Any hints or tips for threading brake cable through a frame?

I need to thread the cable of my disc brake, slx, through the frame on my meta AM.

It’s a full system and needs shortening anyway but what’s the best procedure here?

Which end should I start at? Should I empty the system out first?

The hose goes in at the head tube down through the down tube and into the swingarm.

I really want to give it a go first before admitting defeat and getting my LBS to do it.

Long bit of stiff-ish wire.

You should be able to thread it down the down tube ok, then poke the wire up from the dropout to the bottom bracket. Remove bottom bracket and tape the cable to the wire and pull it through.

I used a bit of string with a nut tied to the end for mine- dangled it through the frame, grabbed it with pointy pliars, then tied it to the hose. If the hole is big enough to take the hose through with the banjo on that’ll be easiest probably, it’s harder to tie the hose up if it’s a bare end (on mine, it had to go through with an open end so I ended up fitting a barb and tying the string to that)

A good quality torch

And if you have a cable in all ready tie the new cable to the old one before pulling it out

Brilliant thanks.

No cable in there as yet. I got the gear cables through quite easily. I’ll leave the banjo and barb in and try that way.

Should I remove the cable at the lever or calliper?

At the lever end if you can. That way, if any air gets into the hose it’s at the lever end and easy to get out again.

At the lever end so start at the bottom and feed up through the swing arm etc?

This is gonna be a real pain in the ass I can tell.

Some soft string and hover to suck it though !

Can you fit something steel through the entry points there (ie a nut as Northwind suggests?) If so, that on a bit of string, using a magnet on the outside of the frame to guide it through. Then as above, tie the string to the hose and use that to pull it through.

Well it worked on my carbon monocoque TT bike when I was internally routing a computer cable anyway!

Do you know an electrician,they have them there things for doing such activities?

My Mrs has a Meta so i’m well practiced in this ‘art’.

Firstly, my advice is don’t even bother running the gear cable through the chainstay. It’s fine for the first month or so, but then it starts to wear on the tight turn it has to make around the rear tyre & it makes shifting got awful. Her’s runs outside now for that part and it’s still fine, 6 months later.

To be honest, I did the same with the brake too – the headtube/downtube bit is easy, the chainstays were no fun at all. Plus neither cable rattles like mad in them now.

Save yourself the effort.

Cheers hobnob, I’ve done the gear cables although to was a bit concerned regarding the tight section before it pops out of the swingarm.

How did you secure the cable to the swingarm section? I’d be quite happy to leave that bit out.

Don’t happen to have any pics of your routing do you?

Should I empty the system then refill or attempt with fluid in first?

Are you replacing an existing hose with a new one or is this a first-time fit ?
If the former, how about this :
Get a length of wire, as stiff as you can and of a diameter that will fit INSIDE the brake hose.
Thread the wire into the hose from the headtube end and keep pushing until the wire emerges at the other end of the hose.
Then slide the hose out of the frame, along the wire, while making sure that the wire stays where it is in the frame.
Then slide the new hose in from the headtube end, sliding it over the wire that’s still in place in your frame.
Maybe ….
Never tried this myself but a bike shop mechanic told me once that this is how they fit new cable outers so I’ve always wondered if it would work with hoses.
Interested to know if it would work, please let us know !

First time frame fit. I guess the issue would be if have to empty the system to get a wire inside.

I think I’ll route it down the down tube, which is relatively simple then zip tie it to the rear swing arm.

Should mean best of both worlds.