I’ve just given my Zesty a deep clean and have noticed the back plate on the rear mech, a shadow XT rear mech, is beginning to wear through.

Does anyone know if I can just buy this part or is it a case of letting it wear to a point and then replace??

Thanks for any advice

Pete

I’d have thought that part shouldn’t normally wear – Are your jockey wheel bearings OK?

Something is not right there – as snaps said check jockey wheels/ chain etc – I have never had one wear through myself?

Thanks for the replies. 😀

I must add it’s not the back plate per say but the little tab half way up the back plate that’s wearing thin. The chain in certain sprockets must run against it, is that normal??

I’ve replaced cassette, chain and chain rings in past 6 weeks.

I guess jockeys could be shot.

Any ideas the best place to get them or just get a new mech and solve the problem that way??

I’m going out on a limb here and say:

YOU PLONKER.

It sounds like you’ve routed the chain on the wrong side of the tab. It should go from one jockey to the next without touching the tab.

I will stand humbly corrected if I’m wrong.

Edit: I tried to include a diagram but formatting is fubar since the update.

Could be you’ve got a tight link or your chains to long causing the chain to strike that tab.
Tacx or Shimano jockey wheels are readily available but if they spin freely & still have all teeth they’re probably OK

I’ll take a pic now to show you all – and get prepared for plonker of the night award 😕 maybe

in order to be slightlymore constructive than couldashouldawoulda,have you checked that the chain is routed around the jockey wheels andmech cage correctly ?

the chain should only come into contact with the front mech when it ‘pushes’the chain in/out of a gear and the cogs (ie: chainrings,cassette, jockey wheels )

it sounds ver strange that the cage of the mech is wearing out – I have had the odd one get a few gouges and scratches but wearing out? I’m confused – any chance you could post some pics of your current set up to help us assist you further.

Oh and by the way if your jockey wheels look like pointy ninja throwing stars rather than this

you need some new ones

<img src=”http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1259/5128859771_a039606859.jpg&#8221; width=”333″ height=”500″ alt=”IMG_1028″ />

IMG_1028 by valley daddy, on Flickr

more pics here

oops, the chain should be on the other side of that bit

I can’t read that foureyes???

does the chain need to be the other side of that bit???

???????? WTF ??????
it would appear that you have the chain routed correctly , but from the photos it looks like the tab on the back plate is in the wrong place ??

It definately shouldn’t comeinto contact with the chain like it shows in the pics – a bet its as noisy as f##k .

If I were you I’d get the dremel out and whip the tab off – once you’ve done this you may need to re-index your gears

On the plus side your jockey wheels look like they have a considerable amount oflife left in them

Oh… nice pumpkins 😀

ok off to the garage to sort it now!!!

Thanks for the advice 😀

Feeling a dimwit though 😕

just looked at the pics again ( I am on my fourth Erdinger) = route the chain on the other side of the tab _or whip it off it won’t be an issue

ok ta stan, looking on my old rockhopper Shimano mech that tab is not there – weird maybe it’s a growth 😉

yes it does, valleydaddy, whats up with my text?

foureyes, the text you wrote after my pics was/is written on top of the photo so is hard to read – that’s all.

weird now it’s where it supposed to be –

aha, ok cheers

I must just let the chain cut it off 😉

ok chain routed the other side of the tab, only thing now chain is not really in the mech leg, if you get my meaning??

Works perfectly and not making any noise so must be ok I guess 🙂

only thing now chain is not really in the mech leg

only purpose of the cage is to hold the two jockey wheels. The top one is the gear changing mech, the lower is there to take up the slack. The more slack (bigger range of gears) the longer the cage need to be.

ok ta theotherjonv