Shimano RD-5701 Hard to shift with friction shifters
06-22-16, 06:11 PM
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Shimano RD-5701 Hard to shift with friction shifters
I purchased an RD-5701 short cage to replace an old RD-1056. Works...however...For shifters I am using a manual Sunrace friction shifter. The issue is with the spring tension on the in/out parallelogram return spring (is this called the "A" spring?). On the RD-1056 I replaced, the spring was wound around the shaft where the parallelogram pivoted in/out. The RD-5701 spring runs the length of the parallelogram and is secured at the top and bottom. This spring apparently has much more tension and I am having a harder time shifting with the Sunrace shifters. It does not appear there is any tension adjustment for this spring correct? Any suggestions other than getting a different derailleur? If so any suggestions on a derailleur that is not as hard to shift, and/or has adjustable return spring tension ? Thanks
06-22-16, 06:39 PM
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Have you tried adjusting the screw on your shifter to reduce the amount of friction? I have a hard time believing the derailleur itself is providing that much resistance. . . can you push it with your hand? You should be able to get a lot more force on it using the shifter and cable. Make sure the cable does not come loose when you're in the highest gear.
06-22-16, 07:19 PM
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If I reduce the friction on the shifter it helps a tiny bit but if I back off any further the shifter won't hold the derailleur in gear. The derailleur is brand new I can push it in with my hand no problem. I can just tell by comparing the old derailleur to the new one that the spring tension on the new one is much greater and provides more resistance moving up to the larger cogs. I mean I can shift OK but it is noticeably more difficult. After some googling it appears that there is such a thing as a derailleur with adjustable return spring tension. Do you know of any shimano models or other brands? Thanks !
06-22-16, 08:03 PM
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Is the shift wire routed correctly to the anchor bolt? If it is the wrong way around it will shorten the lever arm and increase the tension required. If it was an indexed system you would know as it would throw off the indexing but since it is friction you won't have that indication.
06-22-16, 08:18 PM
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Just out of curiosity, why did you replace the old derailleur?
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06-23-16, 06:04 AM
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I replaced the old derailleur because it's a 1995 Trek 2120 bike with original RD-1056 derailleur. It seems like there is a lot of wear and play in the jockey wheels thus my thinking that it might need replacing. Also working on a chain skipping issue and I am wondering if the old derailleur might night be holding chain tension properly.
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