Mountain Biking - Finicky Rear Dearailleur

My rear derailleur it a little picky when it gets to the bigger gears. It will sometimes jump down to a smaller gear and cause a little hesitation when I'm riding. How should I adjust the derailleur to fix this? I don't want to have to take it into the shop everytime I have a problem.

Thanks!

Try adjusting the L stop screw. Back it off all the way, shift the derailleur to the biggest gear, and then twist the screw in until you feel friction, no more. This will set the uper stop. Then shift it down to the smallest gear and do the same thing with the H stop screw. After adjusting the H screw, check that the cable tension is not too loose, not too tight ... just taut is fine.

Check out the Downloadable Barnett's manual chapters in this section (I think - They're on the forums somewhere). Look at the table of contents that was posted and read the section about rear der. adjustment. It will walk you through everything, and even includes a trouble-shooting section. I own the set of books and it worked great for me the first few times - I am now able to adjust it without any help from the books/references.

-Moab

You guys are going way too in depth for this problem. If you've got a Shimano Rear Derailleur, there is a barrel adjuster where the cable housing connects to the rear derailleur. (There may be a soft rubber cover over it). Turn that 1/8 turn counter-clock wise and try it. If it's still doing it, turn it 1/8 turn more. Keep turning in 1/8 increments until it stops, or your shifting in the lower gears begins to be compromised.

Let me know if that helps. If not, I KNOW what's wrong!

L8R

ya, I'm sure it just needs some fine adjustment ... I'll try waht a2psyklnut said and get back to you guys. I just wanted to know which way I was supposed to turn the dials. Thanks!

oh and yes, it's an xtr rear. d.

O.k., have you tried the 1/8" turn adjustments? How did that work?

If you have an XTR, there is a spring tension adjustment you can make to increase tension which produces quicker shifts. There is a phillips head screw located between the parrallel plates on the derailleur body, kinda near the cable set clamp. Turn that 1/4 turn, and it'll increase the tension.

If it's shifting well in the higher gears (smaller cogs) but hangs up in the bigger cogs, chances are you're dealing with a bent derailleur hanger. There is a special tool that ALL shops have to check this and adjust. Take it into the shop and tell them your hanger is tweaked. They will probably charge you a minimal fee. I would also consider buying two extra hangers while you're there. Most hangers are aluminum or low grade steel, and are designed to fail in the event of a crash or an object hitting the derailleur. Since they are either aluminum or cheap steel, you can only bend them back slightly, and only once or twice before you compromise the integrity. They're relatively cheap, but usually a long lead item to order, so buy a new one, and a spare!

L8R