Jockey wheels

mathematics
mathematics Posts: 453
edited August 2017 in MTB workshop & tech
After a particularly grizzly ride on weds the guide jockey wheel started to squeak horribly.
So I cleaned my bike only to find the tension jockey wheel was almost seized and even after cleaning and lubing it is still the same. The parts have gone back correctly and the derailleur is SLX shadowy something or other.

Is this just what happens or am doing something wrong?

The teeth are slightly but I wasn't expecting to need to replace them.

Chris

Comments

  • mattyfez
    mattyfez Posts: 638
    The bearings /bush might be toast, does the wheel spin freely on its bearing when it's not attached to the derailleur?
  • mathematics
    mathematics Posts: 453
    mattyfez wrote:
    The bearings /bush might be toast, does the wheel spin freely on its bearing when it's not attached to the derailleur?

    No it's very restricted.

    Time to replace??
  • 02gf74
    02gf74 Posts: 1,171
    Strange as shimano jockey wheels are plain bushes so there is nothing to seize.

    After market wheels use sealed ball bearing races and the seals do let in water causing the bearings to rust. I have unseeized them by prising off the seal, washing out with white spirt and regressing them.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    02GF74 wrote:
    Strange as shimano jockey wheels are plain bushes so there is nothing to seize.
    No, the guide pulley runs on a plain bush, the tension pulley has a cartridge bearing on at least XT and XTR, not sure where in the range it swaps to a plain bush but the basic models are a plain bush.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • swod1
    swod1 Posts: 1,639
    yes on basic alivio, acera models they are but as the rookie says the xt and xtr use a sealed bearing on the tension pulley.

    You may need to change them if the bearing has had it. I've tried the metal replacement ones you can buy and they just made the chain more noisy so had to go back to shimano replacements.
  • mattyfez
    mattyfez Posts: 638
    Yeh plastic teeth jockey wheels do actually seem better than thel metal after market ones.
    I'd just get some new shimano jockey wheels if the derailleur is in good shape, or if the derailleur is a bit battered it might be worth considering just buying a whole derailleur.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Just had confirmed that SLX use sealed bearings not bushes, you can get replacement cartridges off eBay (swapped the one on my daughters XT).
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.

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