MSYT
Senior Retro Guru
Hey folks.
So... I have a set of Suntour X-Press shifters that came on a 91 Giant Stonebreaker... could be 92. You know the ones, super simple mechanisms that make the arms cross each other when shifting. The bike hadn't really been used much so the shifters were a little still. I sprayed in a little lube, as you do. The rear shifter works a treat but somehow the lube.... broke the front shifter?!
Before it was stiff but would hold in the middle ring. Now it's clean it snaps from one extreme to the other.
Super simple design. Much like a thumby - the indexing is done via a ball bearing moving in to slots. Only 2 slots though weirdly. The problem I'm encounting is the spring on the main body is overpowering everything and causing that missing of the middle ring. I've seen the instructions for these shifters and it says to adjsut tension via the nut and I have but it either is too loose or too tight and you have to fight to shift.
So... in an effort to save them. Does anyone have an tips on making them useable. Reducing the tension from the lower spring somehow or replacing the ball bearing?
The lower spring is a shit design tbh. It's meant to be held down by a washer that slots over a nut shape... great... but the pivot it's meant to hook on to on the other lever is higher so it forces the washer up and spring out of position.
Pics to follow.
So... I have a set of Suntour X-Press shifters that came on a 91 Giant Stonebreaker... could be 92. You know the ones, super simple mechanisms that make the arms cross each other when shifting. The bike hadn't really been used much so the shifters were a little still. I sprayed in a little lube, as you do. The rear shifter works a treat but somehow the lube.... broke the front shifter?!
Before it was stiff but would hold in the middle ring. Now it's clean it snaps from one extreme to the other.
Super simple design. Much like a thumby - the indexing is done via a ball bearing moving in to slots. Only 2 slots though weirdly. The problem I'm encounting is the spring on the main body is overpowering everything and causing that missing of the middle ring. I've seen the instructions for these shifters and it says to adjsut tension via the nut and I have but it either is too loose or too tight and you have to fight to shift.
So... in an effort to save them. Does anyone have an tips on making them useable. Reducing the tension from the lower spring somehow or replacing the ball bearing?
The lower spring is a shit design tbh. It's meant to be held down by a washer that slots over a nut shape... great... but the pivot it's meant to hook on to on the other lever is higher so it forces the washer up and spring out of position.
Pics to follow.
