Is thread locker normally needed on jockey wheel bolts?
11-07-18, 07:52 PM
#1
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Is thread locker normally needed on jockey wheel bolts?
I noticed sloppy shifting and sticky freewheeling over the past week that wasn't resolved by indexing my bike's gears. I discovered it was being caused by the T jockey wheel, which seems to have tightened itself so much that the resistance it creates made it hard to turn the cranks by hand. Unless there's a gremlin in my drivetrain, this tightening happened gradually on its own over a period of days and then got noticeably worse when I tried again to index the gears (by simply turning the barrel adjuster).
I loosened the bolt on the jockey wheel so it turns freely again but am wondering what will keep it from gradually tightening itself once more. Is thread locker normally applied to jockey wheel bolts to keep this from happening? Or is my situation an anomaly?
I loosened the bolt on the jockey wheel so it turns freely again but am wondering what will keep it from gradually tightening itself once more. Is thread locker normally applied to jockey wheel bolts to keep this from happening? Or is my situation an anomaly?
Last edited by el forestero; 11-07-18 at 07:53 PM. Reason: readability
11-07-18, 08:05 PM
#2
Jedi Master
I got new jockey wheel bolts recently, and they came with thread-lock already applied so I would say yes, put some thread-lock on there.
11-07-18, 08:09 PM
#3
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Threadlocker is needed to keep the bolts from coming loose, but overtightening is not your problem. I suspect you have corrosion or gunk in the jockey wheel bushing or bearings so it isn’t turning freely. The jockey wheel spins around a bushing, which can become corroded and seize up. By loosening the bolt, I suspect the whole jockey wheel and bushing is now spinning around the bolt rather than the wheel spinning around the bushing. The bolt should hold the bushing stable so the wheel can spin around it. The bushing should not be turning around the bolt. I would take the jockey wheels out, disassemble and clean and oil the parts (some have ball bearings, most just bushings). That should get things spinning again unless the corrosion is really severe.
ps. Love these GCN guys.
although they say to grease on the bushings where generally I just use oil.
ps. Love these GCN guys.
Last edited by DOS; 11-07-18 at 08:19 PM.
11-07-18, 08:27 PM
#4
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On mine I always grease the wheels and Loctite the screw threads. Never have a problem, knocking on wood.
11-07-18, 08:30 PM
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...I've never used thread locker for this, and have never had a problem. I don't think it could hurt, other than to make them more difficult to remove for future servicing/replacement.
11-07-18, 08:52 PM
#6
Shimano Certified
To the contrary, blue threadlocker can actually make future removal easier on corrosion prone fasteners because it inhibits corrosion. It holds, but keeps it from going permanent. Red threadlocker is another matter...
11-08-18, 01:39 AM
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Thanks for the helpful info, everybody! Will service the jockey wheel and threadlock the bolt and see how it goes.
11-08-18, 01:58 AM
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Low-medium blue threadlocker (Loctite 242 or 243) is very good on all mechanical fasteners. I put it everywhere i can. It prevents rust and galvanic corrosion from different metals. It makes the thread action smooth without galling and stick-slip. It makes the removal easier since it's designed to break loose with normal handtools, and if it is indeed over tightened and hard to get out, a heat-gun (or blowtorch in extreme cases) will liquefy the threadlocker and will lube the threads making them much more easy to get them loose (much more easy than the dry assembly without threadlocker)
So to sum things up: Yes! It's good practice to put threadlocker (medium) on every nut and bolt you come across.
So to sum things up: Yes! It's good practice to put threadlocker (medium) on every nut and bolt you come across.
11-08-18, 07:05 AM
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I would avoid blow torches, a soldering iron placed on the head of a bolt will break down the thread locker with less risk.
11-08-18, 07:47 AM
#11
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A jockey wheels movement is not influenced by the tightness or looseness of it's screw. There is a bushing in there it rides on. You can torque that screw to the point just before you strip the threads off and the jockey wheel should still spin freely.
Bigger picture..
A jockey wheel is made of nylon or something similar and rides on a metal bushing. In theory and perfect world, you do not need much lubrication there. What that actually needs more is some type of corrosion protection for the bushing, if the bushing rusts it will cause friction and eventually start digging into the jockey wheel (along with any dirt/grit that gets in there too). If the bike sits for a long time it can cause the jockey wheel to get tight as the rust from the bushing "grows" but with normal use the jockey would wear along with it. Eventually the jockey starts to wobble as it elongates over time. I'd think some type of silicone would be ideal lube for it, a balance of corrosion protection with some lube properties but less dirt attraction you'd get with oil or a dry teflon based that has little to no corrosion benefit.. All that being said, I use whatever I am putting on my chain.
As for TL.. Just about every Shimano I've seen has TL on those screws (no experience with others), it makes total sense why. I've used it and not used it. Haven't seen a difference either way so far.
Bigger picture..
A jockey wheel is made of nylon or something similar and rides on a metal bushing. In theory and perfect world, you do not need much lubrication there. What that actually needs more is some type of corrosion protection for the bushing, if the bushing rusts it will cause friction and eventually start digging into the jockey wheel (along with any dirt/grit that gets in there too). If the bike sits for a long time it can cause the jockey wheel to get tight as the rust from the bushing "grows" but with normal use the jockey would wear along with it. Eventually the jockey starts to wobble as it elongates over time. I'd think some type of silicone would be ideal lube for it, a balance of corrosion protection with some lube properties but less dirt attraction you'd get with oil or a dry teflon based that has little to no corrosion benefit.. All that being said, I use whatever I am putting on my chain.
As for TL.. Just about every Shimano I've seen has TL on those screws (no experience with others), it makes total sense why. I've used it and not used it. Haven't seen a difference either way so far.
Last edited by u235; 11-08-18 at 08:46 AM.
11-08-18, 08:40 AM
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Good points all, and my Shimano DA had loctite on the jockey wheel bolt threads. Make sure you use blue loctite (medium strength) or purple (low strength long cure time). Or use green, which can be applied after you've tightened the bolt. Don't use red (high strength, for permanent assembly)!
Last edited by WizardOfBoz; 11-08-18 at 09:00 AM.
11-08-18, 11:04 AM
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...maybe I'm just really, really lucky, but corrosion on these particular fasteners has never been a problem I've had to deal with.
11-08-18, 10:12 PM
#14
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When I lived on a pacific island we had a joke term of 'nature's loctite' being let it get salt rain once. If it was supposed to come apart again, grease it. Otherwise they all rusted in. Kinda nice not to worry about that in the US mainland lol
11-10-18, 05:21 AM
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It turns out the bushing is missing from my jockey wheel. Maybe it fell out the first time I took the jockey wheel apart and cleaned it up. Since that was the first time I'd ever opened one up, I didn't know what the inside was supposed to look like. It's easy to imagine the bushing fell out and I was none the wiser. (My bike repair shop is my grassy, pebbly front lawn, so no surprise I didn't see a dropped bushing). I imagine the bushing being missing could account for the problem I've been having, given the description DOS gave above of how the jockey wheel works. Got another set of jockey wheels on order and will see how things go with a jockey wheel with a bushing. Thanks for the help, folks.
