rear gear indexing help

monkey_man_1
monkey_man_1 Posts: 108
edited October 2011 in MTB workshop & tech
hiya, ive have some time off work atm so decided to try set my gears up perfectly after having alot of trouble with them on recent rides. ive got the front setup beautifully now and ive just tried doing the rear. ive set the high and low points they are good but its the indexing between gear which im now lost at. ive follwed the parktool guide to the letter (worked well on the front) but just cant dial it in! i can either get the innermost rings perfect but then the outermost want to change down a gear. or i get the outtermost perfect and then the innermost want to change up a gear. its like the shifter doesnt pull/loosen the wire enough, is there any way to change this? or do you think there is something im doing wrong? i have a sram x5 shifter and rear mech, it might just be these! lol.

any help is appreciated!
many thanks

Comments

  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    check for a bent hanger. and is the poor shift releaseing or pulling cable?
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • andyt363
    andyt363 Posts: 19
    I had a similar problem a couple of weeks ago and a new cable cured the problem.
  • monkey_man_1
    monkey_man_1 Posts: 108
    nicklouse wrote:
    check for a bent hanger. and is the poor shift releaseing or pulling cable?

    hanger looks fine, nothing really obvious i know i havnt had any knocks on it. its not the shift exactly. i shift on the lever and it goes into the specified gear fine but want to jump to the net gear if that makes sence?
  • allen.coulson
    allen.coulson Posts: 424
    I had something like this - it turned out to be the cam in the shifter bunged up with sand. Hosed it out with WD and re-lubed and it worked fine. Don't forget the shifter if fettling the wires and screws does not index the gears. You don't need to dismantle - just take the case off.
  • monkey_man_1
    monkey_man_1 Posts: 108
    andyt363 wrote:
    I had a similar problem a couple of weeks ago and a new cable cured the problem.

    my bike has only does maybe a fraction over 100 miles, i surely wouldnt need a new cable already??
  • allen.coulson
    allen.coulson Posts: 424
    But if it was badly fitted or even with a grain of sand in it - your gears will be affected.

    Undo cable at front and clean the cable undet the sheath.
  • andyt363
    andyt363 Posts: 19
    My bike was is only 3 months old and I thought there's no way it needs a new cable especially as there looked nothing wrong with old cable. I replaced the inner cable and it dialed in first time.
  • monkey_man_1
    monkey_man_1 Posts: 108
    allen.coulson wrote:
    I had something like this - it turned out to be the cam in the shifter bunged up with sand. Hosed it out with WD and re-lubed and it worked fine. Don't forget the shifter if fettling the wires and screws does not index the gears. You don't need to dismantle - just take the case off.

    ThInk I'm gonna try taking everything off the bike and cleaning it as I have the time and won't cost anything. How do I take the case off? Is it the Allen key on the lever or the 4 small Allen bolts on the front? Will any bits fall apart on me? Lol
  • allen.coulson
    allen.coulson Posts: 424
    Mine was a very old Shimano - four tiny screws underneath. Nothing at all will fall apart but you may hve a faff when replacing the red indicator if indeedyou want to replkace it.

    Before removing why not get in about it with WD using the thin tube to access the mech without removing the cover first.
  • mmacavity
    mmacavity Posts: 781
    http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content ... le.html/01)%20100%20Causes%20of%20Bad%20Shifting.pdf
  • allen.coulson
    allen.coulson Posts: 424
    I see what you mean but the instructions are a little complicated.

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