Hi guys
Need some help
I have some Shimano xtr ST-M975 dual controls
Had them for ages but now the left hand one is not shifting
The cable is not snapped or come out of the nipple holder
Just doesn’t shift up or down
Anyone else had this and repaired it as I cannot even see what has gone wrong
Thanks in advance

It may just need cleaning and greasing – sometimes they get gunked up, and the ratchets stop working

Thanks
I will try that
But pretty sure it is more than that

I would just spray lots and lots of penetrating oil in and keep working it. The grease hardens up after a few years and they stop working properly. If you can get it working, then spray some heavier oil in to lube it.

The mechanism seems to be free
I can tap the levers up and down and the one thumb shifter but nothing works

Sometimes on a road shifter one strand of cable snaps near the nipple and the little sticky out bit can cause all sorts of problems. Pull the cable out and then it’s much fun with tweezers getting the rogue bit out.
Pull your cable out and check near the nipple.

Oh God I hated them. Flippy flappy brake / gear levers. No place on a MTB IMHO.

I can tap the levers up and down and the one thumb shifter but nothing works

I think you dodged a bullet. It’s a sign!

Get some 950 / 960 so you don’t pull the brake on a crucial gear change!

Damn, I gave mine to a bloke I worked with at my old place, out of the kindness of my heart (I have a big kind one as everyone knows 😀 ). He told me he didn’t bother fitting them, but kept them anyway!

Just my luck

Oh God I hated them. Flippy flappy brake / gear levers. No place on a MTB IMHO.

I quite like them

OP, I would disconnect the mech and see if you are getting any cable pull when pushing down on the lever and them tension with some pliers and try and shift the other way.

Report back

I can pull the cable and the front mech moves
If I try and shift there is no difference on tension of the cable
Will try and investigate a bit more tonight after work

If I try and shift there is no difference on tension of the cable

This is what happens when the grease dries out. Just work lots of lube through it. Start with penetrating oil, then something heavier once it frees up.

Thanks for the replies guys
I took the top cover off tonight to so I could see the inner workings
Not good
The ratchet system has sheared off and is in two pieces
Oh well
Anyone have any for sale

Yes but not xtr

needs to be xtr to match my set up

Are the internals of the dual control levers the same as regular ones? If they are, it might be possible to repair it using a standard version.

Why hasn’t anyone told the OP to go 1x at the front yet? Front derailleurs are a bit 2011. They’re worse than even dual control levers.

@GSI-MAN are these the 8 speed ones?

I used to run mine with the dual-control front brake/rear shifter and a normal shifter + brake lever for the front/ rear brake. Mainly because the throw on the front shifter was annoyingly long, where as the rear was nice n snappy. Also to change both meant a new rear mech cos of that reverse sprung deal thingy, whatever it was called. I’d suggest doing that if you can’t source one. The matching shifters really isn’t a thing to worry about.
And you don’t need to change the rear brake caliper, just the lever and shifter.

Hi guys
Phil56 these are the nine speed ones
And the one that is broken is the front mech one
Single speed not sure about as I mainly use my bike just for commuting
I have some long flats and downhills and some very steep hills to get up

From memory, dual control only ever came out for 9 speed. The fatal thing was that you could not run any other brand of hydraulic brakes so bike companies resisted that. The regular derailleurs and backwards derailleurs used the same pull ratio, but if you mixed them, the shift action would be reversed.

Any Shimano brake lever will work with the brakes, and (I think) any 3-speed LH shifter will work too, so keeping it running shouldn’t be a problem if you can live with mismatched LH and RH levers.

Hmmmm
I might have to have a good look into this and buy either a mismatch or maybe a different set up completely
Thanks guys

If dual controls were only ever 9 speed I have a set of XTR in good condition – I just need to try and remember where they are!!!
I’ll try and find them later and check what model they are

@GSI-MAN

I’ve found the front/left hand one – It’s XTR ST-M965
No idea what the difference is between 965 and 975, but if you PM me your email address I’ll send you a photo

Phil56
Message sent

The 965 and the 975 are very different. I think I might have a spare 975 in the garage. If its of interest I’ll have a look tomorrow morning.

Wow
Sounds brilliant thanks boriselbrus

Not cheap, but listed as in stock.

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/gear-spares/shimano-xtr-stm965-main-lever-assembly-left-y6gs98020/?geoc=JP

Unfortunately that’s for the older M965 lever – spare internals aren’t listed for the OP’s M975.

Hi boriselbrus
I sent you a message yesterday
Please can you send me some pictures to my email
Thanks

Had a few offers of Xtr and xt dual controls
Any more from anyone else before I commit either way
Thanks