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TB Ultegra 5500 Question?

S

Steve Hayward

Senior Member
I've got some XTB Ultegra 5500 baby big pits. I was out yesterday and when setting up noticed that the feel of the inner drag wheel was different on one reel to another. One is very light/easier to use and the other quite stiff.

Both reels appear to work but one that has the lighter feel is nicer and easier to use and to be honest the drag feels smoother when line pulled.

Any ideas?

I am fairly certain it's the spool cap itself but do not want to start exploring inside. Yet!
 
Have you tried alternating the spool caps? just as a comparison...
 
Jon

I have also used a spare spool and it appears to be with the caps.

I have also noticed if I back off the outer wheel 3 - 4 clicks the issue is no longer there.

So I have a work around but I also like everything just so leaving nothing to chance.

I got another 2nd hand one yesterday and that appear to be stiff in the same way...

Steve
 
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Steve, I have 4 of them for carping and they all feel fairly stiff, you know that you need to start with the inner fully slack and the outer fully tight when setting the drag?
 
Ian

Yes been through this a few times - just found it strange that one feels as crisp and light the others slightly tougher. Wondered about dirt in the mechanism.

The itch to get the screwdrivers out is hard to resist but the nagging on the back of my mind is that I'll muck it up!
 
might just be a case of getting the screwdriver out steve....
 
Always seems to be a balancing act between inner and outer drag. I find it very difficult to get exactly right and have all but abandoned the use of the baitrunner feature beacause of this. I simply tighten both knobs fully and use the larger of the two as a quick drag. Excellent reels, rubbish feature. I'd happily buy another XTB 5500 but would avoid a totally new type of reel (to me) with this type of "baitrunner" drag knob.
 
Chris That's how I have been using them was after the XSB but these came up at a good price and good condition.

The issue I was describing is when you use them like this the inner (drag) wheel is tough to tighten on two of the three reels

Oh well perhaps a screwdriver later to day to see!
 
Steve Hayward said:
The issue I was describing is when you use them like this the inner (drag) wheel is tough to tighten on two of the three reels
Click to expand...

Try backing off the outer before you try to tighten the inner. The settings of both are interlinked so it depends on the starting point of the other as to how each tighten. Complete PITA to be consistent.
 
Steve, Chris, it sounds like you were doing what I was, before I learned that the way to use them is to FULLY tighten the outer (quick drag) with the inner very loose, then tighten the inner to the required drag, you will be amazed how well it works, I am! Then you have no need to change the inner drag setting
 
Ian Crook said:
Steve, Chris, it sounds like you were doing what I was, before I learned that the way to use them is to FULLY tighten the outer (quick drag) with the inner very loose, then tighten the inner to the required drag, you will be amazed how well it works, I am! Then you have no need to change the inner drag setting
Click to expand...

Ian,
I know how they are supposed to work but doing that gave results that differ slightly from reel to reel, as it sounds like Steve is finding. Too much faff, simple one knob QD or rear baitrunner for me.
 
Chris Jones said:
Ian,
I know how they are supposed to work but doing that gave results that differ slightly from reel to reel, as it sounds like Steve is finding. Too much faff, simple one knob QD or rear baitrunner for me.
Click to expand...

Oh, ok, I actually didn't, I thought I did but was using them as you described, since using them properly they are superb, all 4 work just as well.
 
Ian

I agree but either I have weak fingers or two of mine are stiff on that last turn or so of the drag. I have three reels one is light and crisp the others stiff. If the baitrunner drag is release slightly the stiffness disappears.

I am being fussy or whatever you'd like to call it.

The baitrunner II is just a fight n drag but on the front of the reel! And it you think about it a QD of a kind.
 
Lovely reels the XTBs

Sold mine when I was skint (when am I not skint?) and got some second hand Diawa 5000T's later on.

Old school engineering, but I realised you don't actually need a baitrunner for carping after about 2 runs, you just a have a loose clutch then turn to tighten it and slow the carp's run.

Anyway, off topic sorry.
 
I just use mine as a quick drag. I wind down hard on the internal drag and solely use the BTR facility as a QD.
 
I do pretty much the same as above!!

I do find that continuous use quick drag does alter the middle drag so I keep checking it as it sometimes comes loose on mine, even with the little faults it is an amazing reel for the Trent and has bags of power, love em:D
 
Called the shimano Service centre today and asked about my issues with the set-up

Bottom line of it is this is normal. The advice was to back the baitrunner off slightly else the circlip can be damaged.

So even though Mr Porter says something the service centre advice was

1) wind baitrunner drag full on
2) wind centre drag on - stop before any stiffness felt
3) back off baitrunner drag
4) set normal drag
5) set baitrunner drag

Makes me wonder if the stiffer drag knobs are victims of over tightening already hence the difference between mine.

Think I will open one up!
 
Hi all Iv just bought two brand new xtb's and noticed the inner drag doesnt lock full so no matter how tight both drags are there's still play in the drag is this correct?
Regards
Wayne
 
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