Grip Shifter Replacement: Swap a Twist Shifter or Cable

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

Replacing a twist (grip) shifter is really one of three jobs: a new cable, a new grip half, or a whole new shifter. Most “my grip shift is dying” problems are a worn cable. If the housing is cracked or the clicks no longer index, the whole shifter comes off with a single clamp screw, the new one slides on, and you re-tension the cable at the derailleur.

Decide what to replace first

What you see	Job	Why
Shifting feels stiff, or the cable is frayed or rusty	New cable and housing	SRAM’s manual for its X.0/X.9/X.7 and Rocket/Attack shifters says to leave the shifter on the bar and that it does not need to be opened.
Rubber grip half is worn or spinning	Replace or refit the grip half	On those SRAM shifters the grip slides off the housing after the retaining ring is released.
Housing is cracked, or the clicks skip or will not index	New shifter	Clamp screw off, new unit on, cable re-set.

Identify your shifter

Twist shifters mount between the brake lever and the grip. The two common families are handled differently, according to Park Tool’s shift lever guide:

	SRAM Grip-Shift	Shimano Revo
How it clamps	Mounts between brake lever and grip; can be rotated on the bar so the housing exits cleanly	A clamping screw sits under the lever
How you reach the cable	An access hole or cover; some have a small set screw over the wire end, others a small clip	A plastic cover held by a small screw on top of the body
Tool to check	Hex wrench (set screw) or small screwdriver (clip)	Small Phillips screwdriver; Park Tool suggests an SD-0 for the cover screw
Warning from the source	Check the lever for a cover before pulling anything	The cover is plastic: “use care, and do nothing drastic”

What you need

• Hex wrenches, including a 3 mm for the clamp bolt on the SRAM shifters covered below
• Small flat screwdriver and a small pointed tool (for the cable head on a Revo)
• Cable cutters
• New inner cable, housing and end caps if you are replacing the cable. SRAM specifies new, high-quality cable and compressionless housing with end caps. A shift cable and housing kit covers this.
• A new shifter if needed, matched to your derailleur. See the compatibility section below, then look for a twist shifter with the right number of speeds.
• A repair stand if you have one. A good multi-tool covers most hex sizes.

Replace the cable on a SRAM twist shifter

These steps follow Park Tool’s SRAM instructions and the SRAM manual for the X.0, X.9, X.7, Rocket and Attack shifters. Other models vary, so look at your lever for a cover first.

1. Rotate the shifter fully in the cable-release direction. SRAM says gear 1 on a front shifter and gear 9/8 on a rear shifter for these models.
2. Detach the cable from the derailleur.
3. Cut the old cable about 15 cm (6 in) from the shifter’s barrel adjuster and discard the old cable and housing.
4. Open the cable-change hatch on the shifter (or remove the set screw or clip your model uses). Find the cable head entry.
5. Push back the tab covering the cable head with a small flat screwdriver, then push the cable up and out.
6. Feed the new cable through the cable entry and out through the barrel adjuster, then pull it snug so the head seats under the tab.
7. Close the hatch, feed the cable through the new housing and frame stops, and attach it to the derailleur.
8. Index the shifting (see below).

Replace the whole shifter

Rotate the shifter fully in the release direction so the cable goes slack, as above, then:

1. Detach the cable from the derailleur and free the cable head from the old shifter.
2. Remove the grip from the bar, and slide the old shifter off after loosening its clamp. On the SRAM models above that is a 3 mm hex wrench.
3. Slide the new shifter on. If the brake lever is in the way, move it along the bar. Leave room if you run bar ends.
4. Rotate the shifter until the barrel adjuster sits beneath the brake lever but clear of it.
5. Tighten the clamp bolt. SRAM specifies 1.9 N·m (17 in-lb) for its 3 mm hex clamp bolt on the shifters in that manual. Park Tool lists no torque for the Shimano Revo clamping screw, so use the figure in the manual for your exact model.
6. Slide the grip back on. SRAM warns that solvents, lubricants or hair spray can damage the handlebar grip, and that a spray adhesive or grip glue can help minimize rotation.
7. Thread the cable and attach it to the derailleur, then index.

On a Shimano Revo, Park Tool’s sequence is: shift to the most relaxed position, rotate the lever toward the front, detach the cable at the derailleur, pull the housing from the lever body, remove the cover screw, pry the cover up at the split, and bend the cable head out of its socket with a small pointed tool. When fitting the new cable, check that it follows the routing in the lever body before you refit the cover and its screw.

Replacing only the grip half

For the SRAM shifters in the manual, you can remove the grip from the housing by squeezing the housing tabs to release the axial fixture ring, then pushing the grip lightly forward in the release direction while slowly sliding it outward. SRAM warns that pulling the grip off quickly can make the coil spring move out of position. On reassembly, seat the spring end on the tab in the groove, slide the grip toward the housing so its tab catches the open end of the spring, rotate the grip slightly forward to compress the spring, and refit the ring over the housing tabs.

Match the new shifter to the derailleur

Do not assume any twist shifter fits any derailleur. SRAM lists its X.0/X.9/X.7 rear shifters for SRAM ESP rear derailleurs (1:1 actuation ratio) and its Rocket/Attack rear shifters for Shimano rear derailleurs (2:1 actuation ratio); the front shifters pair with SRAM and Shimano front derailleurs. A mismatched ratio changes how far the derailleur moves per click. Also match the number of rear gears (6, 7, 8 and so on) to the shifter’s indexing. Check the model’s manual or the maker’s compatibility list before you buy.

Index the gears

This is the Park Tool rear derailleur procedure. Start on the smallest cog with the shifter at its outermost click and remove the slack from the cable at the pinch bolt. Then, while pedaling, shift one indexed click at a time. Each click should move the chain exactly one gear.

What the chain does	Barrel adjuster
Won’t move to the next gear	One full turn counter-clockwise, then retest
Jumps two sprockets	One turn clockwise, then retest
Rubs or rattles in a gear	A quarter turn clockwise

Once the first shift works, check every cog and shift back outward through all of them. For more detail, see how to index a rear derailleur. If it indexes on the stand but misbehaves on the road, read bike shifts fine on the stand but not while riding.

Final check: brakes

A new shifter can crowd the brake lever. SRAM’s instructions say to always check front and rear brake lever operation, to re-adjust the lever and shifter placement if they interfere, and to check again. If the lever feel is off afterward, see how to adjust bike brakes.

Questions

Can I replace just the grip on a twist shifter?

On the SRAM shifters in the manual above, yes: the grip separates from the housing as described. For other models, check the manufacturer’s manual before pulling anything apart.

Do I need to open the shifter to change the cable?

Not on those SRAM shifters. The manual says to leave the shifter on the handlebar and that it does not need to be opened. On a Shimano Revo, Park Tool has you remove the plastic cover.

What torque should the clamp bolt be?

SRAM gives 1.9 N·m (17 in-lb) for the 3 mm clamp bolt on the X.0/X.9/X.7 and Rocket/Attack shifters. For any other shifter, use the number printed in its own manual.