Sticking SRAM gears

Surf-Matt

I keep my Stumpy very clean and well lubed but having problems with front and rear mechs (I think)

Both change fine when I "push" (changing down a gear rear, up a chainring front) but are sticking when I "drop" a gear/ring. It usually sorts itself out after a lot of wiggling of the gear shift lever but it's getting worse and more annoying. Both seem to "seize" up with no lever movement until I've managed to free them up.

Both mechs are sparkling clean (SRAM X-9 rear, Shimano LX front, SRAM X-7 shifters) and the cables are also looking fine. Any ideas?

Steve_b77

Get some lube/fine grease around the pivot points/pins on each mech.

It's a fair bet to say that when you've cleaned your bike with say a mild de-greaser all the original pivot lube is gone.

Finish line "Wet Chain" lube works very well

Surf-Matt

Steve - I've got Pro-link Gold - will try that.
Been using GT85 but maybe it needs something a bit more suited to the job.

dannyg

HI Steve,

I can't remember whether the X7 shifters have one but if you look on top of your shifter there shoud be some means of opening it up. It maybe that the mechanism in the shifter has lost all its lube. The X9's and X0's have a cover cap that you can unscrew to remove the main cover to then lube up the rachet inside. Looking on the SRAM website it shows 4 allen screws to split the shifter. There is also the maintenance manual on the site to download

Hope this sorts it!!

nicklouse

so the cable is being pulled OK?
but not moving as well under spring tension?

Mucky cables.

clean/lube/replace.

Surf-Matt

Nick and Danny - cheers.

Nick - how hard is it to do (clean cables)? Does it mean taking the gears apart?
Might be an LBS job...!
It was actually a lot better today (chain lubed both mechs) but still not 100%.

BorisSpencer

Matt,
if you have a power link in your chain then take the chain off first, it's not neccessary but makes it a bit easier.
Shift to big ring on the front and the back. Then without turning the pedals change the shifters to the small ring on both the front and back. Your cables will now go slack and can be unhooked from the stops. Now you can slide the outers up and down and give the inners a good clean/lube.

Surf-Matt

Boris - you're a star!
Will do that tomorrow.

Cheers.

omegas

If your cables are not one full run , change up to the largest back sprocket , then change down without turning the drivetrain. The cable will be slack and you can pop the sections of outer off the mounts and slide out the way , clean the inners and lube , slide the outers back over and push back in to the mounts.

This will eliminate if the cables are sticking, there is a video on bike radar how to do this somewhere in the video section. If this doesn’t work then try as poster above and remove the chain and see what’s happening as you change up and down.

Hope this helps, its good practice to do this every few weeks if your not using fully sealed cables and only takes a min to do when you have done it a few times.

milkywhite

Surf-Matt wrote:

Nick and Danny - cheers.

Nick - how hard is it to do (clean cables)? Does it mean taking the gears apart?
Might be an LBS job...!
It was actually a lot better today (chain lubed both mechs) but still not 100%.

Piece of p**s, Matt.

I'm quite new to maintaining my whole bike myself, but recently stripped down my gears, cleaned out the outers, and fitted a new cable. Took me 30 minutes or so.

Setting up the cable tension when refitting is the most difficult part, but with a bit of fettling and quite a lot of swearing (the first time) you should get there. Worst case scenario...you fit the new cable, can't get the tension right and it's into the LBS for a quick 5 minute gear tune.

Surf-Matt

Well a full cable clean (and lube with Prolin Gold chainlube) seems to have done the trick!
I now have a sticky pedal - time for another greasing. Always something to fix!

ratty2k

And, get some of the sealed cables - Flying snakes are one type.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Trans ... 110000355/
A worth thing to buy, had some issues in the Dark Peak after one ride with a brand new bike, swapped to these cables, and have had no problems since.

timberjack

i had this same problem about 18 months ago when my 07 stumpy was about 6 months old, it turned out to be the shifters were worn inside, the hard coating had come off the metal plates inside { i used to wash the bike upside domn and i put the excessive wear down to the grit getting in as i later discovered the 2 plastic screws for putting new cables in was missing] I took the shifters to bits, which is an absolute pain, and cleaned and lubed them which worked for a while but in the end i changed them for xt which have been fine since

Surf-Matt

Well it turned out to be a generally knackered drivetrain (after 3000 miles).

New cassette, chain, front shifter, cables (went for XTR) and even my BB is about to go - all fitted apart from the BB which has been ordered in. X-9 shifter is a LOT nicer than my old X-7 one