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  • 10 Speed SRAM X9 Shifter Failure – common?
  • mindmap3
    Free Member

    Just wondering if anyone else has experienced 10 speed X9 Shifters not lasting very long.

    Yet another one has died at just over a year old – the lower lever will not return to its rest position manually. It shifts fine, but the lever needs to be flicked back to its rest position manually. My first one lasted just over a month and the replacement just over a year so no chance or a replacement under warranty.

    My old SRAM shifters lasted for ages – I still have a set of original Attack shifters that are still in use as well as a 9 speed X9 one that is perfect.

    I don’t want to switch to Shimano having just bought a new X9 Type 2 mech so was wondering if an X0 shifter may last a bit longer.

    scaled
    Free Member

    Dunno about XO but my X7s are bullet proof.

    More stacks than a Las Vegas casino and most of them in to Peak grit

    GreenK
    Free Member

    Yes – I’ve had this problem (on my son’s bike). Basically it’s not very well sealed at the bottom so dirt gets in and it stiffens up making it unable to return to “neutral”. This can happen in a single muddy ride. You can fix it but it’s not really worth the effort because you’ll have to do it again – probably sooner rather than later.

    I’ve been wondering why we keep having “old” issues come back from time to time and I reckon it has to do with the latest generation of designers not seeing the point of the sealing because they live in a dry dusty climate. All they see is something they can “refine”.

    My older X7 and X9 shifters have been superb. This issue is a shame as I’ve felt the need to move back to Shimano in an attempt to avoid it.

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    mindmap3
    Free Member

    I tried flushing both out with air in a can to try and dislodge any dirt that could be causing the issue but it didn’t help at all. I also tried a squirt or two of GT85 but that had no impact either.

    It is a bit frustrating – the dirt thing does sound right though because the new one has been fine until a really wet ride a couple of weeks ago.

    I’ve emailed SRAM directly to see what they say and am going to buy one more shifter. If that dies quickly then I’ll be going back to Shimano (having to switch to SRAM in ’05 and not had any issues).

    eshershore
    Free Member

    @mindmap

    2 year warranty on all SRAM 😉

    deadkenny
    Free Member

    Never had an issue with them and mine have been in biblical levels of mud and rain. Definitely the shifter and not the cable not fitting right, or tension (lack of) issues? Frayed outer sticking under the ferule is a classic I’ve found that makes the shifter go all slack.

    X0 will be the same. It just has more carbon bits and twice the price.

    Rorschach
    Free Member

    See it occasionally in the workshop these days….used to see it all the time a few years ago.That and sticky rear mech pivots.I’m not sure whether it’s because they’ve got better or just that SRAm is’nt spec’ed oe as much anymore.

    mindmap3
    Free Member

    I found out about the 2 year warranty after emailing SRAM so hopefully a new one will get sent out. It’s just annoying because the old stuff I am still using on other bikes seems to be bullet proof.

    It’s not the cable – its a new inner and outer. It works fine when there is no tension on the cable. I think SRAM are aware that there was a bit of an issue because they said in their email that there had been some rolling improvements to the X9 shifters.

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