SRAM RD Recall

[ZeroPlay]

I saw today on Cyclingnews.com that some SRAM Red rear derailleurs were recalled. I was expecting X5 and possibly X7 RDs to be recalled, because of the following issue I recently encountered:

 

I got an X5 9spd RD with my MTB. The bike was brand new, unassembled. I aligned the RD hanger with the park alignment tool (after having rebuilt, dished and straightened the rear wheel) and then installed the RD.

 

While installing the RD, I noticed that the body of the RD was quite loose on the pivot which contains the bolt that attaches the RD to the hanger. There was noticeable play and the body of the derailleur was skew on the pivot (see attached photo).

 

 

I'd never seen that on a RD before, but continued with the installation of cables. When it came time to adjust the low stop screw of the RD (the largest cog on the cassette, closest to the spokes), I aligned the top jockey wheel with the largest cog.

 

To my amazement, the bottom jockey wheel, which was at a similar height to the top wheel since there was no chain installed and the jockey wheel cage was sprung back horizontal, was touching the spokes. If I rotated the jockey wheel cage downwards against the spring, as it would be positioned if a chain was installed, the RD no longer touched the spokes. This suggested that it would work fine with the chain installed and properly tensioned, but should the rider be in the largest cog at the back and the chain comes off the front chain rings, the RD would make contact with the spokes and possibly cause serious damage and injury.

 

Convinced that I must have received a rare dud X5 RD, I went to look at some bikes with X5 RDs at the LBS. There was only one, a Trek, and it had the same play in the pivot. When I contacted the supplier of my bike, he said that he'd noticed that about the X5 RDs, and he very kindly swapped it out for an X7. I couldn't ask for better service than that!

 

The X7 had a noticeably tighter pivot, but it still seemed to have a bit of play. When I installed it, it exhibited the same behaviour (touching spokes when top jockey wheel aligned with large cog), but possibly not as much.

 

Has anyone else noticed this about X5 and X7 RDs? It is easy to check:

• Change gears to largest cog on cassette.
  
• Take the chain off the front chain rings (or take it off altogether), so that the RD jockey cage springs back.
  
• Gently turn the rear wheel to check for contact with spokes.
  

Maybe they all need a recall? Or maybe my park hanger alignment tool is broken :-) (not likely, given the simplicity and solid engineering of it).

Edited December 5, 2013 by ZeroPlay

[ricochet_rabbit]

I saw today on Cyclingnews.com that some SRAM Red rear derailleurs were recalled. I was expecting X5 and possibly X7 RDs to be recalled, because of the following issue I recently encountered:

 

I got an X5 9spd RD with my MTB. The bike was brand new, unassembled. I aligned the RD hanger with the park alignment tool (after having rebuilt, dished and straightened the rear wheel) and then installed the RD.

 

While installing the RD, I noticed that the body of the RD was quite loose on the pivot which contains the bolt that attaches the RD to the hanger. There was noticeable play and the body of the derailleur was skew on the pivot (see attached photo).

 

 

I'd never seen that on a RD before, but continued with the installation of cables. When it came time to adjust the low stop screw of the RD (the largest cog on the cassette, closest to the spokes), I aligned the top jockey wheel with the largest cog.

 

To my amazement, the bottom jockey wheel, which was at a similar height to the top wheel since there was no chain installed and the jockey wheel cage was sprung back horizontal, was touching the spokes. If I rotated the jockey wheel cage downwards against the spring, as it would be positioned if a chain was installed, the RD no longer touched the spokes. This suggested that it would work fine with the chain installed and properly tensioned, but should the rider be in the largest cog at the back and the chain comes off the front chain rings, the RD would make contact with the spokes and possibly cause serious damage and injury.

 

Convinced that I must have received a rare dud X5 RD, I went to look at some bikes with X5 RDs at the LBS. There was only one, a Trek, and it had the same play in the pivot. When I contacted the supplier of my bike, he said that he'd noticed that about the X5 RDs, and he very kindly swapped it out for an X7. I couldn't ask for better service than that!

 

The X7 had a noticeably tighter pivot, but it still seemed to have a bit of play. When I installed it, it exhibited the same behaviour (touching spokes when top jockey wheel aligned with large cog), but possibly not as much.

 

Has anyone else noticed this about X5 and X7 RDs? It is easy to check:

• Change gears to largest cog on cassette.
  
• Take the chain off the front chain rings (or take it off altogether), so that the RD jockey cage springs back.
  
• Gently turn the rear wheel to check for contact with spokes.
  

Maybe they all need a recall? Or maybe my park hanger alignment tool is broken :-) (not likely, given the simplicity and solid engineering of it).

 

 

I sometimes get the derailler hitting the spokes my X9 when cleaning the bike with the chain off, .

Edited December 6, 2013 by ricochet_rabbit

[johannrissik]

Oops

[BMXER]

Shimano ROCKS

[Spoke101]

Common problem with X5 and X7 not sure about X9 though.