Dialing in indexing with SLX Shadow Rear Mech...

dynamis_dk

I'm trying to get my shifting in order before a few days riding next week.

I always used to setup by:

shifting into smallest rear cog, middle front.
shift up one gear on rear (at lever) and see if it moves up ok when spinning pedals.
If it doesn't move cleanly, adjust cable tention at mech while spinning pedals until it shift

This has always got me around about the mark but i came to setup yesterday evening and noticed my SLX Shadow doesn't have a barrel adjuster on the mech to adjust cable tension.

Whats the best way to setup without using this adjuster as its the way i've always done it?

nicklouse

use the barrel adjuster on the shifter end.

dynamis_dk

Does it serve the same purpose then??

I'm sure years ago I read about not using the shifter adjuster to get cable tention, can't remember what the reasoning was mind,

At the point when you initially run the cable from the shifter to mech, is there a general rule for where the shifter adjuster should be set to (i.e. wound in fully, wound hafl way etc)??

nicklouse

it depends on how you set the mech up.

if you can never get the tension right you may nee to use a lot of adjuster. so then have it wound in. If you always seem to set it with too much tension they having it wound in is no good.



the way was to only use the shifter adjuster for on the move tweaking. as it is hard to reach the mech adjuster without falling off.

Chunkers1980

I'd add to that that from setup ideally you have it as wound in as possible making the barrel adjuster as stable as possible. I have mine about 1 rev out giving you tweak each way.

Dan_xz

1. Put the chain onto the smallest sprocket with the cable slack.

2. Use the limit screw to get the jockeys parrallell to the sprocket - chain should run smooth at this point.

3. Take all of the slack out of the cable and tighten it - you are only taking up the slack here so the cable shoul dnot have moved the mech over at all. To be sure you have all the slack taken out move the shifter a bit - as soon as the shifter mechanism engages you should see movement on the derailluer.

4. Change up to top sproket and set the upper limit screw to stop the chain goign off the end.

5. That should pretty much be working fine now. Use the shifter adjuster for minor tweaks as the cable stretches, but anything more than 1 1/2 turn go back to step 3.

Ryan Jones

Dan_xz wrote:

1. Put the chain onto the smallest sprocket with the cable slack.

2. Use the limit screw to get the jockeys parrallell to the sprocket - chain should run smooth at this point.

3. Take all of the slack out of the cable and tighten it - you are only taking up the slack here so the cable shoul dnot have moved the mech over at all. To be sure you have all the slack taken out move the shifter a bit - as soon as the shifter mechanism engages you should see movement on the derailluer.

4. Change up to top sproket and set the upper limit screw to stop the chain goign off the end.

5. That should pretty much be working fine now. Use the shifter adjuster for minor tweaks as the cable stretches, but anything more than 1 1/2 turn go back to step 3.

Thats the same setup I use, which in turn came from the workshop articles in MBUK, however their one big omission was saying the front barrel adjuster should be right in. Oddly enough their suggestion if the mech wouldn't drop to lower sprockets easily was to turn it clockwise :roll:

dynamis_dk

cheers all, I'll have a play tomorrow sometime and see how well I can get it going.

Doing Sherwood Pines and Cannock chase next week while i'm off work so I gonna have this weekend to get things setup as smooth as I can.

Anonymous

dynamis_dk wrote:

Does it serve the same purpose then??

Out of curiosity, what purpose did you think it had?