How do I adjust the Front Deraileur

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/fix/?id=frontmech

Zonta said:

I have previously posted here asking for help on my loose headset, got
great advices and now I am very happy with the headset, thanks to all
who have helped.

Now I am riding better and with more confidence, I want to try the
front deraileur as well.

My problem is when I do the front shifting in a ride, the chain always
drops when moving from the large gear to the small gear no matter how I
adjust the limit screw.

Get a thingy called a third eye, jump stop or dog fang. A wee thing
that sits around your seattube, with a 'ttoth' next to your small ring,
that prevent the above from ever happening.

Quoted message said:

I have found that when I attempted the shift in a ride, the wire
tension is removed but the deraileur cage is sluggish and reluctant to
move inward.

I tried cleaning and lubrication, but once on the road, dirt gets in
the way and the cage is slow to respond.

There is a drum like thing holding the cage and I believe there is a
spring inside that is responsible for the return of the cage when wire
tension is removed, is it possible to tension this spring and if so,
how do I do it?

Thanks for any help.

Qui si parla Campagnolo said:

Zonta said:

I have previously posted here asking for help on my loose headset, got
great advices and now I am very happy with the headset, thanks to all
who have helped.

Now I am riding better and with more confidence, I want to try the
front deraileur as well.

My problem is when I do the front shifting in a ride, the chain always
drops when moving from the large gear to the small gear no matter how I
adjust the limit screw.

Get a thingy called a third eye, jump stop or dog fang. A wee thing
that sits around your seattube, with a 'ttoth' next to your small ring,
that prevent the above from ever happening.

Adjust the cable tension before buying anything... it shouldn't do this.

Dan

more fun reading:
http://www.parktool.com/repair/

best of luck

"Dan Connelly" <d_j_c_o_n_n_e_l@i_e_e_e.o_r_g> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/fix/?id=frontmech

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 02:00:58 -0800, Zonta <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I have previously posted here asking for help on my loose headset, got
great advices and now I am very happy with the headset, thanks to all
who have helped.

Now I am riding better and with more confidence, I want to try the
front deraileur as well.

My problem is when I do the front shifting in a ride, the chain always
drops when moving from the large gear to the small gear no matter how I
adjust the limit screw.

I have found that when I attempted the shift in a ride, the wire
tension is removed but the deraileur cage is sluggish and reluctant to
move inward.

I tried cleaning and lubrication, but once on the road, dirt gets in
the way and the cage is slow to respond.

There is a drum like thing holding the cage and I believe there is a
spring inside that is responsible for the return of the cage when wire
tension is removed, is it possible to tension this spring and if so,
how do I do it?

Good place to start:

http://sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html#front

If the der is really so stiff that it won't return by itself, there's
something wrong. The only modern ders I've seen that would behave
like that were some no-name Chinese ones with a limp spring. In my
experience, if cleaning it and applying oil won't get it moving
freely, it's probably bent or otherwise fubar.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

Thank you all for your replies, but I need more help.

So far all the web pages I've been reading made reference to Parktool's
instructions, but Parktool's instruction made no mention on adjusting
the tension to the front deraileur cage itself.

Let me explain it this way : if the cable is removed, the cage should
move close to the frame under the tension of a spring attached to the
cage itself, but on my bike, that movement is slow and sluggish,
causing the chain to drop between the two gear plates during shifting
from the large gear to the small gear. If I can get more spring force
on the cage forcing it to move faster, this should not happen.

I've checked my kid's bike and there is a visible "v" shaped spring
attached to the front deraileur cage, from the way it is installed, no
adjustment can be made to it, if it does not have enough tension, the
spring has to be replaced.

My bike has a different arrangement. The cage is attached to its clamp
through a "drum" thing, it is apparent that a coil spring is housed
inside giving the tension required to return the cage close to the
frame when cable tension is removed, I believe this coil spring can be
adjusted to give it more tension, I just don't know how.

Can anyone help?

Thanks in advance.

On Sat, 24 Dec 2005 02:14:56 -0800, Zonta <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Thank you all for your replies, but I need more help.

So far all the web pages I've been reading made reference to Parktool's
instructions, but Parktool's instruction made no mention on adjusting
the tension to the front deraileur cage itself.

I have never seen a front der which had a way to do this. Most of
them aren't even designed to be disassembled. That may account for
the lack of instructions.

Quoted message said:

Let me explain it this way : if the cable is removed, the cage should
move close to the frame under the tension of a spring attached to the
cage itself, but on my bike, that movement is slow and sluggish,
causing the chain to drop between the two gear plates during shifting
from the large gear to the small gear. If I can get more spring force
on the cage forcing it to move faster, this should not happen.

Understood. What kind of der is this, anyway?

Quoted message said:

I've checked my kid's bike and there is a visible "v" shaped spring
attached to the front deraileur cage, from the way it is installed, no
adjustment can be made to it, if it does not have enough tension, the
spring has to be replaced.

And likely can't be had separately.

Quoted message said:

My bike has a different arrangement. The cage is attached to its clamp
through a "drum" thing, it is apparent that a coil spring is housed
inside giving the tension required to return the cage close to the
frame when cable tension is removed, I believe this coil spring can be
adjusted to give it more tension, I just don't know how.

Can anyone help?

Post a photo somewhere and include a link to it here so that someone
can get a look at it.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

Zonta said:

My bike has a different arrangement. The cage is attached to its clamp
through a "drum" thing, it is apparent that a coil spring is housed
inside giving the tension required to return the cage close to the
frame when cable tension is removed, I believe this coil spring can be
adjusted to give it more tension, I just don't know how.

(Modern) front derailers are to the best of my knowledge all unserviceable
in that way. Cleaning it up and removing grit from the workings might
help, though.

Jasper

Zonta said:

Thank you all for your replies, but I need more help.

So far all the web pages I've been reading made reference to
Parktool's instructions, but Parktool's instruction made no mention
on adjusting the tension to the front deraileur cage itself.

Let me explain it this way : if the cable is removed, the cage should
move close to the frame under the tension of a spring attached to the
cage itself, but on my bike, that movement is slow and sluggish,
causing the chain to drop between the two gear plates during shifting
from the large gear to the small gear. If I can get more spring force
on the cage forcing it to move faster, this should not happen.

I've checked my kid's bike and there is a visible "v" shaped spring
attached to the front deraileur cage, from the way it is installed, no
adjustment can be made to it, if it does not have enough tension, the
spring has to be replaced.

My bike has a different arrangement. The cage is attached to its clamp
through a "drum" thing, it is apparent that a coil spring is housed
inside giving the tension required to return the cage close to the
frame when cable tension is removed, I believe this coil spring can be
adjusted to give it more tension, I just don't know how.

Can anyone help?

Clean and lube that thing. If it's /still/ sluggish, replace it.

Bill "bottom line" S.

Zonta said:

Thank you all for your replies, but I need more help.

So far all the web pages I've been reading made reference to
Parktool's instructions, but Parktool's instruction made no mention
on adjusting the tension to the front deraileur cage itself.

Let me explain it this way : if the cable is removed, the cage should
move close to the frame under the tension of a spring attached to the
cage itself, but on my bike, that movement is slow and sluggish,
causing the chain to drop between the two gear plates during shifting
from the large gear to the small gear. If I can get more spring force
on the cage forcing it to move faster, this should not happen.

I've checked my kid's bike and there is a visible "v" shaped spring
attached to the front deraileur cage, from the way it is installed, no
adjustment can be made to it, if it does not have enough tension, the
spring has to be replaced.

My bike has a different arrangement. The cage is attached to its clamp
through a "drum" thing, it is apparent that a coil spring is housed
inside giving the tension required to return the cage close to the
frame when cable tension is removed, I believe this coil spring can be
adjusted to give it more tension, I just don't know how.

Can anyone help?

Thanks in advance.

That drum thing is just a plastic cover that serves no purpose other than
aesthetics. The coil spring inside is still going to be weak. It's likely
a new derailleur is in order. Thankfully, they're cheap.
--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Phil said:

Zonta said:

Thank you all for your replies, but I need more help.

So far all the web pages I've been reading made reference to
Parktool's instructions, but Parktool's instruction made no mention
on adjusting the tension to the front deraileur cage itself.

Let me explain it this way : if the cable is removed, the cage should
move close to the frame under the tension of a spring attached to the
cage itself, but on my bike, that movement is slow and sluggish,
causing the chain to drop between the two gear plates during shifting
from the large gear to the small gear. If I can get more spring force
on the cage forcing it to move faster, this should not happen.

I've checked my kid's bike and there is a visible "v" shaped spring
attached to the front deraileur cage, from the way it is installed, no
adjustment can be made to it, if it does not have enough tension, the
spring has to be replaced.

My bike has a different arrangement. The cage is attached to its clamp
through a "drum" thing, it is apparent that a coil spring is housed
inside giving the tension required to return the cage close to the
frame when cable tension is removed, I believe this coil spring can be
adjusted to give it more tension, I just don't know how.

Can anyone help?

Thanks in advance.

That drum thing is just a plastic cover that serves no purpose other than
aesthetics. The coil spring inside is still going to be weak. It's likely
a new derailleur is in order. Thankfully, they're cheap.

Or possibly just cleaned and lubed?

Robin Hubert

Zonta said:

Let me explain it this way : if the cable is removed, the cage should
move close to the frame under the tension of a spring attached to the
cage itself, but on my bike, that movement is slow and sluggish,
causing the chain to drop between the two gear plates during shifting
from the large gear to the small gear. If I can get more spring force
on the cage forcing it to move faster, this should not happen.

I'm sure that the spring is fine, you just have dirt in the pivots. The
front derailleur on my mountain bike did the same thing. I took it off,
washed it under the sink with dish soap dripped into the pivots, working the
pivots. The pivots loosened up almost immediately and the friction is gone.
Mineral spirits would probably be better than dish soap, but dish soap was
convenient and less harsh on my hands... you just need to dry the water out.

In article said:

I'm sure that the spring is fine, you just have dirt in the pivots. The
front derailleur on my mountain bike did the same thing. I took it off,
washed it under the sink with dish soap dripped into the pivots, working the
pivots. The pivots loosened up almost immediately and the friction is gone.
Mineral spirits would probably be better than dish soap, but dish soap was
convenient and less harsh on my hands... you just need to dry the water out.

Thanks, I guess I'll have to do some real cleaning then.

In article <[email hidden]>, Werehatrack

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Let me explain it this way : if the cable is removed, the cage should
move close to the frame under the tension of a spring attached to the
cage itself, but on my bike, that movement is slow and sluggish,
causing the chain to drop between the two gear plates during shifting
from the large gear to the small gear. If I can get more spring force
on the cage forcing it to move faster, this should not happen.

Understood. What kind of der is this, anyway?

It says Shinmano on the clamp bracket and "333" appears on the side of
the cage.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I've checked my kid's bike and there is a visible "v" shaped spring
attached to the front deraileur cage, from the way it is installed, no
adjustment can be made to it, if it does not have enough tension, the
spring has to be replaced.

And likely can't be had separately.

Quoted message said:

My bike has a different arrangement. The cage is attached to its clamp
through a "drum" thing, it is apparent that a coil spring is housed
inside giving the tension required to return the cage close to the
frame when cable tension is removed, I believe this coil spring can be
adjusted to give it more tension, I just don't know how.

Can anyone help?

Post a photo somewhere and include a link to it here so that someone
can get a look at it.

I'd like to, but don't know how to do it.

Thanks to all the replies. I am going to take it apart and do a
thorough cleaning and hope that it'll work.

Thanks again.

Zonta said:

It says Shinmano on the clamp bracket and "333" appears on the side of
the cage.

Oh-oh. That's the Baby Satan derailleur.

Bill "hear it's a devil to dial in" S.

(Slow night.)

Okay, having looked at the ders on the bikes in the stable and at the
ones in the Pile-O-Junk, I think i know what the return spring
assembly is likely to include. Is there a shaft sticking out of one
end of the round plastic "drum" you mentioned with an E-clip on it?
If so, *in theory* you could open up the assembly and clean the crud
out of it directly. Unfortunately, there's a very good chance that
opening it up would be a dissassemble-only operation; at least one of
the ders I examined clearly required that this part be assembled
before the rest of the linkage was attached, and ther wasn't any way
that I could see to take it apart far enough to allow the torsion
spring end to be remounted correctly.

If you know someone who has an ultrasonic cleaning tank, you could try
taking it to them to run through that. I'm going to join the opinion
which holds that the mechanism is heavily contaminated with crud, and
that it needs to be cleaned out and lubed. If nothing else, take it
off and drop it in a can with a 50-50 mixture of solvent (such as
mineral spirits, but NOT gasoline) and motor oil overnight, and then
manually work the linkage across its entire range vigorously (dipping
it again periodically to flush loosened crud out) until it frees up.
Nitrile gloves would be a good idea. Merely soaking it with cleaning
agents alone may not do the trick, but I've found that the
solvent-and-oil mixture frequently will free up things that had been
declared hopeless. A lot depends on what's got it stuck; if it's old,
gummed-up grease in a long-tube pivot, you may have to leave it in the
solvent for several days before it will work loose.

For under $20, you can likely get a better one as a replacment,
though. Is it worth the trouble?
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

Zonta said:

So far all the web pages I've been reading made reference to Parktool's
instructions, but Parktool's instruction made no mention on adjusting
the tension to the front deraileur cage itself.

Let me explain it this way : if the cable is removed, the cage should
move close to the frame under the tension of a spring attached to the
cage itself, but on my bike, that movement is slow and sluggish,
causing the chain to drop between the two gear plates during shifting
from the large gear to the small gear. If I can get more spring force
on the cage forcing it to move faster, this should not happen.

I've checked my kid's bike and there is a visible "v" shaped spring
attached to the front deraileur cage, from the way it is installed, no
adjustment can be made to it, if it does not have enough tension, the
spring has to be replaced.

My bike has a different arrangement. The cage is attached to its clamp
through a "drum" thing, it is apparent that a coil spring is housed
inside giving the tension required to return the cage close to the
frame when cable tension is removed, I believe this coil spring can be
adjusted to give it more tension, I just don't know how.

You do not mention the brand/model front changer.

At any rate, it is seldom a spring problem but rather more
likely rust in the pivots or less commonly simply dirt
binding the pivots. Try to work a penetrant such as
Rock-N-Roll lube through those pivots. To do that, work the
changer repeatedly while twisting or pressing in the other
plane. Compressed air is nice for cleaning if available.

On some models, vintage Huret, the pivots are adjustable.
Off the bike, slack all the pivot locknuts. Then set each
all the way tight and back 1/4 turn, then lock.For that or
any changer, follow up with machine oil at each pivot.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Zonta said:

It says Shinmano on the clamp bracket and "333" appears on the side of
the cage.

Made before about 1977 or so when they stopped using the
old trademark and among the less expensive versions at that.

New changers are about $15 if you can't get it going by
cleaning it. Your changer may be fully amortized.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971