Merida e160 D2i to Normal XT cable change/routing?

[LawmanMtb]

Howdy, im after removing D2i from my bike and replacing with mechanical XT mech and shifter, has anyone done this and was it easy enough to route the cable through the frame and swingarm as thats the bit im unsure of, thanks for any info

 

[HORSPWR]

The hole in the swingarm looks way to small to accommodate a mechanical cable but it must be possible because non Di2 bikes have the same swingarm, maybe they remove the rubber grommet to do so.

 

[LawmanMtb]

yea, i noticed that, hopefully the rubber grommet will stretch

 

[BILLYP2000]

My advice would be 'don't do it'. The cable route is badly designed and it takes the patience of a saint to get even close to maintaining decent shifting after only a few rides. The original cabling on my (non-Di2) medium frame went from standard Jagwire outer to Jagwire Elite (expensive) then back to standard outer. That's just to alleviate the shifting issue. I know Di2 mechs are expensive but IMO the benefits far outweigh the cost.

 

[LawmanMtb]

Thanks Billy