Fixing my MTB dropper post cable

Not dead yet. Been busy with work and other things.

Another in my series of infrequent updates, a little thing I’ve made better.

To the subject: I fitted a cable-release dropper post to one of my mountain bikes. I noticed the action of the cable release was not particularly reliable, and no amount of fiddling and tweaking seemed to fix it.

I even bought a replacement handlebar lever. PNW do make fine dropper post levers, although they are slightly spendy.

I still had a problem. It might be related to the cable location, or nature of the cable run. I was happy with where the cable was, and did not want to move the cable.

The seat post’s internal release mechanism didn’t seem to create much tension in the cable. On the one hand this is desirable, except when there’s an excess of friction in the cable run.

The solution which works for me is to buy (or otherwise acquire) a small spring. I found a spring with these dimensions fits and works:
Overall diameter 5mm
Wire diameter 0.5mm
Length 20mm

Just insert the spring under the release lever like this (the nub on the cable end just fits through the spring):

Job done, go out and ride!

Voodoo Wazoo Fat Bike – how to fix it.

I bought a ‘Halfords Special’ earlier this year.

I’ve had more than my money’s worth of fun with it since.

As these are built to a price (and it is a bargain as it stands) compromises were made:

1. The headset bearings lasted about three months in the wetness of the Lake District. I replaced the factory-fit “thing” with a no-name clone of the Hope S.H.I.S. ZS44/28.6 (upper) and ZS44/30 (lower). This gives you cartridge bearings for your 1 1/8″ steerer. Some astute observers suggested that you might use a EC44/40 at the lower, to give you compatibility with tapered steerer tubes. You might want to replace the forks in the future. The factory fitted bearings had no seals installed, so it was not much of a surprise they failed soon.
2. The bottom bracket failed after about 6 months. What was fitted was a 100mm shell, with a 154.5mm square taper spindle. Made by some cheap manufacturer with bearings made of cheese. This is where it gets weird. Halfords have told me their ‘technical records’ indicate the spindle length is 164mm. I know that one Wazoo left the factory with a 154.5mm spindle…
   Finding a replacement proved to be tricky, and the best that myself and my local LBS could find was an On-One 100x148mm BB. This fits, does not destroy the chain line, nor causes any mechanical issues. It looks like a superior replacement, with doubled-up bearings at each end of the spindle. [ I reserve the right to revise my assessment of the BB at the end of its life ]
   Halfords did suggest I order part number 153878 “BBS Wazoo 2015 BB” for the sum of £16. I have done that purely for the curiosity value.

I wanted to put these technical bits in to the public domain, in case they help other bikers dabbling with fat bikes. The nearest whole bike which can compete with the Wazoo costs around £1000, so it is a compelling choice for an alternative mountain bike.

(7/10/2016) The Halfords part number will provide you with a 154.5mm spindle BB, for a 100mm BB shell. I think I will continue buying the On-One part, on the basis that it is more likely to survive being wet once or twice.

Update 31/12/2016

3. Freehub info: The Halfords part number for the freehub is 341740 “FHB CB/Car/VD Splin F”. You need to insert a 12mm allen key in to the hub from the non-drive side to release the freehub. The seals on the cup-and-cone bearings are poor, so you’ll be re-greasing the bearings frequently (or never getting the bike wet).
There are some letters stamped on one of the splines “JdT”, I don’t know if this is a model designation or a maker’s mark.

As an aside, a Shimano 10 speed cassette (CS-M771-10) fits on that freehub, with what appears to be sufficient thread engagement on the lock-nut. I haven’t tried an 11 speed MTB cassette on it yet, only because I don’t have a spare sitting on the shelf.

Update 23/1/2017

4. The factory-fit cable to operate the rear dérailleur lasted a bit longer than my cynical self expected. I have replaced it with a sealed and continuous run of outer and inner, to keep the water and muck out.

5. Another recommendation; inspect the jockey wheels on the dérailleur. If they do not turn freely then disassemble, clean, pack with light grease before reassembly. When an entire rear mech. costs under £10, you get what you pay for.

Update 15/2/2017

Yes, a Shimano Deore XT M8000 (11-42) 11-speed cassette fits on the freehub, sufficient thread engagement on the lock nut etc. No obvious fouls or pitfalls to my (un)trained eyes.

Update 23/10/2017

The On-One 100x148mm BB failed recently. Despite being well made, it was never going to last forever in the wet and rainy Lake District. Finding an actual “BBOO100-SQ-148” seems to be impossible now (tell me I’m wrong?).

So the options seemed to be repair the BB … or throw the BB, cranks and (possibly) chain-ring in the bin.

Naturally, I chose to repair the BB. You will need (quantity) 4 bearings of size “18307”. [18mm ID, 30mm OD, 7mm wide] Suggest you choose bearings with a decent seal like Abec’ Enduro range.

Remove the BB, and you should be able to drift the old bearings off the shaft. Tappy-tap-tap! If you find the bearings are in the BB cup, a bearing puller should work. I was able to get them out with my hammer and punch. Your mileage may vary.

Clean the shaft, and drop it (bagged) in the freezer for an hour or two. Make a brew.
Pro-tip: Top up the grease within the bearings with a good quality water-resistant grease. The new bearings should drift on to the shaft with a smear of grease and a bit gentle percussion. There are steps on the crank profile so you can’t go too far with the bearings.

Re-assemble, check, and go out for playtime.