How to set up a front derailliur?

alihisgreat

New bike was getting a bit of chain rub.. and the cable for the front derailliur was rubbing on the inside of the crank arm...


didn't notice before i went to Uni so i can't take it back to the LBS at home to have them fix it..

messed with it a bit myself but can't get it right -> just made it worse.

before i give up and go down to the LBS where i will have to pay to get it sorter... are there any decent guides on how to set up the front derailliur? all the ones I've seen have just told me to put it on, adjust the high and low points and attach the cable...

but this hasn't worked..

oh and its 105 5700

Thanks

MattC59

Have a look at this, it should sort you out.
http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/front-derailleur-adjustments

CiB

Make sure that the cable is on the correct side of the pinch nut that holds it in place. On Shimano mechs if it's the other side changing is dire. <experience of this...>

Obviously I can't remember which side it should go ATM.

Also check that the mech is parallel to the chain and has the right clearance to the big ring.

They're pretty simple bits of kit. If it's in the right place and the cable is correctly fitted there's not a lot to go wrong.

alihisgreat

had another fiddle with it this evening... printed off that park tools thing and i just can't get it set up right -> it won't adjust far enough outwards to stop rubbing when the chain is on the big ring. :?

also managed to get the cable end off somehow.. so the cable is a mess as well now.. going to hand it over to the professionals in the morning.


thanks anyway though

oldwelshman

You shou;d be able to twist the cable to put a cable end back on.
Forget using the shifter to check the rubbing and end stop adjustment, just leave the shifter in the position for small ring and with the bike in bike stand or rear wheel supported, turn pedal and pull the fron changer cable by hand to seeif the changer moves out far enough to stop rubbing, if it doe not it is the end stop, if it does not rub when changing by hand, it is cable tension.

CiB

Aaah. Different issue. If the mech won't move across enough, check that the gear change lever hasn't run out of clicks (to put it simply). If you have indexed gears, the lever has a limited number of steps (clicks), each of which releases the cable by enough to accomplish the gear change.

Release the cable from the mech; hold the end of the cable and pull it as you push the lever in as if changing down to the smaller ring; you should hear each click and with it the cable is released a bit each time. Do this until the cable is at its longest and the indexing has run out of clicks. Then clamp it and have another try. As said previously, they're pretty simple bits of kit - not much can go worng.