Front derailleur not moving

garethjones

Hi,

My front derailleur looks like it has seized. When I unscrew the cable the shifter it is pulling correctly, but when it's connected the shifter pulls the cable, but the derailleur does not move. Everything has been cleaned and lubed, is they anything else I can try?

thanks
G

Chunkers1980

Sure your stops are not set in?

garethjones

I have not touched the limit screws

apreading

My Front Derailleur was seized up on my road bike after a winter of abuse, lack of cleaning and salt/crud on the roads. Took several attempts at cleaning with jet of water, toothbrush, degreaser etc and subsequent application of lube but its working fine again now. If you have left the bike covered in muck while not being used for a few weeks, then this may be your answer too...?

garethjones

I use it 5 days a week, but I am not great at cleaning it so it might well be something similar, thanks.

apreading

Managed to free mine up by hand to start with, and was fine for that ride, but stuck again the next day. Found similar after first round of cleaning, it lasted one ride. After second round of cleaning it lasted a couple of rides until I left the bike unused for a couple of days, then stuck again. Touch wood, its been OK for the last month now.

Chunkers1980

Gareth - you said it was clean and lubed though!

They really are shite pits though. If you've done a lot of road riding it could be salt corrosion.

The best way it to take it off and give it a proper clean in a cleaning bath (read sink) and then soak in WD40 type stuff and then proper lube the pivot points and cycle it through its motion by had a fair bit.

garethjones

I cleaned and lubed it once the problem occurred

penguin_of_death

Without sounding patronising - have you reconnected the cable as it was on the mech? Sometimes the cable can loop around part of the mech meaning it's coming from the correct direction, but pulling in the wrong way