noise*

I have a Look 595 and have had the same problem. The solution that worked for me (I'd say 90% of noise eliminated) was simply to use some electrical tape and to tape the cable to the top tube about 1/2 inch before it goes into the top tube at the front and again at the rear when it exits the top tube. I also have FSA K-Wing handle bars and found the cables making noise there as well and again had success with soem electrical tape. Riding the bike with a few pieces of tape is better that al the noise I had before.
Good luck.


----------



## adlerburg (Feb 1, 2008)

Geez... It sucks that we have to tape up such an expensive bike just to stop noise. I would think Look would/should address and resolve this... not the customer


----------

