Campagnolo Ultrashift - Maintenance ?

[Tony T]

Is there annual maintenance that should be performing on my Campagnolo Ultrashift levers? (i.e. grease, oil).

[peanutgallery]

At a bare minimum

Cables and housing

[Tony T]

Yeah, I just snapped a shifter cable today, and that's what got me thinking if I should be applying any grease.
I just changed the cable, is changing the housing necessary?

[peanutgallery]

I would recommend 1 cable every 6 months. Extended range gearing is rough on cables

[Black Dog]

I would recommend 1 cable every 6 months. Extended range gearing is rough on cables

Ouch. On my 11 speed campy I am on year 5 on a well ridden bike.

[fignon's barber]

Ouch. On my 11 speed campy I am on year 5 on a well ridden bike.


Same here. I've averaged 10-12,000 miles per year, all racing/training, and never changed a cable. Just keep adjusted and occasionally grease.

[fignon's barber]

Yeah, I just snapped a shifter cable today, and that's what got me thinking if I should be applying any grease.
I just changed the cable, is changing the housing necessary?

Make sure cable tension is properly adjusted. A cable is engineered to withstand many times the normal tension.

[oldpotatoe]

Is there annual maintenance that should be performing on my Campagnolo Ultrashift levers? (i.e. grease, oil).

Not really...cables and housing maybe and maybe a lube spray on the thumb button and shift lever pivot points. If they start to feel 'soft'..maybe ensure the wee bolts in front and back are tight. Unlike 2008 and older, no springs to wear, no spring carrier to break.

The great thing about ERGO, UltraShift and older ERGO, is Campag has always been about servicing these things..unlike shimano and sram. sram made noises about that when new but it never happened. shimano, if the lever fails, breaks..no amount of flush will fix it..and into the trash it goes.

YES, shift assemblies only for Campag but some of us(ME), take these apart and sell small parts you may need. UltraShift. I replaced 2 shift lever blades and 3 thumb buttons recently on a gents levers(2 sets)...wet clime, rust...

Yes, I'm a Campag fan boy and this was a wee editorial about shift levers-'pal'...

:)

[Tony T]

Ouch. On my 11 speed campy I am on year 5 on a well ridden bike.

6 years on mine, then it snapped yesterday (frayed, and stretched, actually).

[Tony T]

Not really...cables and housing maybe and maybe a lube spray on the thumb button and shift lever pivot points.

I'm going to change the other shift cable and brakes as well.
Are new housings needed? Looks ok on the outside.
I was thinking of lube in the ratchet.
White Lithium? WD-40? Oil?

[oldpotatoe]

I'm going to change the other shift cable and brakes as well.
Are new housings needed? Looks ok on the outside.
I was thinking of lube in the ratchet.
White Lithium? WD-40? Oil?

Unlike stainless inner wires, housing metal innards can rust. Maybe just a trim if it doesn't make them too short.

Sure, spray some lube into the ratchet 'sandwich' but NOT WD-40..that's a solvent primarily.

[gfk_velo]

Unlike stainless inner wires, housing metal innards can rust. Maybe just a trim if it doesn't make them too short.

Sure, spray some lube into the ratchet 'sandwich' but NOT WD-40..that's a solvent primarily.

Generally recommend something synthetic-based rather than mineral oil-based for both grease and the *small* amounts of oil needed internally.

At VT we use Kluber NB52 Topas grease (formerly sold by Campagnolo as LB-100) and ProGold Prolink lube - it's made as a chain oil but has super-low surface tension so goes deep into where you need it and is a synthetic so no damage to rubber / most plastics.

Mineral oils can attack the hoods and make them go a bit "baggy" - which can impeded the free movement of the shift levers. Strong solvent + composite can also be a bad combination ...

[PaMtbRider]

I'm going to change the other shift cable and brakes as well.
Are new housings needed? Looks ok on the outside.
I was thinking of lube in the ratchet.
White Lithium? WD-40? Oil?

If all the other cables / housings are 6 years old replace them all. You shouldn't need to change them every year, but after 6 years spend the $50 for all new.

[Ken Robb]

I think cable and housing replacement even though they seem "OK" is often something that leads to an "AHA" moment. They deteriorate so slowly over time and use that we forget how wonderful the shifting and braking can be with new cable/housing which leaves us thinking "why didn't I do this sooner?"

[rousseau]

I think cable and housing replacement even though they seem "OK" is often something that leads to an "AHA" moment. They deteriorate so slowly over time and use that we forget how wonderful the shifting and braking can be with new cable/housing which leaves us thinking "why didn't I do this sooner?"
This has always been my experience as well. It never fails to suddenly feel amazing. But is it just psychosomatic or the power of suggestion? Dunno. It always feel like it's worth the $50, though.

But I never do anything to my cables/housing once they're on the bike. Maybe a good greasing regimen at the points where the cable emerges from the housing is in order?