Replacing your own strings/cables?
07-14-2003, 12:26 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Posts: 391
Replacing your own strings/cables?
I' ve been reading all of these posts about strings lately & it made me take a closer look at mine. My string is showing a little wear and I could probably get another season or two with no problem, but since it is 3 years old I think I' d like to replace it for peace of mind if nothing else. So here is my question, how hard would it be for me to replace the string myself? I would prefer to do it myself just for the learning experience but if it' s too much trouble I guess I would just have it done.
07-14-2003, 12:30 PM
#2
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Posts: 391
RE: Replacing your own strings/cables?
Well, it is Monday so my brain hasn' t quite kicked in for the week yet. I think I' ve just partially answered my own question. I guess it would be pretty helpful to have access to a bow press. So assuming I had one, how hard would it be to change the string? Would one of those protable bow presses that sell for about $30 work?
07-14-2003, 12:58 PM
#3
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 7,571
RE: Replacing your own strings/cables?
Assuming you have a bow press and a proper size string, it wouldn' t be hard at all. One thing that I would do however, since this is your first time would be to freehand draw, or mark on the cam itself with a pencil as to wear each piece connect. For an experienced person, it may seem trivial, but to a new comer, it may seem a little complicated. Another suggestion would be to mark on the cam (cams), where the cam is in relation to the limbs (it would be a straight line drawn on the cam with the limbs being the template). You will want the cam to be in the proper position when it is finished, and you may have to twist the string, cable, or both to achieve this.
Good luck.
Good luck.
07-14-2003, 07:03 PM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 2,413
RE: Replacing your own strings/cables?
Most commercial strings and cables creep a lot. This causes your nocking point to move and unless you frequently re-tune your bow, it is likely to be shooting poorly. When a string and cable creeps, it also changes your draw length, draw weight, brace height, ATA length and sometimes your letoff percentage.
I recommend changing a regular commercial string at least once a year. If you don' t, you at least need to re-measure it and twist it to proper length and re-tune your bow.
Doing it yourself is not hard if you pay attention. I recommend removing only the string or cable, changing it and then doing the other. It' s less confusing if only one is off, at a time.
I recommend changing a regular commercial string at least once a year. If you don' t, you at least need to re-measure it and twist it to proper length and re-tune your bow.
Doing it yourself is not hard if you pay attention. I recommend removing only the string or cable, changing it and then doing the other. It' s less confusing if only one is off, at a time.
07-14-2003, 08:29 PM
#5
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 333
RE: Replacing your own strings/cables?
I found this on another forum:
I usually replace buss first, then string. Start with bus and string already twisted at the correct number of turns. When mounting the string, you have to be careful that the crossover isn' t touching. This is where the string is mated to the cable guard slide. Before loading the bow be sure that the end loops are fully around the cam studs and not able to slip off. Also check to be sure that the string and buss are fully seated in the cam and wheel grooves. Put your peep in now. With everything looking good, slowly release your press and gradually watch the string/buss load. If there are problems, they' ll show up prior to total release of the press. All solo cams are similar and having another bow handy to look at while your doing this can be helpful. Use care, go slow, and triple check everything before loading the limbs. The most common errors are string crossover, incorrect twist rates, and sloppy wheel/cam string mounting. Eliminate the possibility of these errors before adding weight to the limbs and you' ll find it' s a fairly easy job.
Step one, gather all manufacturers specifications on your bow :
Brace height , axle to axle length, specified string length and specified cable length.
Step two, take measurements of your actual brace height, axle to axle length , nock height peep height ect. Write it all down so you can reset everything after you change the string and cables.
Step three, mark the rotation on your cam by striking a mark
with a pencil on one side of the cam, parallel to the limbs on each side of the limb. This provides a reference for you reset the cam to proper rotation by twisting or untwisting the cable or string or both .
Step four, Make a rough sketch of your bow, cam , idler wheel and cable roller guard showing the string and cable tracks and the route they take including crossover point and cable roller slot location. It doesn' t have to be pretty , but it will help you remember how the string and cable goes back on.
Ok let' s Rock !
Take a few turns off the limbs to lower the poundage and press the bow down .
Change the cable first while leaving the old string on the bow . (Keeps it less confusing that way for a newbie string changer. )
Remove the old cable and just for giggles measure it' s length and compare it to the manufactures specified length . This will give you an idea as to whether or not your bow was within specifications when you started.
Now take the new cable and measure it' s length and see if it matches the manufactures specs. (This is usually where the twisting comes in. ) You will want to adjust the cable by twisting or untwisting it until it measures just short of the specified length ( about 1/8" to 1/4 " short since there will be some stretch when its under tension on the bow .)
Route the end loop of the cable through the cable roller and attach it to the cam post and route the serving in the cam cable track as it was . Now that you have the lower end of the cable installed , put a few twists in each side the " Y" yoke and install it on the cable hangers on the top axle. At this point check the cable for fit by backing the press off, being careful that everything is in place in the cam and idler tracks . At this point you will need to check the tension on the upper cable " Y" yoke and note that one side probably needs a few more twists in it to equalize the tension. Press the bow back down and install the twists to even the yoke pressure out. . That should about do it for the cable Installation at this point.
Press the bow down again and remove the old string . Once again I like to measure the old one to compare it against manufactures specs and see if much stretch had occured .
Lay out the new string and measure it off . (I usually hook one end on a nail and then stretch it out.) Adjust the new string to to a length just short of manufactures specified length by adding or removing twists, just as you did with the cable ( 1/8" to 1/4" short .)
Feed the correct " end loop" through the lower limb fork and feed it around the cam track and hook it on the cam post. Now route the serving around the outer perimeter of the cam over the string suppressors, around the idler wheel , through the limb fork, down through the roller guard and finally around the remaining cam track and attach the end loop to the cam post.
Examine everything on the string track routing and compare it to your memory and the " all important sketch" that you drew at the beginning .
If everything is cool, Throw your peep back in the string and then back the pressure off the press and put then turns back on the limb bolts to bring poundage back up .
Now measure your brace height and axle to axle length . Compare the marks that you made on the cam to be sure the cam rotation is close to where it was . If you did the job properly everything will be very close to the where it was when you started.
If cam rotation or the Brace/ ATA specs are off a little, you can correct it by adding or removing twists to the cable and string as necessary However you should shoot the new set up in with a couple of hundred shots before worrying about making any final adjustments. Once you shoot the new string in, then set your final nock height and serve your peep into position.
The number of twists you put in the cable and string will vary depending on the actual finished length of the cable/string .
It would be nice if all string manufacture' s produced strings and cables that met exact manufactures specifications , but alas , it isn' t so !
It is good to put quite a few twists in the system , because that will reduce peep rotation .
At the local shop we start with about 14 twists in the buss cable and 40 twists in a standard single cam string, then measure them for length and add or subtract twists as needed to meet the bow manufacture' s specified length. As long as you meet the bow' s specified string and cable length, the draw length and poundage should be right.
A word of caution on " Zebra " strings is that they recomend that you add NO twists to them, because of the counter rotation of the string bundles . If you add twists, it will actually untwist one strand bundle as it adds twists to the other strand bundle. That will cause and unbalanced string.
Most other strings don' t have this problem because the strand bundles are twisted the same direction when they are manufactured .
There is no set amount of twists on string and cables , as the number will vary according to string/cable length and the individual bow. It' s just something you have to play with a little to get just right!
I hope that this helps you out, and answers some of your questions.
Charlie
I usually replace buss first, then string. Start with bus and string already twisted at the correct number of turns. When mounting the string, you have to be careful that the crossover isn' t touching. This is where the string is mated to the cable guard slide. Before loading the bow be sure that the end loops are fully around the cam studs and not able to slip off. Also check to be sure that the string and buss are fully seated in the cam and wheel grooves. Put your peep in now. With everything looking good, slowly release your press and gradually watch the string/buss load. If there are problems, they' ll show up prior to total release of the press. All solo cams are similar and having another bow handy to look at while your doing this can be helpful. Use care, go slow, and triple check everything before loading the limbs. The most common errors are string crossover, incorrect twist rates, and sloppy wheel/cam string mounting. Eliminate the possibility of these errors before adding weight to the limbs and you' ll find it' s a fairly easy job.
Step one, gather all manufacturers specifications on your bow :
Brace height , axle to axle length, specified string length and specified cable length.
Step two, take measurements of your actual brace height, axle to axle length , nock height peep height ect. Write it all down so you can reset everything after you change the string and cables.
Step three, mark the rotation on your cam by striking a mark
with a pencil on one side of the cam, parallel to the limbs on each side of the limb. This provides a reference for you reset the cam to proper rotation by twisting or untwisting the cable or string or both .
Step four, Make a rough sketch of your bow, cam , idler wheel and cable roller guard showing the string and cable tracks and the route they take including crossover point and cable roller slot location. It doesn' t have to be pretty , but it will help you remember how the string and cable goes back on.
Ok let' s Rock !
Take a few turns off the limbs to lower the poundage and press the bow down .
Change the cable first while leaving the old string on the bow . (Keeps it less confusing that way for a newbie string changer. )
Remove the old cable and just for giggles measure it' s length and compare it to the manufactures specified length . This will give you an idea as to whether or not your bow was within specifications when you started.
Now take the new cable and measure it' s length and see if it matches the manufactures specs. (This is usually where the twisting comes in. ) You will want to adjust the cable by twisting or untwisting it until it measures just short of the specified length ( about 1/8" to 1/4 " short since there will be some stretch when its under tension on the bow .)
Route the end loop of the cable through the cable roller and attach it to the cam post and route the serving in the cam cable track as it was . Now that you have the lower end of the cable installed , put a few twists in each side the " Y" yoke and install it on the cable hangers on the top axle. At this point check the cable for fit by backing the press off, being careful that everything is in place in the cam and idler tracks . At this point you will need to check the tension on the upper cable " Y" yoke and note that one side probably needs a few more twists in it to equalize the tension. Press the bow back down and install the twists to even the yoke pressure out. . That should about do it for the cable Installation at this point.
Press the bow down again and remove the old string . Once again I like to measure the old one to compare it against manufactures specs and see if much stretch had occured .
Lay out the new string and measure it off . (I usually hook one end on a nail and then stretch it out.) Adjust the new string to to a length just short of manufactures specified length by adding or removing twists, just as you did with the cable ( 1/8" to 1/4" short .)
Feed the correct " end loop" through the lower limb fork and feed it around the cam track and hook it on the cam post. Now route the serving around the outer perimeter of the cam over the string suppressors, around the idler wheel , through the limb fork, down through the roller guard and finally around the remaining cam track and attach the end loop to the cam post.
Examine everything on the string track routing and compare it to your memory and the " all important sketch" that you drew at the beginning .
If everything is cool, Throw your peep back in the string and then back the pressure off the press and put then turns back on the limb bolts to bring poundage back up .
Now measure your brace height and axle to axle length . Compare the marks that you made on the cam to be sure the cam rotation is close to where it was . If you did the job properly everything will be very close to the where it was when you started.
If cam rotation or the Brace/ ATA specs are off a little, you can correct it by adding or removing twists to the cable and string as necessary However you should shoot the new set up in with a couple of hundred shots before worrying about making any final adjustments. Once you shoot the new string in, then set your final nock height and serve your peep into position.
The number of twists you put in the cable and string will vary depending on the actual finished length of the cable/string .
It would be nice if all string manufacture' s produced strings and cables that met exact manufactures specifications , but alas , it isn' t so !
It is good to put quite a few twists in the system , because that will reduce peep rotation .
At the local shop we start with about 14 twists in the buss cable and 40 twists in a standard single cam string, then measure them for length and add or subtract twists as needed to meet the bow manufacture' s specified length. As long as you meet the bow' s specified string and cable length, the draw length and poundage should be right.
A word of caution on " Zebra " strings is that they recomend that you add NO twists to them, because of the counter rotation of the string bundles . If you add twists, it will actually untwist one strand bundle as it adds twists to the other strand bundle. That will cause and unbalanced string.
Most other strings don' t have this problem because the strand bundles are twisted the same direction when they are manufactured .
There is no set amount of twists on string and cables , as the number will vary according to string/cable length and the individual bow. It' s just something you have to play with a little to get just right!
I hope that this helps you out, and answers some of your questions.
Charlie
07-15-2003, 06:36 AM
#6
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 2,413
RE: Replacing your own strings/cables?
The only problem with taking measurements like brace height and ATA length so you can match them, is that they are usually wrong. Most strings will have crept anywhere from 1/2" to 2" or more, thus changing these measurements from what they should be. These measurements are important to take on a new bow that has the exact correct length string on it. If you didn' t take these measurements when the bow was new, then it won' t matter. I' ve also found that even on new bows, many strings are not the exact correct length. Most manufacturers do not make their own strings. String companies make them in bulk to the size given by the manufacturer. I find it best to go by string length stated by manufacturer. If it the exact correct length, then brace height and ATA should be fine.
I don' t think you can go wrong by making the string to the correct length with enough twists. I' ve found no decernable difference in the performance of a string with 1 twist per 2 inches compared to one with one twist per inch. Beyond that, the string is probably too long.
I don' t think you can go wrong by making the string to the correct length with enough twists. I' ve found no decernable difference in the performance of a string with 1 twist per 2 inches compared to one with one twist per inch. Beyond that, the string is probably too long.
07-15-2003, 11:02 AM
#7
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Posts: 391
RE: Replacing your own strings/cables?
Thanks for all the advice guys! I think I' ll give it a try. I just need to do a little more research and figure out which brand of string I want to use. Can anyone recommend any good places to buy strings online?
07-15-2003, 11:04 AM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: WEST PALM FLORIDA
Posts: 2,890
RE: Replacing your own strings/cables?
Last bow I purchased specified a 58" string , so I ordered a winners choice string in the same length . When I installed it my cams were way off had to do some serious twisting and untwisting to get it right . I measured the stock string which only had 5 shots on it , it was a 1/2 too long out of spec . So that is very true what Straight arrow is saying . After 3 years your string and cabel will be way off if they have never been twisted .
