XT rear derailleur skipping gears.

[BSG]

My mtb was 100% functional, got a free service from a friend as a birthday present and since it came back I've got troubles with the gears. Skipping one and I tried to set them today to no avail. It's got the grinding noise as if it's not engaged properly and still skipping one or two gears. What is the best, easiest dummy proof way to set it?

 

1x10 speed with a non clutch XT derailleur.

[Dexter-morgan]

Start in smallest gear at the back and adjust cable until it changes 1 gear. Make sure B screw is set correctly.

[BSG]

Start in smallest gear at the back and adjust cable until it changes 1 gear. Make sure B screw is set correctly.

Sjo I've tried everything, even checked the B screw, got hold of the guy who did the service, taking it back tomorrow morning. Thanks.

[100Tours]

First watch him while he works on it, and learn..

 

 

Second this is my advised foolproof methodology

1. Take off the rear derailleur and check that the dropout is straight using a rear derailleur gauge (this may be unnecessary - but you'll never know unless you check). Checking by eye is also often quite revealing.
2. Put the RD back on the bike. Set the smallest gear with the gear cable disconnected - i.e. using the lower limit screw to get the RD running correctly on the smallest cog. You can tell which is which because the upper limit screw will be nowhere near the stop that it works against.
3. Screw in the cable adjustment barrel all the way (or at least 80%), and gear down to the smallest gear. Reconnect the gear cable, working the slack out of it, and then shift 1 gear up. Tighten the barrel adjuster turn by turn until the chain climbs smoothly into gear 2 when shifted. 
4. Check gear 3 and up. Make fine adjustments here if there are any issues (but you should be close to perfect shifting at this stage).
5. Now set the top limit screw so that the chain does not fall into the spokes when riding in the biggest cog. Not too tight - you don't want to create any excess tension in the gear cable to get to 'granny gear' - you just want to stop it going past this point.
6. Finally have a look at the B-screw (which changes the vertical running height of the jockey wheels relative to the cluster) . If it is too loose the top jockey wheel may touch the cluster in 'granny gear' (or any of the larger gears). if it is too tight you'll be running the jockeys too low beneath the cluster (no immediate downside, but less chain 'wrap' around the cluster, and therefore more wear/more risk of slipping in smaller gears) 

Edited June 23, 2019 by 100Tours

[Eugéne Alberts]

[BSG]

First watch him while he works on it, and learn..

 

 

Second this is my advised foolproof methodology

• Take off the rear derailleur and check that the dropout is straight using a rear derailleur gauge (this may be unnecessary - but you'll never know unless you check). Checking by eye is also often quite revealing.
• Put the RD back on the bike. Set the smallest gear with the gear cable disconnected - i.e. using the lower limit screw to get the RD running correctly on the smallest cog. You can tell which is which because the upper limit screw will be nowhere near the stop that it works against.
• Screw in the cable adjustment barrel all the way (or at least 80%), and gear down to the smallest gear. Reconnect the gear cable, working the slack out of it, and then shift 1 gear up. Tighten the barrel adjuster turn by turn until the chain climbs smoothly into gear 2 when shifted.
• Check gear 3 and up. Make fine adjustments here if there are any issues (but you should be close to perfect shifting at this stage).
• Now set the top limit screw so that the chain does not fall into the spokes when riding in the biggest cog. Not too tight - you don't want to create any excess tension in the gear cable to get to 'granny gear' - you just want to stop it going past this point.
• Finally have a look at the B-screw (which changes the vertical running height of the jockey wheels relative to the cluster) . If it is too loose the top jockey wheel may touch the cluster in 'granny gear' (or any of the larger gears). if it is too tight you'll be running the jockeys too low beneath the cluster (no immediate downside, but less chain 'wrap' around the cluster, and therefore more wear/more risk of slipping in smaller gears)

Very good explanation thank you, as a matter of fact, when I did my 1x conversion, I did all this myself and I had zero issues. But today, ya well nothing worked. In hindsight, could be because I was trying to do this on a Sunday. [emoji56]

[BSG]

https://youtu.be/YBf_UZlDhHQ

I did actually use his/this video as a "how to". Edited June 23, 2019 by BSG

[Pah Bear]

I think your Derailleur Hanger is probably skew.

 

This cannot be done by eye. You need a Hanger Adjustment Tool.

 

I made one myself following the guidelines on You Tube. Since then, if after a fall the gears don't engage properly and any barrel adjustment don't solve the problem, it's out with the hanger tool and some minor adjustment generally solve the problem.

 

Best of luck to you. Hope this helps.

[BSG]

I think your Derailleur Hanger is probably skew.

 

This cannot be done by eye. You need a Hanger Adjustment Tool.

 

I made one myself following the guidelines on You Tube. Since then, if after a fall the gears don't engage properly and any barrel adjustment don't solve the problem, it's out with the hanger tool and some minor adjustment generally solve the problem.

 

Best of luck to you. Hope this helps.

Thanks, I'll take it in tomorrow am and hopefully it's just me who was stupid today.

[Pah Bear]

Pity you so far away. Welcome to use mine if you haven't got one which I assume you don't otherwise from what you describe you would now this to be the solution..

[BSG]

Pity you so far away. Welcome to use mine if you haven't got one which I assume you don't otherwise from what you describe you would now this to be the solution..

I'm thinking about the hanger and derailer now, mine isn't in a straight line downwards, the lower part of the derailer, bottom der guide wheel, is more outwards than the top der guide wheel.

[Martin PJ]

Something else to check is to make sure you have new cables and cable sleeve outers (I know you have just had a service, but you never know). This is the first thing I change when the gears give problems. Bent hangar has been suggested, you could also check the chain, sometimes a bent link can cause problems.

 

I had a problem a while back that the derailleur itself was bent. Managed to straighten it with a bit of brute force.

[BSG]

Bend hanger, horizontally 5mm out.

[Eugéne Alberts]

Bend hanger, horizontally 5mm out.

That's a lot

[BSG]

That's a lot

Jip, measured with the parktool hanger measure thingy and I saw that's quite a lot. Goes to show how fragile a hanger actually is, can't remember that I bumped it against something. I'm a gravel road mtb'er 99.9999% of the time.

[porqui]

Jip, measured with the parktool hanger measure thingy and I saw that's quite a lot. Goes to show how fragile a hanger actually is, can't remember that I bumped it against something. I'm a gravel road mtb'er 99.9999% of the time.

 

So did that solve the problem?

 

How often do you change your cable inner and outers?