Barrel adjuster on rear derailleur

timbo_tim

Perhaps yet another stupid question from me, but does anyone know if barrel adjusters are an integral part of the rear derailleur?

Mine appears to have seized so without mucking around with the cable "bolt" I can't change th tension and I am struggling with shifts down (i.e. To smaller cogs on the cassette). Do I need another derailleur or can I replace the barrel thing? I am running sora 2200 (8 speed!!) on my daily commuter so guess spares will be challenging to come by?

Thanks

Matthewfalle

You can replace them - they unscrew completely.

I'd try taking the mech off, soaking the barrel adjuster area in penetrating fluid and take it from there.

Bear in mind that you could probably pick up a new mech for a tenner or so. Any mech should work as travel is set by the brifters, not the mech (save for setting range screws).

joncomelately

Sounds easiest to replace the mech, but if you didn't want to you could insert a barrel adjuster anywhere along the gear cable to do the same job. You'd have to fiddle with everything at least once, but then you'd have to do that to replace the mech anyway.

svetty

Agree take the mech off, thoroughly clean and it should free off. If not you could drill it out or use an extractor.
Alternatively as has been said you can always fit an in-line adjuster elsewhere along the cable

davesnothere

My bike came with inline barrel adjusters on both cables just in front of the stem. Little ugly but it allows you to fine tune and get that perfect shift as you are riding along

The Rookie

While it may not move with fingers, have you tried a pair of pliers?

timbo_tim

Thanks for all the suggestions - was hoping you would all say "change the rear mech, and since it wont be compatible, change the groupeset, then your bike doesn't merit it, so buy a new bike".

Thanks for the wisdom though, will try pliers, but if its anything like the inline ones on the cable stops, the answer is probably no. All my adjusters so far have seized into the frame (drilled out and messed up the stops). My fault it was my first proper bike a few years ago and I had no idea on maintenance (though it was ridden every day in the rain and snow).

I will try a bath of fluid, but like the idea of getting a new mech to be honest, the jockey wheels aren't in great shape either

Matthewfalle

Sora 9 speed mech is a tenner or so from somewhere like Merlin, new inner and outer cable for an extra fiver and sorted.

Or smash the whole lot with a hammer, set fire to it with fire , throw into next door's garden and buy a Ritte Bosberg with Obermayers.

Job jobbed spotty dog.

father_jack

timbo_tim wrote:

Perhaps yet another stupid question from me, but does anyone know if barrel adjusters are an integral part of the rear derailleur?

Mine appears to have seized so without mucking around with the cable "bolt" I can't change th tension and I am struggling with shifts down (i.e. To smaller cogs on the cassette). Do I need another derailleur or can I replace the barrel thing? I am running sora 2200 (8 speed!!) on my daily commuter so guess spares will be challenging to come by?

Thanks

You can get away with the barrell adjuster, if there is another along the cable line, either on the shifter, or use a inline adjuster.

timbo_tim

Matthewfalle wrote:

Or smash the whole lot with a hammer, set fire to it with fire , throw into next door's garden and buy a Ritte Bosberg with Obermayers.

Job jobbed spotty dog.

Love it, replace a 2.99 barrel adjuster with a new bike and done some £5k wheels I am not sure I have much option there, and that's what I will be telling the missus...

Ben6899

Matthewfalle wrote:

Sora 9 speed mech is a tenner or so from somewhere like Merlin, new inner and outer cable for an extra fiver and sorted.

Or smash the whole lot with a hammer, set fire to it with fire , throw into next door's garden and buy a Ritte Bosberg with Boras.

Job jobbed spotty dog.

Fixed that for Matthew...

Matthewfalle

timbo_tim wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

Or smash the whole lot with a hammer, set fire to it with fire , throw into next door's garden and buy a Ritte Bosberg with Obermayers.

Job jobbed spotty dog.

Love it, replace a 2.99 barrel adjuster with a new bike and done some £5k wheels I am not sure I have much option there, and that's what I will be telling the missus...

Tell you the truth - hand on heart and all that - it's a safety issue.

As everyone knows, barrel adjusters (or rather failures of) can lead to instant dead disease.

As your's is already jazzed, well, say no moe.

A new Ritte with Obermayers is the only answer if you want to live on.

timbo_tim

Well sounds like I am on borrowed time with the H&S authority then, best get those obrrmayers post haste!

Thanks for steering me so well from the jaws of imminent death...

father_jack

Never liked the adjusters that are on the downtube, touching the frame bosses. Seem to rust up and size.
OK on new bikes, but when I work on older ones they're always a problem.

Prefer the one on the rear derailleur type. As for front, if you're ok with tension typically they don't need it as at most a slight adjustment if it's not shifting onto big ring, but that is in one in 50 bikes if that, but useful it's on the shifter.

timbo_tim

Thanks for all the advice, sadly the Ritte purchase will have to wait, I moved it with pliers and it shifts like a dream (well a Sora 8 speed dream)...

Matthewfalle

Top stuff.

I'd keep spraying it with penetrating oil/GT for a couple of days to get the bugger well and truly lubed up, then when you go for post winter cable change next year whack a new barrel adjuster in there together with shed loads of grease.