Hi, ive used a chain checker and its about time to replace the chain. Bought new chain and new jockey wheels too as the top jockey was worn. Ive put it on but the chain wont sit on the new jockey wheel and the cassette.

Its basically worn, but the rear cassette isnt too bad and the chain checker is only just on replace. SO basically the top jockey needs to be replaced even when ive put the old chain and jockeys back on as its a ninja star now. SO i’m F@@ked as I genuinely dont need to replace all the others bits. Has anyone had this accelerated wear on one part? I dont really know what to do.

I’m not quite clear what the problem is from your description. An old chain could prematurely wear the cassette, but spiky jockey wheels aren’t gonna affect the cassette.

Are the new jockey wheels narrow-wide? If so could the chain just be sitting on the wrong teeth?

Or the other option is that you mounted the chain wrongly through the rear mech.

The only thing I would say is that if you’ve managed to wear out a jockey wheel, you’ve probably worn the cassette too. IME cassettes wear long before jockey wheels. I suppose that might depend where you ride / what conditions.

Yeah so ive replaced the eagles jockey wheels with new ones from superstar components

https://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/12–14t-jockey-wheels-for-sram-eagle-uk-made.htm

Ive put the correct wheel in the right place as theres 2 different size wheels. The old top jockey wheel is massively worn, wayyy more than any of the original parts.

So I put a new chain and new jockey wheels in, but the chain just wont mesh with the jockey and onto the cassette properly.

Put the old wheels in and it works. Its like the new wheel is too big, so I need a part worn wheel to put in, something with less wear that my old wheel, but more wear than the new one?!!

Where can I buy part worn jockey wheels from 🙂 hahah.

bearings gone in the jockey wheels?

How bad is the old jockey? Could you keep it going until it’s time to swap the cassette? You can press in new bearings for a few quid if that’s the issue.

Superstar Eagle jockey wheels have a nartow/wide tooth profile, try lifting the chain off the jockey wheel then turn the jockey wheel 1 tooth to see if that helps.

On my eagle only the bottom is narrow wide. Swapped that bugger out sharpish as it just clogged with crap straight away. Now using a small xt one. Much better and bigger gaps so less crap got wedged in.

Top one is crap too but I don’t have another spare smaller sealed one to replace that with.

I was looking at superstar but maybe I’ll not bother given the OPs issue.

Why do they have a stupid lip on the jockybelow the teeth? Is it srams ways of engineering accelerated drivechain wear?

Bearings in old wheel all seem fine. I tried lifting the chain on the jockey wheel as can see its a narrow wide profile.

I’ve now put the old worn wheels back in but the issue is the bloody gear shifting is totally crap and i cant get it dialled, so presumed it was the worn wheel. Its a strange issue, I can only see replacing everything new sorting it or like I said I need a top jockey that isn’t as worn as the old one but more worn that the new one!

Its like the new wheel is too big

Could it be that you need to adjust the B-tension screw on the mech to adapt for the larger jockey wheels?

Is the problem more with the fact it’s a superstar jockey wheel rather than it being a brand new one – I.e if you put a new Sram one in that would actually work? Maybe pickup cheap bushing NX jockey wheels new and try those?

Pictures of the jockeys and the cassette would be useful here too.

Is your new chain maybe too long? I find Eagle is fussy about that.

I recently replaced the SRAM jockeys on an XO1 with a set of Superstar’s ceramic ones, as the bearings were getting sticky. Only the larger 14t jockey is narrow/wide. Same chain, no issues.

Why do they have a stupid lip on the jockybelow the teeth? Is it srams ways of engineering accelerated drivechain wear?

the lip was added due to the amount of people having the chain come of and jam in the cage and destroying the mech.

I’d be really inclined to put a couple of NX jockeys in and see if all is well.

To be clear, if you put it all back to how it was, ninja jockey, old chain etc etc, it all shifts well?

Chain length is the same as the one i took off that works, i split it to the same length.

When i put old jokes in it works, although due to the worn jockey its a little sloppy, but nowt too bad.

If i leave the bottom new jockey in that works, its just the top one. I even put it in the other way round incase that it was only meant to be in one way around.

Ive not touched the B-tension screw, that could help as this new wheel is larger diameter due to no wear. I suppose i have set the current b tension to the worn one. Thats a good point Superficial.

@godders
How did you get on matey?

the lip was added due to the amount of people having the chain come of and jam in the cage and destroying the mech.

interesting – so they had a shit design that destroyed your mech and instead of making it better so they sold less mechs, they applied a cheap fix that accelerates wear on your entire drivechain. SRAM are genius!

why would a lip on the jockey accelerate wear, and the eagle drivetrain is by far the longest lasting drivetrain i’ve used

In fairness that’s true, the lip doesn’t add any wear as far as I can see.

Should/could they (SRAM) have offered the upgrades jockeys to people with the older ones free/ at cost? Probably.

I had to buy the mk2 ones… They weren’t cheap!