Shadow mech setup

[eddieallen72]

I’ve recently fitted a Shimano Alivio Shadow rear derailleur to my steel touring bike and I’m having trouble getting the upper (guide) pulley close enough to the sprockets. The setup guide says that you should aim to get the upper pulley around 5-6mm from the sprockets but I can’t get it anywhere near this. The b limit screw is all the way out but it’s still a mile off, and causing sloppy shifts when moving from larger to smaller sprockets. Anyone else had this issue?

 

[CXRAndy]

Is the chain too long? Or the upper link is too far back in position.

Sometimes a photo says a thousand words. Side on photo in top cog(easy gear)

 

[Salty seadog]

I’ve recently fitted a Shimano Alivio Shadow rear derailleur to my steel touring bike and I’m having trouble getting the upper (guide) pulley close enough to the sprockets. The setup guide says that you should aim to get the upper pulley around 5-6mm from the sprockets but I can’t get it anywhere near this. The b limit screw is all the way out but it’s still a mile off, and causing sloppy shifts when moving from larger to smaller sprockets. Anyone else had this issue?

How are you gauging this adjustment. You need to have the chain on the small chainring up front and large sprocket at the rear.

 

[Vantage]

I also have a shadow rear mech. I don't think its possible to get the jockey wheel that close as the design of the mech deliberately sets the whole thing further away from the cassette in order to cope with stupidly big sprockets as is now the fashion with 1x setups.
Mine works just fine as it is.

 

[Cycleops]

^^^^ thats right I always thought it wasn't desirable to have the upper jockey wheel running too close to the cassette.

 

[eddieallen72]

Thanks for all of your replies folks. I think it might just be the design like vantage said. I should have said; I’m running this friction shift with bar end shifters so it might just need a more deliberate shift down the block than the non shadow Sora mech it replaced. Many older mechs had a much bigger gap from upper pulley to cassette.