COnverted my HT to 1×9 at the weekend. New mech, new cable and outer but old shifter. Indexing seemed to be a royal pain in the backside – when I get it just right going up the block (towards the spokes), then it just doesn’t seem to want to come back down again (very, very lazy return). I’ve just about got it to a point where it’s useable, but it’s not great. Any suggestions?

Deore shadow rear mech, old XT shifter

B tension screw?

Otherwise, something with cable, unless shifter has issues.

B tension seems ok, it’s clearing the sprockets fine anyway. I’m a bit of a novice at gear set up TBH – can the limit screws have an effect? As in, I’m having to put a lot of tension in the cable to get it to the extremes of the block (biggest couple of sprockets), which I guess could affect the return travel? Checked the limit screws and they look to be fine, but….?

Limit screws affect limits only.

When you say “put a lot of tension” if you are having to put a lot of force in the shifting, something is up with the cable.

A lot of tension with the barrel adjuster al, by the time I get to the bigger sprockets it’s like a piano wire!

by the time I get to the bigger sprockets it’s like a piano wire!

Sounds Cable related.
Check your run, replace the inner at least, or go full hog and replace inner and outer.
Lube also.
Obviously, no tight bends or kinks in the cable run.

I had what sounds like a similar problem recently, it seems that the old shifter (LX, from 2000ish) was a bit too worn and there was enough play in it to cause this problem. Replaced it with a new deore shifter (which is pretty poor quality bit of plastic IMO) that has fixed it.

Sounds like a cable problem to me.

But if that’s new, see if you can get the B screw adjusted so the top jockey wheel sits closer to the block. This will make it shift onto bigger cogs more easily, you can use less cable tension so it should then shift back more easily with spring power.

Hope that helps

APF

Disconnect cable from mech and try pulling cable by hand whilst operating the shifter and see if the cable pulls through easily or not. If its stiff then theres probably a kink in the cable somewhere.

got any pics of the rear mech attached to the frame?

Cheers all. I do have a bit of “extra” outer at the rear so there’s a bit of a bend, not huge but it might be the place to start. Failing that, I’ve got a different shifter I can try. The XT one is 8 years old at a guess, so might be starting to fail.

Have you got the mech installed correctly? The plate which attaches to the frame should point pretty much horizontally backwards – it’s easy to inadvertently not do that. Also, have you got the cable mounted to the correct side of the clamping bolt? Royally stuffs up indexing if you have it on the wrong side!

No pics of my bike, but looking at this pic, I know I haven’t[/u] mounted it like that (just like you said cp). I’ve got it mounted pointing more or less straight down.

On the plus side, I have got the cable going the right side of the pinch bolt though! 🙂

It’s an easy mistake to make – I have experience of that one!!

I reckon that is a 10 speed rear mech, an RD-M593. If it is then it won’t work with your 9 speed set up. You need an RD-M592 9 speed model.

EDIT – just realised that is not a picture of your actual mech. Still worth checking which model you have though.

Sounds like either cable attached wrong (you say you’ve checked this) or a bent mech hanger to me.