I've just had to replace another rear derailleur due to sloppy pivots. They still work but the chain rubs the cage at the bottom of the jockey and the shifting is guff. This one lasted about 1.5 years.
Ignoring jockey wheels and mashing them off rocks, how long do you normally get out a derailleur before they go wonky?
I've never had anything posher than SLX yet. Do expensive derailleurs last any longer?
Yes, and no 
Only ever replaced mechs due to damage, and use XTR.
I had an XT rear mech on my old Stumpjumper that must have been 4 years old before i retired the bike.
It's now been on my Inbred for the last 2 years and shifts perfectly.
It's had quite a few wallops and has been slid down the road a couple of times in icy conditions....
shadow ones seem to wear out faster. ime
The one shadow mech I've had lasted half a ride before I had the audacity to gently lay the bike mech-side-down, which bent the mech.
Non-shadow mechs last years IME
shadow ones seem to wear out faster be made of cheese
FTFY
Can you still get non shadow mechs?
Had an old XTR M952 one where the spring seized after a few years, sorted it out and it was fine for another few years, until I sold the bike.
Broken a couple of cages, but never actually worn a whole mech out!
I've got 8-speed M735s still in use, the springs go a bit baggy but the pivots are way more robust than the newer ones. I have a box of mechs that I occasionally canibalise to make the best one; new part constantly coming in from skips etc.
Can you still get non shadow mechs?
Just had a quick look on CRC and yep, seems so (at least for XT and XTR). Still look a bit shadow-esque for my liking, certainly not as beefy as they used to be.
Shadow does slop quicker, I dont think its design but general lower quality on modern stuff vs shimano from a good few years ago.
my m950 XTR one is still going strong on my cx. It's 16 years old now...
Dunno, I let mine get sloppy and live with any crap shifting that results usualy.
Getting a SS for winters means the 'nice' bike can be reserved for 'nice' days and thus shouldn't wear out.
No mention of any SRAM failures yet. Are SRAM derailleurs better built then?
My X9 is alittle sloppy but I dont notice any change in shifting.
I'm using a 1991 Suntour XC Pro everyday on my commuter and I see no reason why it will stop working after 21 years of service.
XT on the HT for 10 years.
Still seems good.
No mention of any SRAM failures yet. Are SRAM derailleurs better built then?
Or less folk use them...
How long do should rear mechs last?
Depends on lots of factors in my experience...
- How often you bash it / crash
- Drivetrain cleaning / lubing
- How effective your mech hanger is on that frame
- Conditions you ride in
- Properly set-up gears
I've had the same two XTR M952 rear mechs for 10yrs. They're both still running fine.
I've got a 5 year old X0 mech on my DH bike. Quite frankly, i'm amazed. I bought it new on Ebay & it's still going, despite numerous battle scars.
Bit of play in the mount bolt now, but it keeps on trucking. I'll mourn the day it dies!
Sram mechs tend to snap before they get sloppy
I have a 952 XTR and a a 2009 XTR rapid rise both absolutley fine however the older one seems of much higher quality. Both have taken a good beating.
2008 XT Shadow on its second set of jockey wheels (BBB) and still going strong. I've changed frames 3 times in that period, not through breakage, just trying to get up to the spec of the mech.
SRAM mechs dont IME get sloppy as quickly. But the jockey wheels seize up and then you realise it costs as much to replace the wheels as buying new x7 mech so the old mech goes in the bin. net effect - they last about the same length of time as shimano
balfa - MemberNo mention of any SRAM failures yet. Are SRAM derailleurs better built then?
in my experience the springs fail before they're worn out. THat's 3 X7s and an X9 over 2 years. Back on SLX now.
Sram mechs tend to snap before they get sloppy
+1
More spares are available, but they're far less reliable.
annoyingly SRAM mechs are sometimes too tight around the pivots as well when new (anyone else found this?). They free up after a few weeks but its a bit annoying when they are so expensive. I think they do work better in mud than shimano though
Xtr shadow - 3 rides, rock put it through the back wheel. New xtr shadow - 2 rides same happened. Slz ages - rocks missed it. Now on xtr shadow + had a new dogbone already and its got half an xt cage where the carbon got broke - by a rock. Moral of the story, the more expensive it is the more you notice the scratches... but it does look blingin and it shifts better. Xtr + is brilliant T
SRAM Mechs
Shift is fantastic but poor jockey wheels
had both over the years.
SRAM jockeys are terrible, no idea why they would make jockey wheels out of something so fromage - like.
I like the shifting though, very crisp, very nice.
That said, recent Shimano stuff I've tried is equally nice.
Not much to pick between them really. Which isn't that surprising....
Can you refurb a mech that's getting a bit tired? I have a 7 year old xtr on one of my bikes that's not shifting well - all other parts of the drivetrain are in good nick so I'm pretty sure it's down to the rear mech. Was wondering if it was worth trying to rejuvenate with a new spring or suchlike.
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