I'm not intimately familiar with Shimano RDs, but If they have springs in the upper body, it pulls the RD back, not forward. Otherwise no upper spring is needed because the chain tension in the lower loop pulls the RD forward. BTW that lower loop tension comes from the Cage spring in the lower body. If your RD isn't being pulled forward, odds are it's related to the cage spring.
As for pulleys, I find that cheap/basic plastic pulleys running on brass plain bearings (bushing) are the toughest. One drop of oil once in a lifetime (seems that way) is all they want, and they last until worn out.
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Last edited by FBinNY; 05-19-14 at 05:00 PM.