How To Adjust Front Derailleur On Mountain Bike In 7 Steps
This article will be very helpful if your bike is shifting poorly and you want to get it back into proper working order. You might be surprised at how well your mountain bike shifts when you are done.
You can also apply these tips if you’re installing a new front derailleur and need guidance setting it up. However, follow these useful instructions carefully to adjust the front derailleur on your mountain bike without much trouble.
Step By Step Instruction For How To Adjust Front Derailleur On Mountain Bike
There is an easy and simple guideline for you so that you can fix your problem on your own self. Let’s check it out to do the job properly.
Step-01: Height Adjustment
The first step in adjusting a front derailleur is to set its height. This can be a little bit tricky because tightening the clamp’s bolt will set both height and angle at the same time.
To make things easier, tighten the clamp so that it’s safe, but loose enough to move it around with your hand.
The derailleur should fall around 1-3mm (millimeters) above the chainring. If the derailleur cage sits too far above the chainring it is more likely to shift poorly. Or if the derailleur is too far below it may scrape against the chainrings or jam the chain when shifting.
When you’re in this position, take a look at the curvature of the large chainring and the outer derailleur cage. This is important to make sure no part of the cage is rubbing on the chainring.
Note: Make it sure the derailleur cage is at the correct height. To check it, shift to your middle front chainring and see if the cage is sitting appropriately. If it’s not, then shift back into the lower gear and re-adjust the height with the positioning clamp.
Step-02: Angle Adjustment
The front derailleur cage and the chainring should be approximately parallel. If they’re not, you’ll have to adjust them properly. View the chain from directly above chainrings.
Imagine a level between the center of the cage and the centreline of the bike frame. Once you’ve got the angle set in the correct place, you can completely tighten the positioning clamp.
Step-03: Limit Screws Adjustment
The limit screws stop the inward or outward travel of the front derailleur cage. Limit screws should be marked “L” and “H”. The L-screw will stop the derailleur cage from shifting past toward the smallest chainring. And the H-screw will stop the derailleur cage from moving past toward the largest chainring.
Step-04: Low-Gear Limit Adjustment
To adjust the low-gear limit, shift your chain to the largest sprocket in the rear and the smallest sprocket on the front. Using a screwdriver, twist the L-screw until the inner part of the cage is as close to the chain as possible without touching it. The L-screw of the derailleur is usually the one closest to the frame that controls the lower limit.
Step-05: Cable Tension Adjustment
The next step is to attach the cable to the anchor bolt. At first, make sure your shifter is in its lowest gear while doing this. Now loosen the cable which is attached to the derailleur at the anchor bolt. After that, tighten the cable as much as possible and then make the anchor bolt tight again.
Step-06: High-Gear Limit Adjustment
To adjust the high-gear limit, shift the largest chainring into the front and the smallest sprocket into the rear. With a screwdriver, turn the H-screw until the outer derailleur cage is as close to the chain as possible without touching it. The high-gear limit will make sure that the chain does not over-shift and fall out again.
Step-07: Shifting Adjustment
Make a test to see if the derailleur is shifting correctly. To do so, shift with the whole range of the gears on your mountain bike. The front derailleur should be able to shift into the smallest and largest chainrings without rubbing on the chain. If it does rub, you can adjust the trim by twisting the barrel adjuster clockwise.
Last Thought
In conclusion, it’s a good idea to lubricate the pivot point of the front derailleur with a light lubricate. The inner wires should also be lubricated. Finally, one more thing for you, if you’re a beginner and want to buy your first mountain bike with your limited budget, however, you can select a mountain bike under 300 dollars. There are so many options are available in the market that you can get with your limited budget.
