[Closed] Jockey Wheels: upgrade or stick with OEM? 🤔

I stick with Shimanos and replace fairly regularly. Quieter-running than CNC stuff and shifting is as good as it'll get. Bushings work better here ime. SRAM's sealed bearing JWs put me off that format for life, seized really fast.

Aesthetics.. of a jockey wheel? : ) When you're buying colour ano JWs to suit your bike 'colour theme', stop and reverse.

Alu ones are ok, but you will need to regularly flush and repack the bearings. If you think you won't do that then stick to shimano with bushings.

Other than that, superstar and uberbike are pretty good. No issues.

The new Shimano 12sp bushings aren't a patch on the old ones tbh, I'm having to flush and repack then every few months (and no, I don't jetwash or cover in cleaner)

superstar and uberbike are pretty good

1 dry and 1 wet ride and my Superstars seized, so I would suggest packing them from the outset if you really want them. Replaced with Uberbikes (just to get away from the annoying Sram N-W jockey wheel idea) but packed them with grease and they're doing better.

submarined
Full Member

The new Shimano 12sp bushings aren’t a patch on the old ones tbh, I’m having to flush and repack then every few months (and no, I don’t jetwash or cover in cleaner)

Bushes or bearings?

1 dry and 1 wet ride and my Superstars seized, so I would suggest packing them from the outset if you really want them. Replaced with Uberbikes

Yeah, I repack from the outset with both and both last about the same before needing another repack.

Ran the uberbike alu jockey wheels for past year, not by choice, couldn't find any Shimano spares.

Have been fine, one is starting to seize but a bit of TLC will have it working again.

I didn't notice any difference.

I should point out i've probably ridden less this year than ever so they have had a pretty easy life.

I just run ebay specials, work same as the OEM and if they get knackered it's only a fiver.

@mashr bushings (Deore 12sp)

I got some ones from ebay called Far Near I think. Got ceramic ones because they were good value and have been impressed. Still very smooth. Uberbike ones were not so good.

I've had a few alloy CNC jockey wheels in the past.... IMO its not the best material for the job.

Shimano/Sram style OEM Nylon/plastic is a much better choice (funny that), its tough, quiet, self-lubricating and wears nice and evenly.

I'd stick with OEM and pack the bearings out with grease.

No. just no. Stick with the stock Shimano ones, plastic (or delrin or whatever it is) is a better material than alloy for the job.

EDIT: jinx, wot snotrag said.

In my 35 years of mountain biking (in the muddy UK) I've never replaced Jockey wheels. Sure they eventually end up looking like Chinese throwing stars, but that takes years. By then I normally end up with a new bike. I've never noticed shifting issues, perhaps a tiny bit of noise, but that's normally drowned out by trail/tyre/outdoor noise.

I would just get OEM replacements, or something cheaper. IMHO Fancy expensive ones are overkill unless you are going for the hour record.

I would probably change them om my road bike, where these things matter more..

Im running Hope jockey wheels

After a year they began to get sluggish and wouldnt spin easily

Removed them from the mech, popped off the bearing seals, the bearings and races were bone dry but showed no signs of corrosion or pitting etc..

I flushed them through with some isopropyl alcohol to make sure they were clean and they then ran nice a freely

Repacked them with grease, refitted the bearing seals and six months on they are still running smoothly

submarined
Full Member

@mashr bushings (Deore 12sp)

They're dry bushes then aren't they?

I've been running my original XTR 10speed jockey wheels for about 9 years and never serviced them. I assume not all bearings and seals are created equal.

I dabbled in fancy metal ones but they're never as good ime so I stick with OE. But always worth looking at OE alternatives, frinstance for 10 speed (er, I think) there was a Saint set that were alwyas super cheap but fitted into XT etc and worked just as well, for some reason.

I've tried them a couple of times and always ended up back with the plastic ones - they just seem to work better.

Upgrade to a higher level OEM set. Eg XT jockey wheels have the cartridge bearing in rather than the bushing. They spin better and the lack of play improves the shifting.

I did buy some very cheap AliExpress Alu ones, build quality was fine but they were so loud that it would annoy me. XT ones were much better

Having gone from XT with bearings to Deore with bushes, both 12 speed, I found the bushes to squeak and create a bit of resistance after not all that long, small number of months. Greased and they're OK but I don't think they run right dry and I think the bearing ones are much better. I'm happy to repack a bearing and I know it won't be a particularly frequent job. Teeth on both have perhaps worn quicker than old 9 or 11 speed (more L/R deflection affecting wear?) but I'm another who can't be arsed replacing jockey wheels unless they get really bad. Might be tempted to buy OE XT at some point, can't see the point in paying significantly more for alu.

The one time I replaced Shimano jockey wheels with non-Shimano ones (TACX plastic ones) the next time I went into the biggest sprocket the chain went into the spokes (jammed behind the cassette, ride ending). The shimano jockey guide wheel moves laterally, other ones don't. Or just remember to adjust the limit screws.

I normally just replace them with a new mech as I normally break the mech before the jockey wheels wear out. In the off chance they do wear out I have a collection vof part worn spares.

XT if you are running shimano.

BIG thanks for all the comments and suggestions, appreciate it. Whilst matchy-matchy bling is nice, I want fit/fix/ride/forget. So, I'm hearing stick with OEM but maybe 'upgrade'?

With this in mind... I'm running an SLX RD M675 rear mech. Are SLX & XT Jockey Wheels interchangeable? Are they the same dimensions/size, fit, tooth count/pattern etc. - just better quality bearings/bushings? So I'm good to go with XT?

TIA

Thinking of 'upgrading' with this: https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/gear-spares/0-shimano-rdm773-tension-guide-pulley-set-y5xf98130/

Anyone know if this is compatible with an SLX RD M675 rear mech.?

Any advice appreciated...

TIA

The new Shimano 12sp bushings aren’t a patch on the old ones tbh, I’m having to flush and repack then every few months (and no, I don’t jetwash or cover in cleaner)

Just get some XTR ones then, 18 months and a couple of thousand km on mine and they're barely even worn let alone squeaky.

Those jockey wheels should work, I think most jockey wheels are pretty much universal sizing (assuming you have the correct number of teeth).

I just run ebay specials, work same as the OEM and if they get knackered it’s only a fiver

Fitted some cheap cnc'd aluminium ones I bought on ebay a few years ago, one of them bent and jammed while going uphill on the first ride, miles away from the van. Lesson learnt. I've got Hope's on one bike and Shimano plastic ones on the other, no noticable difference other than price

In my 35 years of mountain biking (in the muddy UK) I’ve never replaced Jockey wheels

Is also my experience.

I push the chain around with my chainrings. The chain propels the bike forwards via the cassette. In both of these applications plastic would be pretty crappy hence alu or steel. Jockey wheels is another matter entirely though - they're passive and not subject to any forces being put through them. They might look blingy but whenever I see alu jockey wheels I just think about the unnecessary and premature wear that they're putting on the chain.

Lube my jockey wheel bearings? I'd rather be out riding.