# Sram Force front shifter issues



## twiggy73

I am having issues with the front shifter on my force group set 

was heading off at the lights just getting into my rythm when i went to go up to the big ring. 
So push the lever over and i get these big clunk clunk so try again and again and again for the same reslult and still on the small ring 

about a mile down the road i finally get it to move to the big ring and from then on it was fine crisp and clean shifts 

Any one out there had sinlilar issues ??? 

I think the lbs wants to send it back! I hope they replace it or atleast give me a temporary one to ride with 

Twiggy


----------



## avalnch33

cable stretch?
poor adjustment done by the person that built it?

could be a couple things.


----------



## twiggy73

avalnch33 said:


> cable stretch?
> poor adjustment done by the person that built it?
> 
> could be a couple things.


I have had them adjusted and serviced twice already and it still keeps popping up 
I have asked the bike shop to chat to the rep and I will be dropping the bike off at the shop so he can have a look at it. 

Will report back with the resutls next week.

Twiggy


----------



## twiggy73

OK just heard from the LBS 

They had the rep in from sram to look at my shifter 

With in 5 min he said take it off and it will be replaced under warranty!!! 

LBS manager said it was a bit suspicious that he came to the conclusion af a straight replacement of the lever and he along with me suspect a quality issue with a batch of levers. 

He said he has never seen the rep agree so quick to a warrenty issue before, so it is a strong indication they are having issues. It may be confined to Australia i dont know ??? 

Any one else out there having issuses with their 2010 sram froce front shifter ???? 


Twiggy


----------



## frdfandc

No issue with mine. Perfect operation every time.


----------



## penn_rider

I did for a while,, it was very hard to dial in.. My last adjustment tightened a loose screw and all was well...

Works great now..


----------



## Ray_from_SA

I've experienced similar with the Rival shifters on the cross bike, but never with the Force on my road bike.


----------



## Clueless Morgan

Getting my Rival/Force (crank) front derailleur adjusted and working hasn't been smooth. LBS mechanic is good, but admits not much experience with SRAM. It's possible I've had this happen, not see it repeated and then think it must be me that's confused. I repeatedly find the front derailleur in a different position than I thought it was, but chalk it up to my mistake. I've had more trouble with the chain dropping on the inside, but hey, if it can happen to Andy Schleck, I can't feel too bad.


----------



## vsandoval

I'm having issues with mine Force FD shifting too, It has been adjusted twice by my LSB, but still getting stuck in the small ring. Sometimes, it works fine, and sometimes it doesn't. Is it true that some of those Force FD are defective and how you can determine that's what it is. Any feedback is appreciated.


----------



## twiggy73

vsandoval said:


> I'm having issues with mine Force FD shifting too, It has been adjusted twice by my LSB, but still getting stuck in the small ring. Sometimes, it works fine, and sometimes it doesn't. Is it true that some of those Force FD are defective and how you can determine that's what it is. Any feedback is appreciated.


Hi 
I had mine adjusted a few times but it still didnt work sram replaced it no questions asked the new one is perfect and much more responsive get it looked at and refer to this thread aswell as i think this is the real issue for the lever issue 
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=226007

Good Luck 

Twiggy


----------



## jobubr

I had both of my shifters do something similiar about a year ago. Neither would shift, though the lever would move. I sprayed some lube into the shifters and haven't had an issue since.


----------



## IAmSpecialized

You are describing exactly what my Force shifted started doing, out of the blue, 5 or 6 daysbefore the shift lever snapped. I think its a good thing you went ahead and warrantied the shifter.


----------



## sandman98

i don't think it's a problem with the shifter or the fd. it's more likely a problem with installation. the cable needs to pass OUTSIDE the tab (to the left when viewed from the rear of the bike) on the derailleur, then over the top of the cable bolt in the groove. this increases the lever arm and allows a little more movement over the top of the big ring. try it...i think you'll find the feel at the lever much more comparable to campy/shimano when the cable is installed as intended. good luck.

makes me wonder about the quality of mechanics at some lbs's. it must be a manufacturers defect if we can't get it to work...lol.


----------



## Brew1

sandman98 said:


> i don't think it's a problem with the shifter or the fd. it's more likely a problem with installation. the cable needs to pass OUTSIDE the tab (to the left when viewed from the rear of the bike) on the derailleur, then over the top of the cable bolt in the groove. this increases the lever arm and allows a little more movement over the top of the big ring. try it...i think you'll find the feel at the lever much more comparable to campy/sram when the cable is installed as intended. good luck.
> 
> makes me wonder about the quality of mechanics at some lbs's. it must be a manufacturers defect if we can't get it to work...lol.



You wouldn't be able to post a photo of that would you? I'm having similar problems with the shifting on my 2011 Force FD too.

Thanks,


----------



## hamsey

Had the same problem at random times. Just swapped out to red shifters. See what happens.

Norm


----------



## sandman98

I'll try once I get home.


----------



## Brew1

sandman98 said:


> I'll try once I get home.


Oh, thanks... I took a look and there is like a little cam that the cable goes over before it clamps in. Mine is correct like you have described, I guess I'll have to play around some more with the adjustments.

This is the first SRAM bike I've owned and so far the FD shifting is the only thing I don't like otherwise it seems very nice...


----------



## kookieCANADA

*Using left shifter correctly with Force?*

Just wanted to confirm that I am using the left shifter correctly....(using Force)

This past weekend was the first time I actually made use of the left shifter while cycling. Had trouble shifting in both directions, either nothing happens after a click or a loud crack sound before a shift (wasn't consistent like the right shifter)

When I got home and after a few minutes trying to figure out how to get the front derailleur to shift, I got it to work consistently by doing the following:

To shift to the small chainring:
-tap twice (one click sound for each tap, nothing happens on the first click)

To shift to the large chainring:
-one long tap (heard one click, could have been 2 small clicks but couldn't tell)

Is the above steps correct or could there be something wrong with the left shifter?

Curious because the click sounds are nothing like the right shifter which is what I expect.

thx


----------



## asad137

kookieCANADA said:


> Just wanted to confirm that I am using the left shifter correctly....(using Force)


You're doing it right.



> To shift to the small chainring:
> -tap twice (one click sound for each tap, nothing happens on the first click)


The first click does do something -- it's the "trim" position for the front derailleur while on the big ring. It moves the derailleur a little bit closer to the frame (but not enough to move the chain to the small ring), which allows you to use your larger rear cogs without the chain rubbing on the derailleur.



> To shift to the large chainring:
> -one long tap (heard one click, could have been 2 small clicks but couldn't tell)


Yup.



> Curious because the click sounds are nothing like the right shifter which is what I expect.


Sounds about right to me. The left and right shifting don't really feel or sound the same.

Asad


----------



## GDTRFB

I have had very spotty front shifting with a Force FD & Red shifters. I have had choppy upshifts & more drops when upshifting than I can count. My Force crankarm looks as if a dig has been chewing on it. Several mechanics at my LBS have adjusted it, and the problem is still there. SRAM is replacing the FD.
The cages on SRAM Force & Red FD's are flimsy & deform easily.


----------



## cxwrench

Pete2 said:


> I have had very spotty front shifting with a Force FD & Red shifters. I have had choppy upshifts & more drops when upshifting than I can count. My Force crankarm looks as if a dig has been chewing on it. Several mechanics at my LBS have adjusted it, and the problem is still there. SRAM is replacing the FD.
> The cages on SRAM Force & Red FD's are flimsy & deform easily.


no, not really. the Red Ti front cage is somewhat more flexible and has a different shape than the steel cage. it is true that the steel cage shifts better. there have definitely been bikes that i've had trouble getting the Red derailleur to shift the way i like it to. every time it's been easily fixed by swapping a Force front derailleur onto the bike. the Force cage is not any more flimsy or more easily damaged than any other front derailleur out there. virtually every pro racer that uses SRAM is using a 'Force' front derailleur that has 'Red' silkscreened on the cage. i'm just going to come right out and say it...if 'several' mechanics at your shop can't get it to work properly and there are no other circumstances contributing to the problem, they should put down the tools and stick to selling bikes and not fixing them. :idea:


----------



## GDTRFB

:[/QUOTE].if 'several' mechanics at your shop can't get it to work properly and there are no other circumstances contributing to the problem, they should put down the tools and stick to selling bikes and not fixing them. :idea:[/QUOTE]

No need for the for the insults. I can see how my Force FD cage deformed after a few drops, which then leads more poor shifting. 
I love the rest of my SRAM stuff, but the FD is less than stellar.
I have seen many posts on the forums of poor shifting with SRAM FD's, a lot more than posts about Shimanos. 

The same mechanics set up my wife's Ultegra 6600 bike, and she has not dropped a chain once. Ditto for my riding buddies with their 105 5600 stuff. No drops at all, where I drop several times a ride. That's with over 1000 miles of rides together.

Peter


----------



## cxwrench

i'm not insulting you. i'm just saying that it's a front derailleur. it's not that difficult to set one up properly. it should be no different than the shimano derailleurs they have done for you in the past. if it wasn't adjusted properly from the beginning, and the resulting dropped chains _bent_ or deformed the derailleur, it's not really the fault of the part. i don't see anything about the force part that would lead to chain dropping issues...and i've installed/adjusted literally hundreds of them over the last 5 years.


----------



## GDTRFB

cxwrench said:


> i'm not insulting you. i'm just saying that it's a front derailleur. it's not that difficult to set one up properly. it should be no different than the shimano derailleurs they have done for you in the past. if it wasn't adjusted properly from the beginning, and the resulting dropped chains _bent_ or deformed the derailleur, it's not really the fault of the part. i don't see anything about the force part that would lead to chain dropping issues...and i've installed/adjusted literally hundreds of them over the last 5 years.


What's being ignored here is that the same mechanics who worked on my bike set up or tuned three others, all of which are fine. The three shimano bikes (2 with 105 5600 & 1 with Ultegra 6600) _have not dropped a chain once_ in 1000's of combined miles. My bike has more than can be counted. 
SRAM FD's shift fine at times, then two minutes later are chattering, shifting rough & dropping. This _never_ happens with the Shimano bikes. Even my 2005 Trek 1200 rain bike with a Tiagra FD & Bontrager cranks doesn't drop.
Just holding a Shimano 6600 FD, then a SRAM Force tells you everything that you need to know. The 6600 is sturdier, and has a different cage design.

SRAM shifters & RD's are awesome, but the FD's need a redesign.


----------



## Nbug

I had the right shifter crap out after 500 miles. I called SRAM and they told me there was a material defect in one of the parts used in the shifter. They warrantied the shifter through a LBS with no questions asked. My guess is they replaced it so quickly for you because SRAM is aware that they have a problem. My problem with SRAM is that rather than being proactive, they will only react once the problem becomes an issue for the rider. Fortunately for me, I was only a mile from home when it happened.


----------



## Road Hazard

Another thing you might consider is whether your barrel adjuster is coming loose over time. 

I've got the jagwire standard issue SRAM cable/housing set and the barrel adjuster comes loose a little every time you turn the handlebars. 

I finally put some blue locktite on the the threads and, once I get the FD dialed, it stays that way much longer. I get good shifts for weeks instead of hours like I was before. The blue locktite does not "lock" but it's gummy and resists movement.

But I do think the SRAM Force FD leaves something to be desired. Whether it's the stiffness of big chain ring, or the chain, or the derailleur I don't know, but it does not shift up to the big ring as consistently as my Shimano 105 group does.


----------



## hamsey

Inline barrel adjuster is what my LBS suspects. Going to mark it once they get it adjusted and see what happens. Will update when that happens.


----------



## GDTRFB

Road Hazard said:


> Another thing you might consider is whether your barrel adjuster is coming loose over time.
> 
> But I do think the SRAM Force FD leaves something to be desired. Whether it's the stiffness of big chain ring, or the chain, or the derailleur I don't know, but it does not shift up to the big ring as consistently as my Shimano 105 group does.


+1
105, Ultegra & Tiagra _NEVER_ drop. Force does every ride. Not just my bike, others in my club have similar problems. 

I am able to get FD shifting better with a tweak to the barrel adjuster, but it never lasts long. I'll get great shifts for 50 miles, then three drops in five miles.


----------



## cxwrench

Pete2 said:


> +1
> 105, Ultegra & Tiagra _NEVER_ drop. Force does every ride. Not just my bike, others in my club have similar problems.
> 
> I am able to get FD shifting better with a tweak to the barrel adjuster, but it never lasts long. I'll get great shifts for 50 miles, then three drops in five miles.


ok...explain to me how you can get _great_ shifting for 50 miles, and when your chain drops after that it's the derailleurs fault? i think we're talking about a cable tension issue here, right? you said "with a tweak to the barrel adjuster..."
the derailleur is actually functioning properly, and the cable is losing tension? and if you're dropping the chain, that tells me the unless the derailleur is actually moving on the seat tube, it's not adjusted correctly and somehow you're controlling it's movement w/ cable tension? 
i can't understand how this derailleur can work fine, then lose cable tension and drop the chain? obviously you're dropping the chain off the inside, yeah? this tells me the low limit screw is improperly adjusted, or the angle of the derailleur is incorrect. but how does it _shift great_ for 50 miles then stop working properly?


----------



## AvantDale

Pete2 said:


> +1
> 105, Ultegra & Tiagra _NEVER_ drop. Force does every ride. Not just my bike, others in my club have similar problems.
> 
> I am able to get FD shifting better with a tweak to the barrel adjuster, but it never lasts long. I'll get great shifts for 50 miles, then three drops in five miles.


Funny...when I had my Tiagra bike...the FD did nothing but drop.

My Red shifters + Force FD...no issues.


----------



## GDTRFB

AvantDale said:


> Funny...when I had my Tiagra bike...the FD did nothing but drop.
> 
> My Red shifters + Force FD...no issues.


I'm jealous. 
Hopefully, after SRAM replaces the FD I'll be OK.

I did notice that at the front of the FD, the cage has a gap in it. I'm not sure if this is broken or if it's there by design. That would explain the flimsiness of the cage.


----------



## CrashKelly

I also started having problems with my SRAM Force rear shifter after 1500 miles. The behavior is very erratic. It will shift without issue for several hours (or complete rides) and then it will suddenly become unusable, e.g., paddle swings in with no shifting effect or paddle will not swing at all. I can generally get some response after playing around with it for a while. Once it starts working again, it's fine. Of course this only happens while I'm out on the road. I can't reproduce it in the stand. I took it into the LBS after it happened the first time and it worked perfectly in the stand and the mechanic looked at me like I was a moron. It has happened twice since then so at least I know that I'm not crazy now.


----------



## youssef

Hello,
just this morning front shifter stopped working. When shifting from front small chain ring to large chain ring, the shifter would not stay in position for chain to stay on large chain ring.


----------



## JSWhaler

Old thread but I guess still relevant. I went through 3 different front derailleurs and finally had it. Going back to Shimano. I love the rear shifting on Sram, but the front is just too inconsistent for me.


----------



## adjtogo

I had the same problems on a Giant Defy Advanced 1 with SRAM Force. After many trips to the LBS, who adjusted everything, changed cables, and doing everything they could, I finally decided to just sell the bike. I used to be out on group rides and the gears wouldn't shift when I needed them to. I got dropped many times like a bad habit. Enough was enough with SRAM.


----------



## jobubr

I have first generation Force on my roadie. Bought the component group in 2007 and has been on a couple different frames since. I first had this no shift problem in 2009. The first time, I changed cables and made adjustments. This lasted for a bit, but then in 2011 I was completely fed up like you guys sound. I took the hoods off and found that the internals are fairly easy to get to. I think there is a simple screw to remove. Once apart you can view the internal mechanisms. For whatever reason they don't want to catch when this problem occurs. Similar to working on old Shimano mountain bike shifters, spray some air in there to clean it up a bit, then spray some lube in there. I used some Pedro's Drylube. It's a little waxy and honestly was what I had at the moment. I put it all back together with new hoods (mine had stretched quite a bit) and have not had a problem since in over 2000 miles. Might be something to try. Good luck.


----------



## GRAVELBIKE

To the folks who were having front derailleur problems, were you on 10s or 11s (Yaw or non-Yaw). I've been running Force 22 for over six months, and haven't had any issues (even swapped out the SRAM chain for an 11s Shimano unit).


----------

