Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Bicycle Mechanics
Reload this Page >

Shimano Tourney to Shimano Deore XT?

Notices
Bicycle Mechanics Broken bottom bracket? Tacoed wheel? If you're having problems with your bicycle, or just need help fixing a flat, drop in here for the latest on bicycle mechanics & bicycle maintenance.

Shimano Tourney to Shimano Deore XT?

Old 08-10-19, 09:31 AM
  #1  
RH Clark
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 902
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 522 Post(s)
Liked 449 Times in 246 Posts
Shimano Tourney to Shimano Deore XT?

I've been reading old threads and it seems I can replace the Tourney rear derailleur on my 2017 Trek Marlin 5 29er with 3X7 drivetrain with the 9 speed Deore XT.

I have dropped the chain on the Tourney several times already. I like the bike and only need a bit better shifting and less chain drop. I don't need a better suspension for my riding. I was hoping the stronger spring would help my issues and at about $70 seemed a good place to start. If this won't work or help my issues, please advise.

This is the rear derailleur I am considering. Will it be a drop in upgrade?
https://www.jensonusa.com/Shimano-XT...ear-Derailleur
RH Clark is offline  
Old 08-10-19, 11:07 AM
  #2  
Retro Grouch 
Senior Member
 
Retro Grouch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225

Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.

Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 642 Times in 363 Posts
If it was my bike, the first thing that I would do would be to have the derailleur hanger alignment checked. Whenever I've encountered a bicycle with rear shifting that didn't respond to normal cable tension tweaking, derailleur hanger alignment has usually been the culprit.

If hanger alignment turns out to be the problem, you're done and you've saved yourself $67.00. If the hanger alignment turns out to be okay, at least it's a common issue that you've ruled out.
__________________
My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
Retro Grouch is offline  
Old 08-10-19, 12:09 PM
  #3  
RH Clark
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 902
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 522 Post(s)
Liked 449 Times in 246 Posts
10-4 on that. I'm not sure that the derailure isn't out of spec itself. One hinge point seems wobbly compared to an old Acera I have. I'll replace the hanger but thought why not go with the best rear derailleur I can get if this stuff works like I think it does? Great ,ultra reliable shifting is all I really need in the way of upgrades. I could get a new Tourney and try it but the extra isn't much if the Deore XT will work a lot better. I wouldn't drop several hundred in upgrades to this bike but I got it used for $200 and I don't really need anything else for a while.
RH Clark is offline  
Old 08-10-19, 12:41 PM
  #4  
Bill Kapaun
Really Old Senior Member
 
Bill Kapaun's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Mid Willamette Valley, Orygun
Posts: 13,822

Bikes: 87 RockHopper,2008 Specialized Globe. Both upgraded to 9 speeds.

Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1774 Post(s)
Liked 1,230 Times in 851 Posts
IF your chain is sized too long, it'll have less tension.
Shift to BIG:BIG and do the test in the pic.
IF you have more than 2 link SETS, your chain can be shortened.


A Tourney RDER & 7 speed "should" be nearly bullet proof until it wears out.
A RDER for a 9 speed is going to have a narrower cage and be a bit more finicky with the wider 7 speed chain.
I wouldn't "upgrade" beyond an 8 speed RDER for a 7 speed bike.

Last edited by Bill Kapaun; 08-10-19 at 12:45 PM.
Bill Kapaun is offline  
Old 08-10-19, 02:04 PM
  #5  
dsbrantjr
Senior Member
 
dsbrantjr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Roswell, GA
Posts: 8,319

Bikes: '93 Trek 750, '92 Schwinn Crisscross, '93 Mongoose Alta

Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1438 Post(s)
Liked 1,092 Times in 723 Posts
Perhaps you should check your limit screw adjustments, after you check the derailleur hanger as suggested previously. As mentioned Tourney derailleurs are pretty robust.
dsbrantjr is offline  
Old 08-11-19, 04:42 AM
  #6  
RH Clark
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 902
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 522 Post(s)
Liked 449 Times in 246 Posts
Originally Posted by Bill Kapaun
IF your chain is sized too long, it'll have less tension.
Shift to BIG:BIG and do the test in the pic.
IF you have more than 2 link SETS, your chain can be shortened.


A Tourney RDER & 7 speed "should" be nearly bullet proof until it wears out.
A RDER for a 9 speed is going to have a narrower cage and be a bit more finicky with the wider 7 speed chain.
I wouldn't "upgrade" beyond an 8 speed RDER for a 7 speed bike.
Thanks, didn't know the chains were different. If I do decide to replace the Tourney, would an older 7-8 speed higher end RDER off ebay be possibly better than a new Tourney?
RH Clark is offline  
Old 08-11-19, 07:48 AM
  #7  
Bill Kapaun
Really Old Senior Member
 
Bill Kapaun's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Mid Willamette Valley, Orygun
Posts: 13,822

Bikes: 87 RockHopper,2008 Specialized Globe. Both upgraded to 9 speeds.

Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1774 Post(s)
Liked 1,230 Times in 851 Posts
It's "possible".
I'd just buy a new Altus myself.
Bill Kapaun is offline  
Old 08-11-19, 08:18 AM
  #8  
RH Clark
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 902
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 522 Post(s)
Liked 449 Times in 246 Posts
Originally Posted by Bill Kapaun
It's "possible".
I'd just buy a new Altus myself.
Thanks.
The best rear derailleur I can get for my 7 speed is what I really want anyway. Is the Altus a better choice than the Acera? I have the Acera on my wife's older bike which has been ultra reliable.
RH Clark is offline  
Old 08-11-19, 08:23 AM
  #9  
Bill Kapaun
Really Old Senior Member
 
Bill Kapaun's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Mid Willamette Valley, Orygun
Posts: 13,822

Bikes: 87 RockHopper,2008 Specialized Globe. Both upgraded to 9 speeds.

Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1774 Post(s)
Liked 1,230 Times in 851 Posts
Older Acera and newer Acera have different speeds over the years.
You "might" have the same problem as a newer Deore.
Bill Kapaun is offline  
Old 08-11-19, 11:57 AM
  #10  
xroadcharlie
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Windsor Ontario, Canada
Posts: 531

Bikes: 2018 Giant Sedona

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 179 Post(s)
Liked 116 Times in 95 Posts
Originally Posted by Bill Kapaun
It's "possible".
I'd just buy a new Altus myself.
+1 on the Altus.

I had the Tourney rear derailleur on my 1 year old bike replaced after clumsy me stepped on it after dropping the bike. I must say, It worked fine untill then.

The bike shop replaced it with an Altus model. It works flawlessly and is clearly higher quality then the Tourney it replaced. I'm surprised Shimano would make such an outstanding product for a budget price. You could spend 2 -3x more on other Rd's and do no better overall.

To be fair though, The derailleur is just one component for shifting, And probably not even the most important. The condition and quality of the cassette (which happens to be Shimano too) might be as important as the derailleur. Shifters and cables are also an important part of the package. As I said, This bike is only 1 year old with about 1,400 km on it, So it should come as no surprise that both the Tourney and Altus derailleurs worked well.

Last edited by xroadcharlie; 08-11-19 at 12:22 PM.
xroadcharlie is offline  
Old 08-11-19, 12:37 PM
  #11  
RH Clark
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 902
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 522 Post(s)
Liked 449 Times in 246 Posts
I can't tell that the Tourney is damaged or just not as well built. I can't tell on the hanger but the kid that owned it before me bent the rear rim and looks like he did it quickly after he bought it and didn't ride it any more. I trued the wheel and the derailleur works basically. but I have dropped the chain on bumps already and it has up shifted on me during a super hard push before.

I figured I would just replace the hanger and derailleur to make sure and wanted the best one I could get. Cables and everything else looks new.
RH Clark is offline  
Old 08-11-19, 06:29 PM
  #12  
ramzilla
Senior Member
 
ramzilla's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Fernandina Beach FL
Posts: 3,605

Bikes: Vintage Japanese Bicycles, Tange, Ishiwata, Kuwahara

Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 700 Post(s)
Liked 321 Times in 251 Posts
Originally Posted by RH Clark
I've been reading old threads and it seems I can replace the Tourney rear derailleur on my 2017 Trek Marlin 5 29er with 3X7 drivetrain with the 9 speed Deore XT.

I have dropped the chain on the Tourney several times already. I like the bike and only need a bit better shifting and less chain drop. I don't need a better suspension for my riding. I was hoping the stronger spring would help my issues and at about $70 seemed a good place to start. If this won't work or help my issues, please advise.

This is the rear derailleur I am considering. Will it be a drop in upgrade?
https://www.jensonusa.com/Shimano-XT...ear-Derailleur
Go for it. Deore RD's are my favorite upgrade. You can get great deals on them on ebay too.
ramzilla is offline  
Old 08-11-19, 07:29 PM
  #13  
Darth Lefty 
Disco Infiltrator
 
Darth Lefty's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 13,775

Bikes: Stormchaser, Paramount, Tilt, Samba tandem

Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3126 Post(s)
Liked 2,102 Times in 1,366 Posts
This is not the first thread that you posted about upgrading this bike’s shifting. At this point, I’m going to say go ahead and do it. Because you’re not going to be happy until you do. We’ve all told you all the adjustments and repairs that you can do. They will all have to be done on the new one, too. Get one that says 9 speed and has a barrel adjuster at the cable stop, some of them don’t.

Last edited by Darth Lefty; 08-11-19 at 07:32 PM.
Darth Lefty is offline  
Old 08-12-19, 02:56 AM
  #14  
RH Clark
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 902
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 522 Post(s)
Liked 449 Times in 246 Posts
Originally Posted by Darth Lefty
This is not the first thread that you posted about upgrading this bike’s shifting. At this point, I’m going to say go ahead and do it. Because you’re not going to be happy until you do. We’ve all told you all the adjustments and repairs that you can do. They will all have to be done on the new one, too. Get one that says 9 speed and has a barrel adjuster at the cable stop, some of them don’t.
The problem is that I have both read how the 9 speeds work fine on older 7-8 speeds, and I've also read how they don't on this forum. I've read how the Tourney is total junk and I've been told it is just fine and only needs adjusting. I did have it professionally adjusted after I tuned it as much as I could and it still will occasionally shift on me under very hard peddling and I have dropped the chain a couple times.

Actually I was only trying for a definitive answer.
RH Clark is offline  
Old 08-12-19, 03:28 AM
  #15  
zacster
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Brooklyn NY
Posts: 7,702

Bikes: Kuota Kredo/Chorus, Trek 7000 commuter, Trek 8000 MTB and a few others

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 22 Post(s)
Liked 455 Times in 357 Posts
I put all XT 10sp on my old crappy Trek and couldn't be happier. It was about 5 years ago now and it still rides like it is new, with fast, one finger shifts up and down the entire cassette. This replaced old 7sp LX I believe that worked but not nearly as well. To go with 10sp though I needed shifters, brake levers, new 10sp wheel, cassette and chain. It was the entire system not just the derailleur as 10sp Dynasys is a different beast than 9sp. I also put XT v-brakes on since I needed separate levers anyway. But, having said that, it is a slippery slope in that one change leads to another then another. All told, that part of the upgrade was $330 which included a 10sp wheel. The other part of the upgrade was the front dynamo wheel and that was another 130 plus 110 for the light itself. So I'm almost $600 in on an old bike.

So while I've done it, I also could afford it. If buying a $70 derailleur is a stretch for you don't do it.
zacster is offline  
Old 08-12-19, 05:57 AM
  #16  
JonathanGennick 
Senior Member
 
JonathanGennick's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Munising, Michigan, USA
Posts: 4,131

Bikes: Priority 600, Priority Continuum, Devinci Dexter

Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 685 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 55 Times in 37 Posts
Originally Posted by RH Clark
Actually I was only trying for a definitive answer.
There isn't a definitive answer, because sometimes you just have to try something and see how it plays out.

You can get the same added spring tension from any Shimano Shadow derailleur, and the Deore level will save you some coin:

https://www.universalcycles.com/shop...s.php?id=76560

Also helpful is to avoid back-pedaling in rough terrain. And possibly it can help to minimize chain slack by shifting into largest sprockets before a bouncy descent.

A more sure solution is to upgrade to 1x10 with a clutch derailleur and a chain guide, but that's an expensive can of worms that has you essentially replacing your entire drive train. Two of my friends have done that though -- going from 1x9 to 1x10 mainly for the option of a clutch derailleur.
JonathanGennick is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
FoxMulder
Bicycle Mechanics
17
08-28-18 06:19 PM
Qazy
Bicycle Mechanics
6
09-27-17 02:25 PM
brianblackheart
Hybrid Bicycles
4
07-15-12 12:49 PM
Capecodder
Classic & Vintage
6
10-30-10 05:17 PM
sirious94
Bicycle Mechanics
10
03-01-10 01:49 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.