Are all jockey wheels created equal?

The lower jockey wheel on my Camber Comp (SRAM X9 rear dérailleur) seized this morning (knackered bearing race as far as I could tell) and as a fix I pinched one from my daughter’s Specialized Myka (Shimano of some sort). Seemed to work ok.

Do I buy any old jockey wheel to replace the now missing one on the Myka? Do I buy something specific for my bike and put the ‘correct’ one back on the Myka?

Thanks in advance

Just count the teeth on the jockey wheel you took off (usually 10 or 11 teeth) and replace with something like this;

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/bbb-bdp-rollerboys-jockey-wheels/%5B/url%5D

You can get more expensive ones but for something that gets dragged through the mud, whacked with rocks and twigs and is slowly eaten away by the chain I don’t see much point paying more.

For jockey wheels bushes are better than bearings. The bearings are so tiny that any contamination results in seizure.

Shimano as usual got it right.

My lower jockey went on my X9 and the official part was megabucks, so I got a cheap one from ebay – has lasted longer than the original.

Thanks all

Keep an eye out for reduced price on ones with ceramic bearings. They don’t collapse as readily.

Ceramic bearing kcnc ones from ebay. Shiny and better.

@gren – which seller do you use on ebay?

I’m trying to get some ceramic ones but the prices have rocketed in the UK. Okay the SRAM official stuff is not far off the same price but they really are crap. Don’t shed mud, turn into throwing stars in a couple of months and the bearings seize easily. Got KCNC on one of my bikes and they’re great, but need some for the other as the SRAM ones are shot. UK stores are £45+, ebay UK sellers are charging similar. Can see a couple of imports where even with postage it works out far cheaper, though none have silver ones and I’ve no idea if they’re genuine or fake. I have heard there are fakes about. Plus there’s a risk they send you the standard bearing instead of ceramic.

ISTR yonks ago tacx had a good name for jockey wheels. Has anyone tried them lately?

jockey wheels

I used these after the sram x9 ones died. Worked perfectly since…and cheap and pretty.

On the subject of jockey wheels, is there any difference between the upper and lower one? I thought not but a mate says there is…

What says you?

top shimano jockey has float ( bit of play), srams do not?

Ceramic cnc ones on amazon for not much, certainly not mainstream kcnc rrp. Sram ones are pathetic. The X7 on my spearfish have lasted about 500 miles and it’s a sunny day only bike really.

I killed regular x9 jockeys in a couple of months without trying.

Replaced with some 25odd quid red ano ones that are fine so far. Aerozine I think?

recently picked up some BBB ones with stainless ball bearings as that is what shop had – wow do they run silently – i think they were marked upper and lower but I couldn’t tell them apart – have been told that the shimano ones are rollers so that there is some float in system to allow for indexing being slightly out – very happy with the silence

top shimano jockey has float ( bit of play)

Not since 10sp came out they haven’t.

For jockey wheels bushes are better than bearings. The bearings are so tiny that any contamination results in seizure. Shimano as usual got it right.

Then why do XT, Saint and XTR jockey wheels use bearings?

Just fitted some mt zoom ones from xcracer. Bit concerned the bearings aren’t covered over at all, but they seem to get good reviews so time will tell. Hopefully as they are alloy they will last longer than the originals….it used to take me years to wear down jockey wheels on 9 speed stuff. On 10 speed it’s a season.

I have a 10 speed slx shadow plus mech,the bottom jockey wheel had loads of play in it and felt worn out so I replaced it with a jockey wheel from a 9 speed deore mech,much tighter and runs smoother than the original slx one.

@DK I used ‘bigmechcyclestore’ but was over a year ago now and they have nothing for sale atm.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/bigmechcyclestore/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

Cost me £30 so more or less the price of SRAM stuff anyway but worth twice the price.

….it used to take me years to wear down jockey wheels on 9 speed stuff. On 10 speed it’s a season.

Me too! I’m convinced the extra tension the clutch mechs put on the chain wears the jockey wheels quicker.

And before someone says they don’t put any extra tension on the chain, they do when you’re changing up to a bigger sprocket or chainwheel, and every time the rear suspension is ‘growing’ – which by simple logic has to be 50% of the whole time you’re riding!