Mt.Hoodlum

can someone tell me which of these videos is the right way to adjust your rear derailler?
also this is a pic of my front derailler height from the biggest sprocket, does it look to high, is this why my chain came to far over and fell off while shifting to the biggest sprocket?
lastly, when i am in my smallest sprocket in the back, the chain rubs on the outer inside edge of the front derailler weather i am in my biggest or smallest sprocket in the front (if that makes any sense). this is where my noise is coming from. where would i want to make adjustments? i read through parktool but really dont understand most of it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkzvfCaIbyQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAFdrB9ynPo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkGBajG4TPc

https://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1.../IMG000461.jpg

BloomBikeShop

Your front derailleur needs adjusted. It's too high on the seat tube, and the outer limit screw needs adjusted.

See these videos:
https://bicycletutor.com/adjust-rear-derailleur/
https://bicycletutor.com/adjust-front-derailer/

BarracksSi

One quick tip:

Depending on the rear cable housing, you can completely de-tension the rear derailleur cable without unscrewing the cable clamp. Shift the rear to the largest cog, then stop the wheel and completely "shift" the rear shifter, loosening the cable. Then, if you can, tug the last section of cable housing free from its boss on the chainstay. This is easy to do on a bike like the one in the first video and in the Bicycle Tutor vid.

About the vids in the OP:

I like the first one. Nice tip about getting the tension right (attach the cable, shift one click on the shifter, then adjust the RD cable adjuster until it actually shifts one cog).

The second vid is about the FD, but neglects its height, alignment, and setting the limit screws.

In the third, the narration is confusing, honestly. I'd almost prefer to watch it with the volume turned down.

My personal tips:

Make sure the limit screws are set correctly before messing with cable tension.

Front derailler: Adjust the clamp height so that it barely clears the big chainring. Rotate it so that it's parallel with the chainrings. Set the limit screws so that it barely clears the chain when it's on the big ring & small rear cog ("top" gear, for going fast), and also so that it just clears the chain when it's on the small ring and big cog ("bottom" gear, what you'd use for climbing steep hills). Then, attach the cable so it's taut, and fine-tune with the barrel adjuster so that it begins to move exactly when you move the shift lever.

Rear: De-tension the cable, and set the high limit ("high" = fast gear = small cog) so that it rides smoothly on the smallest cog. Set the low limit so that it can't throw the chain off the biggest cog. Re-tension the cable, then adjust the tension so that it shifts correctly. I also pluck the section of exposed cable along the downtube and listen to its pitch to confirm that I'm actually adjusting the tension.

Mt.Hoodlum

Im all ****ed up now. I adjusted the height of the front dereailer. then went to adjust the smallest sprocket on the front d. and the chain was rubbing on the inside of the derailer but there was no more adjustment left??? So i tried the bigger sprocket and it would not even shift all the way there??? im ****ed now, i have no idea im so far off. what do you do when the limits, height, cable tension, and direction are all off???? please help i have 9 hours until i have to be to work.

BloomBikeShop

You start from scratch. Reset the height, loosen the cable, etc.

rogerstg

Many mechanics do it that way, which is why so many bikes go out of adjustment so quickly when the housing ends compress a little.

There is a range of ~ 3 full turns of the barrel adjuster between gears (on a 9 spd), so a better method is to turn the barrel adjuster ~ 1.5 turns after it shifts. That puts the RD in the middle of it's range. That way when the housings wear or compress a bit (aka cable stretch) there will be enough range to keep shifting properly.

BarracksSi

Start from scratch, and go in order. There's only three things to do -- derailleur alignment, limit screws, then cable tension.

DO THEM IN ORDER, too. If you change the derailleur height, you'll affect the cable tension; if you change the limit screws, you'll affect cable tension.

Hope you got it figured out in time. I had a revelation of my own last year when I finally figured out how to adjust the cable tension on my new road bike; I came to BF and posted a thread at about 3 AM to commemorate it.

BarracksSi

I know, and that's why I really try to shove the housing back into the cable boss to secure it. Hopefully it'll do alright.

Cool, thanks.