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Questions and answers about sports

Replace or repair derailleur?

5 min read

Asked by: Oscar Sharma

When should you replace a derailleur?

3 Answers. Show activity on this post. Derailleurs will last almost indefinitely. The jockey wheels will wear out in time (tens of thousands of km) but the rest of the mechanism shouldn’t see significant wear.

Can derailleur be repaired?

Some problems can be repaired trailside while others require parts and tools most riders don’t commonly carry. Your bike’s drivetrain is really a simple system, and if you know what to look for, you can easily repair your derailleur yourself.

How much does it cost to repair a rear derailleur?

If you take your MTB into a local bike shop the average price to replace a rear derailleur is going to be $110. If you DIY replacing a derailleur will cost about $50 (plus your time) This price will depend a lot on the actual derailleur needed. Usually a bike shop will also take care of other problems.

Is it easy to replace derailleur?

Believe it or not, it’s not difficult to replace the rear derailleur yourself. Before replacing a “bent derailleur” make sure it’s not just the derailleur hanger! First, remove the idler pulley — that’s the bottom pulley of the derailleur. This pulley holds the chain inside the derailleur mechanism.

How do I know if my rear derailleur is worn out?

All derailleurs wear out at some point. Check for wear by pulling laterally on the lower cage. Compare this movement in the linkage of a new derailleur. Sloppy pivot and linkages will produce inconsistent shifting, and the only solution is a new derailleur.

Do derailleur springs wear out?

That said, derailleur springs will lose tension overtime, and pivots will get sloppier. Shifters can wear out too (if you ride enough), and most cannot be serviced back to health. But before you go sinking money into these more expensive components, best try a new cable/housing or get a second opinion.

How do you refurbish a rear derailleur?

Remove spring from derailleur body. Clean all parts.



Engage C-clip using needle nose pliers.

  1. Install lower pivot spring into derailleur. Insert bolt through cage and place spacer at end.
  2. Insert cage and bolt into derailleur body. Insert spring into cage spring hole.
  3. Rotate cage to tension spring.


How do you fix a rear derailleur?

Quote from video: Pull the chain out and you're ready to remove the old derailleur. Most railers are fastened on with a hex bolt. So you'll need your allen keys for this most of the time you can reuse your shift cable.

Can you fit any derailleur on a bike?

A derailleur for your mountain bike should match the specifications on the original derailleur. That is, while it doesn’t need to be the same model of derailleur, it does need to be the same brand, in almost every case. It also needs to match the number of gears, or have more intended.

How long do rear derailleurs last?

Good quality rear derailleur can last between 3 to 5 years, when unbranded or low-quality ones can last for 2 years, no matter what the durability of the rear derailleur the jockey wheel will wear after time and it can be replaced very cheaply with new ones, on the other hand, front derailleur can last almost

How much does it cost to tune a derailleur?

Labor Rates

TUNE-UP PACKAGES
DERAILLEURS $15.00
Adjust (per Derailleur) $20.00 $45.00
Install Derailleur $25.00 $Quoted
Install Shifter: Mountain or Downtube $20.00 $20.00

How much does it cost to adjust a derailleur?

Derailleurs – (per derailleur) $25 labor for derailleur adjustment and lubrication. If cable and housing needs to be replaced, labor is $25 plus the cost of the cable and housing. If a bent derailleur needs to be aligned, there is an additional $15-20 labor cost.

Why does my bike chain slip when I pedal hard?

These include worn out or misaligned derailleur pulleys, old or malfunctioning shifters throwing off the indexing in some gears, or broken/bent teeth on one or more cassette cogs. Build up of dirt and grime on drivetrain components will also cause shifting issues, including skipping chains.

Why are rear derailleurs noisy?

A clicking noise often comes from your chain wanting to jump up or down a gear on the rear cassette. This can typically be fixed by adjusting the tension of the cable that runs from your shifter to your rear derailleur.

How many miles should a cassette last?

Quote from video: Похожие запросы

How long do bike derailleurs last?

Good quality rear derailleur can last between 3 to 5 years, when unbranded or low-quality ones can last for 2 years, no matter what the durability of the rear derailleur the jockey wheel will wear after time and it can be replaced very cheaply with new ones, on the other hand, front derailleur can last almost

How often should you replace jockey wheels?

They are nearly 5 years old so it’s time for a replacement. If your jockey wheels are looking worn out by rust or their teeth have worn away then a replacement is easy. Most jockey wheels can be simply taken off, cleaned, greased and then put back on the bike.

Are all derailleurs the same?

No, bike derailleurs are not universal. A derailleur that works with one bike may not work with another bike based on factors such as the cage length. Check the difference between the smallest and largest cogs and also the chainring size to determine the derailleur compatibility.

What does SGS mean derailleur?

Short cage

Shimano MTB rear derailleurs last letters will be GS or SGS, which stand for “Short cage” or SGS for long cage. A XTR rear derailleur will be RD-M970-GS (for short cage) or RD-M970-SGS (for long cage)

What is the difference between GS and SGS derailleur?

GS is the medium length cage and SGS is the long cage on the rear derailleur, if you ride a hardtail (and you don’t cross chain) then a GS will do, An SGS is better suited to a full suss as the chain growth needs to be taken up by the RD

Do I need a short or long cage derailleur?

It’s generally best to go for as short a derailleur cage as you can get away with, as long as you can avoid the chain contorting on the extremes of the cassette, such as using the largest on both sprocket and chainring. Smaller cages tend to have snappier gear changes, they’re lighter, and also less exposed to damage.