Odd derailleur begavior

[Anthony Giorgianni]

Hello All

Trying to put an odd ten-speed back on the road, but I'm having trouble
adjusting the rear derailleur. It will not stay in first gear without the
hanger's slightly hitting the spokes. If I adjust the screws so that the
hanger clears the spokes, the chain jumps between first and second,
especially on hills. If I adjust it so that the chains sites well in first,
I get tapping.

I'm thinking it may be bent somehow? It doesn't seem to be. Also, this
bike -- an old lightweight Benotto with little use - does not have a chain
guard behind the cluster. Should it have one? Would adding one more the
cluster slightly to the right and solve the problem? Or is some bending or
something required? It's a Suntour SVX derailleur.

Thanks for any thoughts.

Anthony Giorgianni
For everyone's benefit, please post back to the group

 

[John Forrest Tomlinson]

On Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:30:10 -0400, "Anthony Giorgianni"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Trying to put an odd ten-speed back on the road, but I'm having trouble
>adjusting the rear derailleur. It will not stay in first gear without the
>hanger's slightly hitting the spokes. If I adjust the screws so that the
>hanger clears the spokes, the chain jumps between first and second,
>especially on hills. If I adjust it so that the chains sites well in first,
>I get tapping.
>
>I'm thinking it may be bent somehow? It doesn't seem to be.

It's possible the derailleur hanger (on the frame) is bent.

 

[!Jones]

On Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:30:10 -0400, in rec.bicycles.tech "Anthony
Giorgianni" <[email protected]> wrote:

>I'm thinking it may be bent somehow?

That's my first off the wall guess. That's where I'd look, anyway.
That and wheel spacing. Has the current wheel worked in that
configuration in the past?

Jones

 

[A Muzi]

Anthony Giorgianni wrote:
> Trying to put an odd ten-speed back on the road, but I'm having trouble
> adjusting the rear derailleur. It will not stay in first gear without
> the hanger's slightly hitting the spokes. If I adjust the screws so that
> the hanger clears the spokes, the chain jumps between first and second,
> especially on hills. If I adjust it so that the chains sites well in
> first, I get tapping.
>
> I'm thinking it may be bent somehow? It doesn't seem to be. Also, this
> bike -- an old lightweight Benotto with little use - does not have a
> chain guard behind the cluster. Should it have one? Would adding one
> more the cluster slightly to the right and solve the problem? Or is some
> bending or something required? It's a Suntour SVX derailleur.

More likely than not, it's bent.

Shift to high gear. Get your head behind the rear changer. Is the cage
parallel to the front chainrings?
--
Andrew Muzi
<www.yellowjersey.org/>
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

 

[still just me]

On Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:10:19 -0500, A Muzi <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
>More likely than not, it's bent.
>
>Shift to high gear. Get your head behind the rear changer. Is the cage
>parallel to the front chainrings?

Or more directly, with the bike perpendicular to the ground, the cage
should also be perpendicular to the ground when view from the rear.

If it worked before, something is bent. If it's a new combination, you
might need a spacer behind the freewheel.

 

[Anthony Giorgianni]

Thanks everyone.

Yes, it did work before. I'll check the alignment versus the chain wheel. I
also was thinking about a spacer. Are there actually spacers made for this
purpose?

I'll report back.

Thanks again.

Anthony Giorgianni
For everyone's benefit, please post back to the group

"still just me" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:10:19 -0500, A Muzi <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>More likely than not, it's bent.
>>
>>Shift to high gear. Get your head behind the rear changer. Is the cage
>>parallel to the front chainrings?
>
> Or more directly, with the bike perpendicular to the ground, the cage
> should also be perpendicular to the ground when view from the rear.
>
> If it worked before, something is bent. If it's a new combination, you
> might need a spacer behind the freewheel.

 

[A Muzi]

>> A Muzi <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> More likely than not, it's bent.
>>> Shift to high gear. Get your head behind the rear changer. Is the cage
>>> parallel to the front chainrings?

> "still just me" <[email protected]> wrote
>> Or more directly, with the bike perpendicular to the ground, the cage
>> should also be perpendicular to the ground when view from the rear.
>> If it worked before, something is bent. If it's a new combination, you
>> might need a spacer behind the freewheel.

Anthony Giorgianni wrote:
> Yes, it did work before. I'll check the alignment versus the chain
> wheel. I also was thinking about a spacer. Are there actually spacers
> made for this purpose?
> I'll report back.

"still" and I are on the same page here. Your description so classically
fits 'bike fell over on the right side' that we'd bet on it.
--
Andrew Muzi
<www.yellowjersey.org/>
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

 

[still just me]

On Sun, 15 Jun 2008 14:40:31 -0500, A Muzi <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
>Anthony Giorgianni wrote:
> > Yes, it did work before. I'll check the alignment versus the chain
>> wheel. I also was thinking about a spacer. Are there actually spacers
>> made for this purpose?
>> I'll report back.
>
>"still" and I are on the same page here. Your description so classically
>fits 'bike fell over on the right side' that we'd bet on it.

and there are spacers, known as "freewheel spacers". But, if you need
to correct that alignment issue then they will just push the problem
elsewhere. So do what you planned, and work from there.

 

[Anthony Giorgianni]

Thanks. I'll get to it soon and post back to thread.

Anthony Giorgianni
For everyone's benefit, please post back to the group

"still just me" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Sun, 15 Jun 2008 14:40:31 -0500, A Muzi <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>Anthony Giorgianni wrote:
>> > Yes, it did work before. I'll check the alignment versus the chain
>>> wheel. I also was thinking about a spacer. Are there actually spacers
>>> made for this purpose?
>>> I'll report back.
>>
>>"still" and I are on the same page here. Your description so classically
>>fits 'bike fell over on the right side' that we'd bet on it.
>
> and there are spacers, known as "freewheel spacers". But, if you need
> to correct that alignment issue then they will just push the problem
> elsewhere. So do what you planned, and work from there.

 

[Anthony Giorgianni]

Hello All

As promised, I'm posting back.

After working with it last weekend, it looks like it may be okay now. It
seemed like the rear-most part of derailleur hanger was bent in slightly,
vertically. Using my Vice Grips, I twisted it outward quite a bit. At the
existing settings, the chain then jumped over the last gear into the spokes.
So I tightened the low-gear adjusting screw some, loosened the high-gear
adjusting screw, made some further adjustments on a road test, and that
seems to have done it. We haven't tried going any distance yet. I'll post
again if the problem re-emerges. But if not, assume that was the fix!!!

Thanks again to everyone who responded..

Anthony Giorgianni
For everyone's benefit, please post back to the group

"Anthony Giorgianni" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hello All
>
> Trying to put an odd ten-speed back on the road, but I'm having trouble
> adjusting the rear derailleur. It will not stay in first gear without the
> hanger's slightly hitting the spokes. If I adjust the screws so that the
> hanger clears the spokes, the chain jumps between first and second,
> especially on hills. If I adjust it so that the chains sites well in
> first, I get tapping.
>
> I'm thinking it may be bent somehow? It doesn't seem to be. Also, this
> bike -- an old lightweight Benotto with little use - does not have a chain
> guard behind the cluster. Should it have one? Would adding one more the
> cluster slightly to the right and solve the problem? Or is some bending or
> something required? It's a Suntour SVX derailleur.
>
> Thanks for any thoughts.
>
> Anthony Giorgianni
> For everyone's benefit, please post back to the group
>

 

[David L. Johnson]

Anthony Giorgianni wrote:
> Hello All
>
> Trying to put an odd ten-speed back on the road, but I'm having trouble
> adjusting the rear derailleur. It will not stay in first gear without
> the hanger's slightly hitting the spokes. If I adjust the screws so that
> the hanger clears the spokes, the chain jumps between first and second,
> especially on hills. If I adjust it so that the chains sites well in
> first, I get tapping.
>
> I'm thinking it may be bent somehow? It doesn't seem to be. Also, this
> bike -- an old lightweight Benotto with little use - does not have a
> chain guard behind the cluster. Should it have one? Would adding one
> more the cluster slightly to the right and solve the problem?

There are several solutions. It may be that the hanger is bent. If so,
an adjustable wrench can solve the problem. If not, you can put in a
spacer to move the freewheel out some (I presume it is a threaded
freewheel rather than a cassette). I don't know whether a spoke guard
will accomplish that or not. They may themselves interfere with the
derailleur.

On one bike I resorted to filing off some of the derailleur cage where
it was rubbing on the spokes. Depending on how much extra material
there is, and how much you have to shave off, that might be enough.

--

David L. Johnson

Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics, I can assure you
that mine are all greater.
-- A. Einstein

 

[Anthony Giorgianni]

Thank you, David.

Interesting to hear how you solved your problem. I think I've now got this
fixed, using the exact method you suggested. Please see my other post.

Thanks again.

Anthony Giorgianni
For everyone's benefit, please post back to the group





"David L. Johnson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> There are several solutions. It may be that the hanger is bent. If so,
> an adjustable wrench can solve the problem. If not, you can put in a
> spacer to move the freewheel out some (I presume it is a threaded
> freewheel rather than a cassette). I don't know whether a spoke guard
> will accomplish that or not. They may themselves interfere with the
> derailleur.
>
> On one bike I resorted to filing off some of the derailleur cage where it
> was rubbing on the spokes. Depending on how much extra material there is,
> and how much you have to shave off, that might be enough.
>
> --
>
> David L. Johnson
>
> Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics, I can assure you
> that mine are all greater.
> -- A. Einstein

 

[still just me]

On Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:53:07 -0400, "Anthony Giorgianni"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Hello All
>
>As promised, I'm posting back.
>
>After working with it last weekend, it looks like it may be okay now. It
>seemed like the rear-most part of derailleur hanger was bent in slightly,
>vertically. Using my Vice Grips, I twisted it outward quite a bit. At the
>existing settings, the chain then jumped over the last gear into the spokes.
>So I tightened the low-gear adjusting screw some, loosened the high-gear
>adjusting screw, made some further adjustments on a road test, and that
>seems to have done it. We haven't tried going any distance yet. I'll post
>again if the problem re-emerges. But if not, assume that was the fix!!!
>
>Thanks again to everyone who responded..

Just make sure it's perpendicular to the ground with the bike vertical
when you are done. In other words, the hanger should be in the same
plane as the seat tube. Otherwise you may have issues later with odd
wear, shifting difficulties,etc. Line of sight is usually fine to set
it up.

 

[Anthony Giorgianni]

Thanks. Will do!!!

Anthony Giorgianni
For everyone's benefit, please post back to the group

"still just me" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Just make sure it's perpendicular to the ground with the bike vertical
> when you are done. In other words, the hanger should be in the same
> plane as the seat tube. Otherwise you may have issues later with odd
> wear, shifting difficulties,etc. Line of sight is usually fine to set
> it up.
>