Shimano Deore 10speed derailleur adjustments

[voidedwarranty]

I just got my first ebike, a Biktrix Juggernaut with a Shimano Deore 10 speed with trigger shifters. The adjustment out of the box was horrendous. Bad shifts all over. I've watched the Park Tools youtube video several times on adjusting rear derailleurs. After attempting the adjustments myself I think I got it to like 90%. Looking for that last 10% and need some help with anyone who has dealt with these derailleurs before.

So first I set the H limit as noted in the video, while in top gear I adjusted it inwards until I heard chain rubbing then turned it back out. The H limit appears to be good.

I have struggled with the index adjustments. And the L limit adjustments. In the Park Tools video there was a cable tension dial at both ends but this setup only has it at the shifter. There is also an "on/off" lever that I have no idea as to what it's purpose is. While riding I have it in the "on" position. All my upshifts feel good. The downshifts are a big source of aggravation. They either don't shift at all, grind then thud into the next lower gear, or sometimes feel like I'm dropping more than one gear.

I also ran in to an issue while riding off a standard size sidewalk curb. The chain felt like it jump down 2 gears and got hung up in-between gears. Lots of bad noises. Could this be a problem with the B limit screw? Or poor tension elsewhere?

Any insight is appreciated. Biktrix has not been very helpful. They wouldn't even give me a model number for the derailleur after asking point blank, "what is the model number of the derailleur". Their response was, "it's a Shimano Deore 10 speed".

 

[antboy]

So first I set the H limit as noted in the video, while in top gear I adjusted it inwards until I heard chain rubbing then turned it back out. The H limit appears to be good.

I have struggled with the index adjustments. And the L limit adjustments. In the Park Tools video there was a cable tension dial at both ends but this setup only has it at the shifter. There is also an "on/off" lever that I have no idea as to what it's purpose is. While riding I have it in the "on" position. All my upshifts feel good. The downshifts are a big source of aggravation. They either don't shift at all, grind then thud into the next lower gear, or sometimes feel like I'm dropping more than one gear.

I also ran in to an issue while riding off a standard size sidewalk curb. The chain felt like it jump down 2 gears and got hung up in-between gears. Lots of bad noises. Could this be a problem with the B limit screw? Or poor tension elsewhere?

Any insight is appreciated. Biktrix has not been very helpful. They wouldn't even give me a model number for the derailleur after asking point blank, "what is the model number of the derailleur". Their response was, "it's a Shimano Deore 10 speed".

Do you have pics to show the derailleur in question?

As for the on/off, it sounds like you're describing the clutch. In the ON position, it locks the bottom hanger into place. In OFF, you should be able to move the hanger forward with just a little pressure.

Having the clutch ON gives more tension to the chain, and is (generally) used when riding rougher terrain to prevent it from bouncing around, but can make shifting more difficult, especially downshifting to a larger physical gear. I personally don't use the clutch except the couple of times I've done unexplored side trails that looked kind of gnarly - too gnarly for my rigid fork bike, really

Before diving into the fine-tuning, I'd recommend riding it with the clutch OFF, and see how that performs, including riding off a curb again.

If it performs well when OFF, it might mean the clutch needs to be adjusted to ride with it ON. If it doesn't fix things, try adjusting things again, making sure the clutch OFF, and test it out again.

I've never had a problem with my clutch, so haven't had to adjust it, but there's tutorials out there for it.

Hope this steers you in the right direction.

 

[voidedwarranty]

Do you have pics to show the derailleur in question?

As for the on/off, it sounds like you're describing the clutch. In the ON position, it locks the bottom hanger into place. In OFF, you should be able to move the hanger forward with just a little pressure.

Having the clutch ON gives more tension to the chain, and is (generally) used when riding rougher terrain to prevent it from bouncing around, but can make shifting more difficult, especially downshifting to a larger physical gear. I personally don't use the clutch except the couple of times I've done unexplored side trails that looked kind of gnarly - too gnarly for my rigid fork bike, really

Before diving into the fine-tuning, I'd recommend riding it with the clutch OFF, and see how that performs, including riding off a curb again.

If it performs well when OFF, it might mean the clutch needs to be adjusted to ride with it ON. If it doesn't fix things, try adjusting things again, making sure the clutch OFF, and test it out again.

I've never had a problem with my clutch, so haven't had to adjust it, but there's tutorials out there for it.

Hope this steers you in the right direction.

Thank you for the clarity! I'll be trying this later

 

[antboy]

No problem. Depending on your use, you might never need the clutch.

As for Biktrix saying it's Deore, it probably just is Deore (which is what my bike has). There's higher end variations like Deore XT, XTR etc, but they're prominently branded, so you should be able to see clearly. I find all the variations difficult to keep straight in my head.

Here's an example of how clear the XT logo is...

 

[Oberst]

Derailleur adjustment is 80% science and 20% art. Getting the 80% is following the instructions but that last 20% is very fine tuning trial and error making ever smaller adjustments.

 

[voidedwarranty]

Yeah it's probably just a basic Deore. I asked for a model number so I could download the correct PDF manual from Shimano.

 

[creativepart]

Try this video - it is pretty clear.

 

[antboy]

From the photos, it looks like the long cage Deore...

SHIMANO DEORE Long Cage Rear Derailleur 10-speed | SHIMANO BIKE-EU

The updated SHIMANO DEORE M6000 rear derailleur is designed for aggressive trail riding and uses SHIMANO SHADOW RD PLUS for improved chain stability and retention.

bike.shimano.com

 

[PedalUma]

When all else fails - Check the hanger with a DHAG II. Often these get bumped in transport.

 

[voidedwarranty]

Guys thank you. I will be reading up and watching more videos tonight and report back with my results. Very helpful information from everyone