Help! How do fit this on (pics inside)

[urbantrained]

I can't seem to fit this onto my bike. I'm a complete beginner with repairing bikes.
It is the one that came with the bike. I had to take it off to paint the bike but I can't fit it back on without the chain slacking...

[urbantrained]

This is how I fitted it on (as you can see, it is wrong)...

[urbantrained]

Another close up pic.....

[urbantrained]

Has anyone got a picture of how it SHOULD look?

Thanks.

[Fatherzen]

I don't have a digital camera, so I can't post a picture, but my wife's bike has a similar deraileur. On her bike the small hole you have labeled "A" in your first picture has a screw in it that screws into the frame and the opening of the slot you have labeled “B” lines up with the opening of the slot on the frame so the axle can slide in and out. That will rotate the assembly about 45 degrees counter clockwise. Attaching the cable should provide the rest of the needed tension.

[Jdawg]

Please don't take this the wrong way, but that is a very dangerous set up and probably needs to be replaced. However, this is the problem. First, it is called a derailleur. Second. You have the chain on correctly but as with every new chain, you need to take the extra links out. You can do this by putting the chain in the largest cog of your cassette and the largest chain ring of your crank set. Take the slack up until your derailleur is just less than 45 degrees pointing forward from center.

Meaning, if it is pointing straight at the ground, keep taking slack until it is just less than 45 degrees pointing toward the front of your bike. Then you need to pull the pins on either side of the left over chain and put the two ends together using either a replacement pin or a "quick link"

I would have your local bike shop do this for you your first time.

I hope this is clearer than mud, but it is the end of the day, and I need a beer.

Good Luck

Jdawg

[Jdawg]

Please don't take this the wrong way, but that is a very dangerous set up and probably needs to be replaced. However, this is the problem. First, it is called a derailleur. Second. You have the chain on correctly but as with every new chain, you need to take the extra links out. You can do this by putting the chain in the largest cog of your cassette and the largest chain ring of your crank set. Take the slack up until your derailleur is just less than 45 degrees pointing forward from center.

Meaning, if it is pointing straight at the ground, keep taking slack until it is just less than 45 degrees pointing toward the front of your bike. Then you need to pull the pins on either side of the left over chain and put the two ends together using either a replacement pin or a "quick link"

I would have your local bike shop do this for you your first time.

In addition, your cable is not hooked up. I could eplain how to put it on, but if you don;t have experience with this, your bike will most likely not work correctly when your done. Your Local Bike shop should be able to put it together for $20 or so. I would also wait on the chain until this is done.

I hope this is clearer than mud, but it is the end of the day, and I need a beer.

Good Luck

Jdawg

[urbantrained]

Thanks guys.

I really wanna try to fix this myself. I don't wanna take it to a bike shop cuz they'll charge about £40 and this bike isn't worth that much.

I don't need to shorten the chain because it is exactly the same size as it was before.

Heres another picture of the frame (that I've labelled).

Can anyone tell me exactly how I fit it (using the labels)?

[Fixey]

ok, trust me on this
You need to shorten your chain.
If I was successful in attaching a photo you will see 2 lines. a black one and a red one.
The Black line shows the line your chain should keep to till it meets the derailier jockey wheel, at a minimum. The red line is where I run my chains.....
See how your chain changes angle at the derailier, That is a BAD thing.

[Fixey]

Also worth noting is that old cogs seldom run well on a new chain...

[hippy]

Originally posted by Fixey
Also worth noting is that old cogs seldom run well on a new chain...

Don't you need to spin the derrailer around against the spring
to put tension into it?

Then it will tighten the chain and not look like the chain is too
long.

Try loosely mounting the derr. and then push it around by hand
against the spring tension. Tighten it and then fit the chain. You
might be able to do it with the chain on - othewise you need a
chain breaking tool.

hippy
- vaguely remembers doing this to his own bike MANY years ago

[urbantrained]

Why does my derailleur go so far back? I know the chain isn't too long because its the exact same chain that was on last time.

Heres a pic I found on the net...

[urbantrained]

Basically I just wanna make sure that I've connected it correctly over HERE........ (see arrow).....

[little_chicken]

are you sure you did'nt bust the spring ???

[urbantrained]

^ What spring?

[oldseed]

have you tried to move the derraileur forward, so that the angle isn't perpendicular to the ground, but more like it is in the photo where it's proper? also, are you sure the chain is around the two rotating circles correctly? when you pull the lower rotating circle (the one that's currently left of the derailleur on the pic) does it look proper? just some things i'm wondering if you've tried...

sd

[belfast-biker]

Originally posted by urbantrained
^ What spring?



Is there something wrong with me? I find this hilarious!!!

[mikeg]

Originally posted by urbantrained
Basically I just wanna make sure that I've connected it correctly over HERE........ (see arrow).....

You should have a bolt which fits the hole in the derailer you marked as A in the pic of your first post. you should also have a threaded nut, not really a nut, but sized to fit inside the dropout with a flange to hold it in place. these go together to hold the derailler arm in the dropout when the wheel axle is undone and the wheel removed. You will find the LHS of the axle be about the middle of the dropout, when the wheel is centred in the chain stays (rear fork). do not fully tighten the derailler fixing bolt untill you have first put the axle into the droput and hole B (your pic).
You will need to remove the wheel in order to fit the fixing bolt and nut into the dropout.

This will also bring the derailler arm rotated down and more towards the front of the bike.

Hope this helps.

Mike

[Fatherzen]

This might help. It shows how the claw should line up with the dropout. I couldn't find an image that shows the nut type of attachment that Mikeg mentioned, but that does make sense since I didn't see a hole in the image of the dropout you posted.