jjbod1

I just got a close to brand new XT Shadow rear derailleur installed a few weeks ago to replace a LX that honestly never gave me a problem. Got the new one for 35 bucks. So far I have had no luck getting the damn thing adjusted to shift right. It is ghost shifting, skipping,and you name it. 3 different bike mechs have worked on it to get it right, still not there. Are these things total crap, or is it just me. I would love to hear from anyone who is using the same thing. I am ready to go back to my cheaper LX at this point.

yellowjeep

hows the chain wrap?

jjbod1

You lost me, please explain.

merlin55

Mine work's fine, came on a Mongoose Elite. Given that you don't know what chain wrap is, I assume you have limited experience working on bikes. Just find the install directions at www.shimano.com and read them a few times, and then work through all the adjustments. It will work great and you will learn how.... good luck

merlin55

Of course you are replacing a 9 speed LX with a 9 speed XT, derailleur...right? Otherwise you will need new 9 speed shifters

jjbod1

As far as adjusting the shifting, no, I leave that up to bike mechs, I only do minor repairs myself,don't have enough patiance to work on bikes. But on the other ?, I did upgrade from standard 9 speed Deore shifters, to a new set of XT's . I love the shifters, but right now, I am hating the freaking derailleur. I am asking the main ? because I want to know if I should try to find someone who can make it right, or just go back to my LX deraillieur.

yellowjeep

Unless there is some sort of physical defect to the RD it should be able to be set up to shift perfectly.

OR

Your derailleur hanger is bent and needs to be realigned and or replaced.

jjbod1

I guess I am taking the bike back to the LBS tomorrow to drop it off. That way they can have time to mess with it and try to get it right. The bike shifts fine when hanging on the rack, its not till I put the pressure of myself on it, then it has probs. Again anyone else who reads this thread, that knows anything about this subject please give advise. And thanks for the advise that has come thus far.

mzeffex 

Did you use a new cable? Cable stretch?

jjbod1

Yes, I am pretty sure there are new cables installed. Reason being the old shifters came back with cut cables.

yellowjeep

https://www.parktool.com/repair/printhowto.asp?id=64

ed 

What kind of bike is it on?

ProEdgeBiker

1st off, how did you get it for $35? was it damaged? The reason i ask is due to the derrailleur having a $100+ price tag on it.. Ebay doesnt even have them for that cheap like you got yours..

streetlightpoet

It can be hard to recognize I slightly bent or twisted rd, but either will definitely cause the problems you describe. That would be my guess (assuming your mechanics are competent)

ed 

The reason I ask about frame is b/c I had an issue with my Jamis XLT when I first built it. I wanted to run short cable housing to minimize compression. (before I went full length) I ran the second cable housing next to the swing link on the rear suspension. When the suspension was compressed, the housing would sneak up on top of the swing link pivot and pull on the cable when the suspension extended back out. This caused so many headaches until I got it figured out. Added 3/4" of housing and problem solved.

Now with full length housing...I wouldn't run into issues like that.

jjbod1

I got it from one of the guys I ride with. It came on his new Marin, he upgraded within a month of getting his bike to XTR. So one day we where riding and my LX was shifting bad, and he said i could have his XT he had laying around for 35 bucks. Nice guy huh

jjbod1

It is on my 2007 Gary Fisher Tassajara.

Terrapin Ben

i love my shadow deraileur. glad to be of service. good day kind sirs!

ed 

Should be no problem there.

The Shadow is the best RD I've owned to date.

jjbod1

Thats pretty much what I wanted to know. Between the coments here, and some of the reviews I have read, some people love it others say it is junk. So i am going to run it up to the shop now in hopes they can get it working like a XT should. Thanks again for all your reply's.

surreal

I've no direct experience with the shadow derailers, but I've read magazine articles saying they're a little finicky to set up. Still, assuming the cage isn't tweaked, you should be able to get 'er shifting right. Patience is key.

As someone said, make sure you've got your chainwrap right. Make sure your chain is the long enough (but not too long), and make sure you've got your b-screw set properly. (It really can make a difference.) Someone above said to make sure you're running 9 speed shifters with a 9speed cassette, and while this does seem obvious, it does happen. Make sure that any time you're putting more tension in the cable, that you're shifted all the way to the smallest cog (or, the largest cog for rapid-rise ppl. The shadow is regular, high-normal spring, though.)

I hear what you're saying about not having the patience to wrench your own bikes, but by the same token, i have way more patience adjusting and wrenching myself than dragging it back to the shop to get fiddled with over & over again. If you don't have a stand, check out the instructions on parktool and shimano's websites, flip your bike over, grab some tools, and carefully/patiently give it a go. It ain't that hard, it's just time-consuming for the first few rear derailers you hang on a bike...

hth
-rob

yellowjeep

I can get get an RD bolted on and adjusted in 2 min flat. ****ing mechanical discs on the other hand....

Really dude check out the park tools link I posted, its not that bad.

surreal

jeep:

You've done it before. I'm super-quick with it now, but the first few times, it took me about 30 seconds to get it on there, and what seemed like eons to get it dialed in.

This person, this OP, he is a fledgling derailer guy. If we tell him it's a super-easy, 2 minute job, he's gonna get frustrated 5 minutes into the process. He's probably already frustrated. I figure, a little patience and a "learning experience" approach could put his mind at ease a bit.

-rob

I_bRAD

I put an XT shadow on my girlfriend's commuter bike and there hasn't been any problem with it.

You said you started having problems with your LX. Is it the same problems with the new one? If so I bet it's a bent hanger like others have mentioned.

Servo888

There is more than likely something wrong with the derailleur.

Try this:
1) Grab the cage (metal thingy sticking out, where the chain goes through), and trying to wobble it gently (into the wheel and away from the wheel). It should be firm when it's in a gear. If it's not, then tighten down the bolt which connects to derailleur to the frame.

2) Make sure the cage is pointed vertically (aligned parallel to the wheel).

3) Check the chain length to make sure it's not too long / too short.