Front derailleur not shifting properly
05-30-12, 11:03 AM
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[Solved] Front derailleur not shifting properly
While I was out riding my bicycle today, I noticed that there's a problem with the front derailleur. I shifted down to the lowest gear in front, but now I'm unable to shift back up.
When I try shifting up, the derailleur doesn't seem to push the chain far enough for it to move to the next gear, instead it just barely touches it. I've adjusted the limit screws a bit and tightened the cable, and now I'm able to shift back up to the middle gear (I have 3 gears in front) after a few tries. However, there's still a problem with the levers I use to shift.
I have two levers for the front derailleur, one to shift up and one to shift down (obviously). When I've shifted up to the middle gear, the lever that I use to shift up doesn't work anymore. There's no resistance, as if the cable is loose. If I push the other lever even slightly, the derailleur snaps back to the lower gear (instead of gently pushing the chain as it normally does).
The shifters and derailleur are made by Shimano, but I don't know what model they are.
Unfortunately, I can't afford to bring my bicycle to a mechanic, so I hope someone here will be able to help me out.
When I try shifting up, the derailleur doesn't seem to push the chain far enough for it to move to the next gear, instead it just barely touches it. I've adjusted the limit screws a bit and tightened the cable, and now I'm able to shift back up to the middle gear (I have 3 gears in front) after a few tries. However, there's still a problem with the levers I use to shift.
I have two levers for the front derailleur, one to shift up and one to shift down (obviously). When I've shifted up to the middle gear, the lever that I use to shift up doesn't work anymore. There's no resistance, as if the cable is loose. If I push the other lever even slightly, the derailleur snaps back to the lower gear (instead of gently pushing the chain as it normally does).
The shifters and derailleur are made by Shimano, but I don't know what model they are.
Unfortunately, I can't afford to bring my bicycle to a mechanic, so I hope someone here will be able to help me out.
Last edited by Kira; 06-12-12 at 11:54 AM.
05-30-12, 11:44 AM
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Can you post pictures of the shifter and the derailleur? When was the last time you changed the cables?
05-30-12, 01:52 PM
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Kira- Sounds like the ft shifter pod internals are not fully working. The Shimano twin lever shifters have little pawls that pivot on posts, a hair thin spring keeps the pawls against the cable spool's teeth. When the lube on these pawl posts gets old it gets sticky and the tiny springs can't keep the pawl against the teeth, hence no cable movements and no index engagement. Removing the plastic cover (watch out for those small screws don't get lost) and spraying with a cleaning solvent usually removes the sticky old lube, then relube after. Sometimes the pawls are so sticky that you might have to remove the "E" clip at the end of the post and remove the pawl totally to clean and lube.
We see this at work frequently. Some customers want new shifters (peace of mind) some let us do the servicing. We usually replace the cable as we will remove the shift pod from the bars to soak in out solvent tank. After soaking we Clean Streak the pod, flush with TriFlow spray and finish off with Phil oil and an air blast to drive the oil inside all. These shifters have a lot of tiny parts that can get lost on the floor very easily, so we try to not do too much take apart.
BTW if your LBS mechanic isn't willing to take 5 minutes to assess your problem and talk about the fix, at no cost, then you need to find another shop. We do this all the time. We don't discribe the repair process (as I have above) but we do explane the basic situation and path of service.
We see this at work frequently. Some customers want new shifters (peace of mind) some let us do the servicing. We usually replace the cable as we will remove the shift pod from the bars to soak in out solvent tank. After soaking we Clean Streak the pod, flush with TriFlow spray and finish off with Phil oil and an air blast to drive the oil inside all. These shifters have a lot of tiny parts that can get lost on the floor very easily, so we try to not do too much take apart.
BTW if your LBS mechanic isn't willing to take 5 minutes to assess your problem and talk about the fix, at no cost, then you need to find another shop. We do this all the time. We don't discribe the repair process (as I have above) but we do explane the basic situation and path of service.
05-30-12, 02:12 PM
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Pug: Thanks for your reply.
I bought this bicycle used about two weeks ago, so I don't know when the cables were last changed. However, it has been maintained pretty well, so I think the cables are still in good condition.
The top of the shifter reads: "Shimano Total Integration ST-M020". The derailleur only has the Shimano brand name printed, but no model.
As for the pictures, they should be below. I apologize for the bad quality.
Derailleur:
Shifter:
Andrew: Thanks a lot for the advice. I'll try cleaning the internals of the shifter tomorrow, and let you know if that solved anything. I don't think my local bicycle mechanic is willing to assess my problem without cost. The prices he charges depend largely on his mood. Unfortunately he's the only bicycle mechanic around.
I bought this bicycle used about two weeks ago, so I don't know when the cables were last changed. However, it has been maintained pretty well, so I think the cables are still in good condition.
The top of the shifter reads: "Shimano Total Integration ST-M020". The derailleur only has the Shimano brand name printed, but no model.
As for the pictures, they should be below. I apologize for the bad quality.
Derailleur:
Shifter:
Andrew: Thanks a lot for the advice. I'll try cleaning the internals of the shifter tomorrow, and let you know if that solved anything. I don't think my local bicycle mechanic is willing to assess my problem without cost. The prices he charges depend largely on his mood. Unfortunately he's the only bicycle mechanic around.
05-30-12, 02:18 PM
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I've brought many of those types of shifters back to life with WD40. Just dowse them good, let them soak a bit, dowse again and run them through the gears.
05-30-12, 02:37 PM
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Looks like your chain can use some lube, too
05-30-12, 06:42 PM
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Front derailleur is severely out of alignment in relation to the seat-tube and chainrings. It needs to be lowered on the seat-tube by about 12-15mm. No amount of lubrication, limit-screws or cable-adjustments will make it work optimally until it's re-positioned. Follow this Park Tool - Front Derailleur Adjustment guide. Most important for functionality in order:
1. vertical height adjustment - outer-cage should be about 1.5-2mm above big-chainring.
https://www.parktool.com/uploads/imag...p/ft_der_2.jpg
2. lateral yaw-rotation - outer-cage should be parallel to chain when in big-chainring/small-cog combination (fastest gear).
https://www.parktool.com/uploads/imag...p/ft_der_8.jpg
Once these two mechanical settings are correct it's 90% there. Then you can fiddle with limit-screw and cable-tension adjustments to fine-tune and dial-in the last 10%. Also helps if you use some needle-nose pliers and bend the tip of the inner-cage outwards by about 2-3 degrees.
1. vertical height adjustment - outer-cage should be about 1.5-2mm above big-chainring.
https://www.parktool.com/uploads/imag...p/ft_der_2.jpg
2. lateral yaw-rotation - outer-cage should be parallel to chain when in big-chainring/small-cog combination (fastest gear).
https://www.parktool.com/uploads/imag...p/ft_der_8.jpg
Once these two mechanical settings are correct it's 90% there. Then you can fiddle with limit-screw and cable-tension adjustments to fine-tune and dial-in the last 10%. Also helps if you use some needle-nose pliers and bend the tip of the inner-cage outwards by about 2-3 degrees.
05-30-12, 08:53 PM
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Agree on all. Just remember that WD40 is more solvent then lube, so after cleaning out the gunk, spray some grease or drop some oil in it. Its an easy job once the small cover is removed and the cable and mechanism are visible inside. Done it several times.
05-31-12, 12:55 PM
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Thanks everyone for your suggestions.
I just got myself a can of WD40. However, I don't seem to be able to remove the cover from my front shifter. There's a hex screw that attaches the shifter to the handlebar at the top of the shifter, and a phillips screw at the bottom. Removing the phillips screw doesn't seem to do anything, as I'm still unable to remove the cover after removing the screw. I've sprayed a bit of WD40 into the shifter from beside the levers. Can I just leave it like this to dry, or will keeping the WD40 in there damage the shifter?
I've lowered the derailleur a bit as per DannoXYZ's instructions. It is now about 1.5-2mm above the outer chainring.
There's still a problem with the derailleur I can't figure out. With the bicycle shifted to the lowest gear on both sides, I adjusted the derailleur so it's as close to the outer chainring it can get without touching the chain. I'm able to shift to the middle chainring, but not further. Sometimes, after I shift to the middle chainring, the shifter won't allow me to shift up to the outer chainring. There's no resistance when I try to shift up, as if I already shifted to the outer chainring. I am only able to shift back to the lower chainring.
Does anyone have any idea what I can do to solve this?
EDIT: It seems to have been caused by improperly adjusted limit screws, as well as a rather strange problem that caused the cable to become loose whenever I attempted to shift up (which has now been fixed).
After adjusting the limit screws, I am now able to shift between the lower and middle chainring without any problems. However, I can't shift to the outer chainring, and I need to press the lever twice to shift up from the lower to the middle chainring. I think I should be able to solve this by adjusting the limit screws, but if I adjust the low limit, I can no longer shift up to the middle chainring.
I just got myself a can of WD40. However, I don't seem to be able to remove the cover from my front shifter. There's a hex screw that attaches the shifter to the handlebar at the top of the shifter, and a phillips screw at the bottom. Removing the phillips screw doesn't seem to do anything, as I'm still unable to remove the cover after removing the screw. I've sprayed a bit of WD40 into the shifter from beside the levers. Can I just leave it like this to dry, or will keeping the WD40 in there damage the shifter?
I've lowered the derailleur a bit as per DannoXYZ's instructions. It is now about 1.5-2mm above the outer chainring.
There's still a problem with the derailleur I can't figure out. With the bicycle shifted to the lowest gear on both sides, I adjusted the derailleur so it's as close to the outer chainring it can get without touching the chain. I'm able to shift to the middle chainring, but not further. Sometimes, after I shift to the middle chainring, the shifter won't allow me to shift up to the outer chainring. There's no resistance when I try to shift up, as if I already shifted to the outer chainring. I am only able to shift back to the lower chainring.
Does anyone have any idea what I can do to solve this?
EDIT: It seems to have been caused by improperly adjusted limit screws, as well as a rather strange problem that caused the cable to become loose whenever I attempted to shift up (which has now been fixed).
After adjusting the limit screws, I am now able to shift between the lower and middle chainring without any problems. However, I can't shift to the outer chainring, and I need to press the lever twice to shift up from the lower to the middle chainring. I think I should be able to solve this by adjusting the limit screws, but if I adjust the low limit, I can no longer shift up to the middle chainring.
Last edited by Kira; 05-31-12 at 03:01 PM.
05-31-12, 10:13 PM
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This is a good exersize is trouble shooting. Some have talked about the derailure (and angle/limit screw/height0 and some about the shifter pod function. I still haven't read a post that discribes what's actually going on. It's a simple process to work the derailure seperate from the shifter (and the pod from the der.) to discove which works or not. So which is it in this case?
Some times it's both that are needing service but some critical thinking is needed here. Pull the cable along the DT run. Does the der. shift more or less. Remove the cabler casing from a stop and work the shifter with a hand on the relaxed cable. Does the pod index?
This isn't rocket science. Simple cause and effects. Andy.
Some times it's both that are needing service but some critical thinking is needed here. Pull the cable along the DT run. Does the der. shift more or less. Remove the cabler casing from a stop and work the shifter with a hand on the relaxed cable. Does the pod index?
This isn't rocket science. Simple cause and effects. Andy.
05-31-12, 11:00 PM
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Kira, you did a great job! You figured out the sweep-range that needed to be adjusted with the limit screws.
The double-click to go from inner to middle-chainring is caused by too loose cable. You're off by one click. Here's what's happening:
1. When the shifter is in the inner-ring position and the FD & chain on the inner-ring, the 1st click does nothing but take up the slack
2. Shifter is now in middle-position, but FD and chain are still in the inner position.
3. Click a 2nd time and shifter is now in outer-position and FD/chain moves from inner to middle-position.
4. no more clicks available and you can't shift to outer chainring.To resolve this issue:
The double-click to go from inner to middle-chainring is caused by too loose cable. You're off by one click. Here's what's happening:
1. When the shifter is in the inner-ring position and the FD & chain on the inner-ring, the 1st click does nothing but take up the slack
2. Shifter is now in middle-position, but FD and chain are still in the inner position.
3. Click a 2nd time and shifter is now in outer-position and FD/chain moves from inner to middle-position.
4. no more clicks available and you can't shift to outer chainring.
1. place bike on stand
2. spin crank and shift FD to the outside as far as it will go
3. spin crank and move the FD by hand all the way to the outside and have chain shift to outer ring. stop.
4. push shifter all the way into inner-most (granny-ring) position, but DO NOT spin the crank. The chain on the outer-ring will keep the FD from moving all the way in. You will have a lot of excess cable slack.
5. loosen cable-clamp bolt on FD gently
6. pull through (tighten) about 4-5mm of cable
7. tighten cable-clamp bolt.
8. test FD shifting now, loosen/tighten cable-tension with barrel-adjuster to fine-tune.
2. spin crank and shift FD to the outside as far as it will go
3. spin crank and move the FD by hand all the way to the outside and have chain shift to outer ring. stop.
4. push shifter all the way into inner-most (granny-ring) position, but DO NOT spin the crank. The chain on the outer-ring will keep the FD from moving all the way in. You will have a lot of excess cable slack.
5. loosen cable-clamp bolt on FD gently
6. pull through (tighten) about 4-5mm of cable
7. tighten cable-clamp bolt.
8. test FD shifting now, loosen/tighten cable-tension with barrel-adjuster to fine-tune.
Last edited by DannoXYZ; 05-31-12 at 11:04 PM.
06-12-12, 11:52 AM
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DannoXYZ: I followed the steps you posted and made some other small adjustments, and now I am able to shift through all three gears with relative ease. Thanks a lot for your help!
Andrew: You're right, adjusting a derailleur should be a simple thing to do. It's just that up until about 10 minutes before I started this thread, I didn't even know what a derailleur was, let alone how to properly adjust one. But thanks to everyone who replied, I'm now able to use my bicycle again.
Sorry for the late reply. I was unable to try this out earlier due to illness.
Andrew: You're right, adjusting a derailleur should be a simple thing to do. It's just that up until about 10 minutes before I started this thread, I didn't even know what a derailleur was, let alone how to properly adjust one. But thanks to everyone who replied, I'm now able to use my bicycle again.
Sorry for the late reply. I was unable to try this out earlier due to illness.
06-12-12, 06:57 PM
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Kira- To belabor my point. It's not so much the process to adjust the der. that I was talking about. The flow chart of the system and it's interactions is more my point. Does the shifter have it's intended action? How well does the communication link flow (the cable)? Is the follower (the der.) able to function with another controler (your hand pulling the cable instead of the shifter doing such). Glad you got things to work. Andy.
06-14-12, 02:54 PM
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DannoXYZ, great article! Thanx for posting that.
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