Straightening a shift lever

F

Feanor

Member

Aug 10, 2004

144

0

• Apr 21, 2005

• #1

Hi All...

Looks like my shift lever is bent (down and away so the peg is sloping down toward the outside of the bike)

I was curious as to what techniques all of your are using to straighten them as they seem to bend very easily in a crash, but are nice and resilient when it comes to repair efforts :)

I don;t have a large vise at the moment, so looking for other imaginative and effective alternatives :)

Thanks in Advance!

Feanor

 

1

1tontj

Member

Mar 19, 2004

328

0

• Apr 22, 2005

• #2

My technique invloves a large vise unfortunatly.

If you don't have one, take the part to a local mechanic and ask to borrow his hammer and vise for a box of donuts, or a couple coffees.

Phil

 

I

Idaho Charley

Member

Jul 20, 2000

74

0

• Apr 22, 2005

• #3

IMO you should remove the lever before straightening it. Once removed even a large cresent wrench holding the mounting area while another cresent wrench or long adjustable pliers readjusts the lever will work. You do need to look and think about which portion of the lever needs to move and which is stationary. During field repairs with my kids I have used the bike's foot peg to isolate one section of brake or gear lever while I tweaked a lever back into a workable lever.

 

W

Woodsquest

I love DRN!

Member

Dec 15, 2004

94

0

• Apr 22, 2005

• #4

Like Charley, I use a cresent wrench. But I leave the lever on the bike, adjust the jaws of the wrench to the shift lever just behind the folding tip, and tweak it back. Buy a better one and use the stock one in your fanny pack as a spare.

 

K

KdxChode

Member

Jun 18, 2001

327

0

• Apr 22, 2005

• #5

that stocker one is made out of rubber. I think mine bent just from shifting. I got an aftermarket one and haven't had any problems since. There were two or three different brands and they were exactly the same except the color of the rubber end piece, moose made one of them and maybe IMS?