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My cable shifter couldn't be secured in place because the stub of the metal shifter clamp keeps sliding over the derailleur's metal surface when applying torque to the bolt.

The clamp, instead of pressing down on the cable, slides along the surface it's supposed to be crimping against, and doesn't tighten anything.

(I'm not sure what the small metal piece being held in place by the pinch bolt is called, but I hope it would be understandable if I call it the clamp) enter image description hereenter image description here

(I'm gonna be replacing that broken cable later, this is an old bike I'm fixing up)

For reference here is the user's manual for cable installation for my model which I tried to follow: enter image description here

However I'm not sure why this clamp isn't being held in place? From the looks of it the edges of the surface seems to be rounded. Or is it supposed to move around freely like that? I've been stumped for a couple of days now.

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    Is the top photo just an example? The cable is not set under the clamping overhang/lip and can’t be clamped effectively.
    – Warren Burton
    Commented Nov 16, 2023 at 9:28
  • The images are only to show the position of the clamp and I do slide the cable underneath the lip in my actual attempts to secure the cable.
    – sagaris
    Commented Nov 16, 2023 at 9:41
  • A washer between the nut and the clamp might help prevent it turning? The problem looks to be that the derailleur is worn around the area that's supposed to stop the clamp turning, possibly from being over tightened at some point?
    – Alan Birtles
    Commented Nov 16, 2023 at 13:05
  • It looks to me as if the "clamp" in your photograph is "mirrored" somehow. In the diagram, I see the bent tab near 9 O'clock position while the wide tab is pointing towards 6, In the (bottom half of the) photo, however, I see the bent tab pointing towards 3 O'clock while the wide tab points to 6. Is it possible that you got this part (clamp) mixed in from another derailleur?
    – Jahaziel
    Commented Nov 16, 2023 at 14:53

1 Answer 1

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Looking at the 2nd picture, it's possible the tab on the clamp washer has got bent. That could be caused by overtightening it in that intermediate position.

Tightening it with the cable lying nicely in the groove helps stop it rotating during clamping. If that's not enough you can hold the tab with pliers, or even try to bend it so it's less willing to rotate.

If it's rotating in normal use, after adjustment, you're not doing it up tight enough. The tab isn't strictly necessary at that stage and I've worked on derailleur cable clamps without them.

But there's something odd - the user manual drawing shows the anti-rotation tab at 8 o'clock, and the groove at 5 o'clock, i.e. the tab is clockwise of the groove. Your third photo has the groove at 5 o'clock but the tab is a 2 o'clock, as if the clamp washer has the wrong handedness.

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