Lubricating Derailleurs

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Recycle

Über Member
Location
Caterham
I have bikes with Shimano and a Sram dérailleur shifters with the same problem. The dérailleur spring is not strong enough to return the arm to the two last high range gears. The highest gear being the position where the dérailleur's cable is on least tension and the spring is at rest. I know that this is probably a lubrication problem rather than a spring problem so what's the best way to fix the problem? i.e., what lubrication, and where do I apply it?
 

Citius

Guest
More like a limit screw problem.
 

mrandmrspoves

Middle aged bald git.
Location
Narfuk
Disconnect the gear cable from the derailleur - it should then drop into 9th gear when you spin the crank. If it doesn't it definitely isn't due to the cable so try pushing it manually onto 9th - if it moves to 9th easily it must be the spring because if it was the limit screw it wouldn't move to 9th easily. Having said it is the spring, that doesn't mean the spring is faulty as it could be one of the pivots that is dirty and resisting. I would at this stage try lubing all the pivot points on the derailleur and move the derailleur fully in and fully out a number of times to loosen it. A Teflon spray will probably be fine for this - but I prefer using oil. I have seen some Shimano derailleur where after some wear two of the metal surfaces at the pivot start rubbing against each other which has the effect of altering the gear changes and stopping it going into high gear. I note that your icon is a recumbent - and if so, your issues may be that the extra chain weight is just too much for the derailleur to cope with. If so a chain tube or other support may help. I used a derailleur assist spring when I had a recumbent bike to solve gear issues and it worked really well.
 

mrandmrspoves

Middle aged bald git.
Location
Narfuk
Tensioner looks like this.
look for derailleur tensioner on eBay - cost a fiver.
Screenshot_2015-05-20-20-57-53.png
 
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Recycle

Recycle

Über Member
Location
Caterham
Disconnect the gear cable from the derailleur - it should then drop into 9th gear when you spin the crank.
Thanks, I loosened the cable and it doesn't drop into 9th, but can be manually coaxed. I'll try the rest of your suggestions. I have used wd40 to clean out gunk in the pivots and then lubricated with a teflon spray but the effects are temporary & the symptoms recur after a bit of rain.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Thanks, I loosened the cable and it doesn't drop into 9th, but can be manually coaxed. I'll try the rest of your suggestions. I have used wd40 to clean out gunk in the pivots and then lubricated with a teflon spray but the effects are temporary & the symptoms recur after a bit of rain.

You haven't been looking after it. Take it off and work oil into the pivots, then after wet rides, or indeed before storage, squirt the links. I've seen my mate wreck an XT front mech in one winter, by not lubing the pivots. How you wreck a front mech that fast is beyond me.
 
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