Sram X5 Front Derailleur

[CharleyFarley]

I ride a Specialized Fatboy, 20 speed. 2 chainrings 10 speed cassette.
It's been a long time since I needed to adjust the front derailleur but today I checked it out after hearing a clicking noise. I was successful but have an issue I can't figure out. The high limit screw doesn't do anything. I can screw it all the way in, and unscrew it all the way out, and it makes not the slightest difference to the cage. The only adjusters I have are the low limit screw and the barrel adjuster at the shifter. I looked into the inner part to see what the high limit screw butts against but I see nothing.

I watched Calvin Jones at the Park Tool company video. He's clear about adjusting both limit screws. I wish I could do the same.

Anyone have any insight into this issue?

 

[fossyant]

The H screw won't make a difference if you are in the wrong gear until you shift. Don't start blindly adjusting. Has the mech shifted - should be parallel to the chain rings - may have moved.

 

[CharleyFarley]

The H screw won't make a difference if you are in the wrong gear until you shift. Don't start blindly adjusting. Has the mech shifted - should be parallel to the chain rings - may have moved.

The mech is parallel to the large chain ring, and the correct height above the teeth. I'm not blindly adjusting, I followed Calvin Jones' precise instruction. When he adjusts the H screw the cage moves. When I adjust it, it doesn't move. And like I said, I can see nothing that the screw butts against. It should have something, though.

When I bought the bike, new, from the bike shop seven years ago, they hadn't checked anything, and fifteen miles from home the chain came off the large cog, going up a gradient and got jammed. It took me ages to get it out and back on the cogs. When I got home I found not only did the chain go too far on the large cog, but wouldn't even go on to the smallest cog. The front mech was out, too, and I set both of them. Everything has been fine for seven years and 13,500 miles. It was just the slight clicking sound that made me look for the cause. The front mech needed adjusting, and that's when I found out the H screw doesn't do anything. I can screw it all the way in and the gears all work well. Take it right out and the gears work well.

Another thing the bike shop did was to put the wrong spacers on the BB spindle. The left crank fell off because it couldn't be pushed onto the spindle far enough to tighten both pinch bolts. The wrong spacers also affected the front mech adjustment which I put right.

I've looked for a schematic of the front mech to see what the H screw butts against, but could find nothing. I'll have another dig at it, tomorrow.

 

[CharleyFarley]

I was right about not being able to adjust the H screw. I took the front derailleur off the bike and examined it closely. I said the H screw doesn't butt up against anything. The reason it didn't is because the part it's supposed to butt against was broken off. It's yet another botch job that was performed by the Specialist dealer. Eight botch jobs in all, across three new bikes. I only stuck with them for a while because they were nice guys. Thirty-nine years in business when I bought the bike seven years ago. I kept thinking the botches were just aberrations, but later I realized they have a trainee in the repair shop and he wasn't being supervised. He did some diabolical things to the bikes. I did tell the dealer about that but he just shrugged it off.

So I put the derailleur back on the bike. The thing is, the gear changes are perfect even without an H screw adjustment. It's been this way for seven years so why bother with a new derailleur now?

 

[fossyant]

Could it not have just broken recently. They are cheap mechs you know.

 

[CharleyFarley]

Could it not have just broken recently. They are cheap mechs you know.

I don't know but I doubt that Sram would knowingly put out inferior derailleurs that lose the ability to have the H screw adjusted.

When I first had a problem with the rear derailleur because the bike shop didn't set it up properly, and the chain came off, I checked the front derailleur and found the H screw didn't do anything. Being new to derailleurs at the time I didn't think anything about it other than it must be okay. Judging by the dirt underneath it, now, I'd guess it's been broken for some time.

I suspect the trainee mechanic messed it up, probably forcing the screw, before it was put on the showroom floor. Soon after I bought it, I was cleaning it and noticed the odd look of the rear disc brake mounting bolts. They stuck up an inch into the air. I took them out and found several rim brake adjusting washers on the bolts because they were too long. Prior to buying this bike I bought a Sun fat bike from them. I noticed the rear brake caliper didn't sit flat on the mounting bracket. Apparently, the caliper was jamming down on the disc so he packed one end up with a rim brake adjusting washer between the caliper and the bracket. I'm not a bike mechanic but I could see the mounting bracket was adjustable, so I removed the washer, moved the mounting bracket a little bit, bolted the caliper back on and it was fine. This was typical of their work. Meanwhile, the head mechanic strutted around in the showroom, always dressed in a black shirt and black shorts. And he had a bad attitude, a tendency to snap if I asked him questions. Everything the trainee touched was botched. He even put a new chain on a new cruiser a few weeks after I'd bought it from them, and had to add a piece of chain. He must not have done it right because the chain soon broke at that point when I was riding.

My point in all this was that even though it's been seven years without the H screw, it's just one more thing I've found that he botched. I don't believe it just broke by itself.

I contacted the shop owner and suggested that he look at a bike coming in for repair, and check it when it goes out to make sure the repair was done properly. After all it was his reputation at stake. He just brushed me off. And so the botching continues.

 

[fossyant]

X5 is a lower end range. It will work well if maintained, but it's not going to last a regular rider very long. too much plastic in the construction.

Just get a new one.

 

[Ajax Bay]

The front mech was out, too, and I set both of them. Everything has been fine for seven years and 13,500 miles.

I don't believe it just broke by itself.

I believe it just broke by itself. You set the FD up yourself and it was fine for 7 years. Stuff breaks.

I contacted the shop owner and suggested that he look at a bike coming in for repair, and check it when it goes out to make sure the repair was done properly. After all it was his reputation at stake. He just brushed me off. And so the botching continues.

Your LBS owner probably made a judgement concerning how, with your reputation, your criticism would affect his. Do not go there again again.

 

[fossyant]

It's an X5, lots of plastic in it.

 

[GuyBoden]

It's an X5, lots of plastic in it.

Yes, I have a SRAM X5 rear Derailleur on my Fat Old Bloke Hill Climb bike (46t rear sprocket). Very, very light, some parts are made of a plastic type compound. Very cheaply made, probably easy to break on a MTB, but easy to replace too, £23.

https://www.wiggle.com/p/sram-x5-8-...ucture&utm_medium=base&gad_source=1&gclsrc=ds

 

[fossyant]

Yes, I have a SRAM X5 rear Derailleur on my Fat Old Bloke Hill Climb bike (46t rear sprocket). Very, very light, some parts are made of a plastic type compound. Very cheaply made, probably easy to break on a MTB, but easy to replace too, £23.

https://www.wiggle.com/p/sram-x5-8-9-speed-rear-derailleur?color=black&derailleurType=Long Cage&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=WGL_UK_GGL_PMX_SMA_MAN_CYC_ALL_NA_NA_NA_TIER0_NA_NA_Endgame_Newstructure&utm_medium=base&gad_source=1&gclsrc=ds

We've got X5 on 'the kids' bikes ! Its good enough, but the OP's mech has probably cracked at some point causing the clicking.

 

[GuyBoden]

We've got X5 on 'the kids' bikes ! Its good enough, but the OP's mech has probably cracked at some point causing the clicking.

Yes, they're cheap and replaceable, the front Derailleur about £14. They must be very cheap in USA.

 

[CharleyFarley]

It's an X5, lots of plastic in it.

The plastic is fine; it didn't break. It was a metal part that broke, evidently because a klutz trainee forced the H screw.

 

[CharleyFarley]

We've got X5 on 'the kids' bikes ! Its good enough, but the OP's mech has probably cracked at some point causing the clicking.

It didn't crack. The plastic parts are in good shape.

Yes, they're cheap and replaceable, the front Derailleur about £14. They must be very cheap in USA.

More expensive. $28 (£22).