The indexing won't index on middle cassette gears
05-13-07, 08:15 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
The indexing won't index on middle cassette gears
Yesterday my new touring wheels arrived...XT and Mavic 319. These are for my 1994 Trek 520, which had a 11-28 rear 7 speed cassette. I have barend shifters. I change out the wheels and try the cassette. Even with a spacer, the old Shimano cassette wouldn't fit on the freehub and lock. So I changed the cassette to an 8 speed 11-32 SRAM. I also changed the factory LX D/R to a new 570 LX Megarange that I had on another bike, as I need it to clear the 32 gear. I also put a longer chain in place, an almost new SRAM.
Everything works, but on gears 4 & 5 in the rear its "clackety clack" when I use the indexing system, and going up or down it tries to jump one or the other of the gears in the middle. You have to shift just so to get it to catch all the gears. If I go to friction mode everything works fine. Even though the Shimano bar ends were on a seven speed, the right one had an extra click running the seven speed (7 clicks = 8 speeds, right?). What seems strange is that everything is nice and quiet on the high and low cassette gears, but not in the middle. I can always just use friction mode, but I like the indexed rear shifter. I've tweaked and tweaked the cables, limit screws, and the B-tension adjuster.
Any idea on how to smooth this out on 8 speeds?
Everything works, but on gears 4 & 5 in the rear its "clackety clack" when I use the indexing system, and going up or down it tries to jump one or the other of the gears in the middle. You have to shift just so to get it to catch all the gears. If I go to friction mode everything works fine. Even though the Shimano bar ends were on a seven speed, the right one had an extra click running the seven speed (7 clicks = 8 speeds, right?). What seems strange is that everything is nice and quiet on the high and low cassette gears, but not in the middle. I can always just use friction mode, but I like the indexed rear shifter. I've tweaked and tweaked the cables, limit screws, and the B-tension adjuster.
Any idea on how to smooth this out on 8 speeds?
__________________
05-13-07, 09:41 AM
#2
Infamous Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 24,360
Bikes: Surly Big Dummy, Fuji World, 80ish Bianchi
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
3 Posts
I've seen this happen when the wheel is not aligned properly in the dropouts.
__________________
"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
05-13-07, 10:04 AM
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by chipcom
I've seen this happen when the wheel is not aligned properly in the dropouts.
__________________
05-13-07, 10:20 AM
#4
Infamous Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 24,360
Bikes: Surly Big Dummy, Fuji World, 80ish Bianchi
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
3 Posts
It may not be a problem with the frame being out of wack, just that the wheel is not properly lined up within the dropouts. I had the same problem happen to me on my Bianchi with horizontal drop outs. Everything would be hunky-dory, then one day, out of the blue, it started giving my problems between the 3&4 cogs. I'd try to tweak it, but could never get it 'right'. Finally asked my LBS wrench to take a look and he saw that the wheel had shifted in the dropouts. We yanked the nice lightweight skewer and replaced it with a MTB skewer with serrated edges...no more problem.
__________________
"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
05-13-07, 10:26 AM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225
Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 643 Times
in
364 Posts
7-speed and 8-speed spaceing aren't exactly the same. Lots of folks claim they get perfect indexing when they mix and match parts but I've always gotten the result that you are getting and, if I do get it to index right, it won't hold the adjustment for very long.
05-13-07, 12:00 PM
#6
Luggite
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,906
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I bought a 8/9 speed wheelset for my 7 speed drivetrain. The spacer didn't work right either, too big, couldn't get the cassette lock nut to grab threads. However, I was able to get my hands on some bottom bracket nuts that fit nicely over the cassette holder/axle thingy. I just tried some until I got it to work. Didn't take long. Shops have bins of them. Works fine now.
05-13-07, 02:47 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225
Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 643 Times
in
364 Posts
Originally Posted by bsyptak
I bought a 8/9 speed wheelset for my 7 speed drivetrain. The spacer didn't work right either, too big, couldn't get the cassette lock nut to grab threads.
05-14-07, 09:22 AM
#8
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Okay, maybe that's it. I have a 7 speed 11-28 cassette (lets call it #3) with a spacer that came off of a Deore hub. I'll look at the connectors and try that cassette. That gearing would take me back to the original ratios that were on the bike with its HG-70C cassette( cassette #1). If this other cassette and spacer fit the Deore freewheel with 135mm dropouts, it should fit the new XT hubs. Then I can forget about changing cassettes (clackety-clack cassette #2 is 8 speed) for now.
__________________
Last edited by Monoborracho; 05-21-07 at 02:10 PM.
05-21-07, 02:10 PM
#9
Senior Member
Thread Starter
OKay.....I have put the original cassette 7 speed 11-28 back on the new XT hubs. The 4.5mm spacer worked but I had to change out the retainer nut on the cassette from another old 7 speed cassette. Go figure. I put the original LX derailleur back in place, took two links out of the almost-new-chain, and tried again. This time it went out of index synchronization at the 3rd, 4th, and sometime 5th gear. It tries to jump one or the other going up and coming down. Friction mode still works fine.
Since I live over an hour away from an LBS, I spent the money for and ordered a Park derailleur gauge. Sure enough the d/r hangar was bent. I worked it very carefully and got it straight.
I rechecked my cables. Adjusted everything just so..put it all back together. It still won't index properly on gears 3 and 4. So I'm out the money for the Park d/r gauge (though a man can always use the tools).
The cassette has a few miles on it so maybe its worn. Maybe the d/r is worn or out of adjustment somewhere I can't see. Maybe the earth if flat. I'm out of ideas.
Any thoughts are appreciated.
Since I live over an hour away from an LBS, I spent the money for and ordered a Park derailleur gauge. Sure enough the d/r hangar was bent. I worked it very carefully and got it straight.
I rechecked my cables. Adjusted everything just so..put it all back together. It still won't index properly on gears 3 and 4. So I'm out the money for the Park d/r gauge (though a man can always use the tools).
The cassette has a few miles on it so maybe its worn. Maybe the d/r is worn or out of adjustment somewhere I can't see. Maybe the earth if flat. I'm out of ideas.
Any thoughts are appreciated.
__________________
