# My derailleur is rubbing my chain... how do I fix it?



## chriscookz (Jul 2, 2012)

I'm somewhat new to biking, and very new to bike maintenance. Last night I bought a brand new Felt Z85 from a not so local LBS (about an hour away). When I got the bike home I went on a 3 or so mile ride with it and for the first time noticed that my front derailleur was making noise. Upon inspection I realized that it constantly rubs the chain when the chain is on the big wheel. This obviously should not be happening and I'm a little upset about it. It's loud.

However, I don't want to drive 2 hours down to the bike shop if it's an easy fix, and I don't want to pay a more local bike shop to fix it if it's something I can do myself. Besides, I really want to learn how to work on this so I can properly maintain it.

The shifter and derailleur are Shimano 105 components. I have attached 4 photos to this post. The first is the derailleur with no pressure on the shifter, the second is the shifter with no pressure on it. The third is the derailleur in what I believe to be the correct position, not rubbing the chain. The fourth is where I have to hold the shifter in order for the derailleur to reach that desired position. 

I'm hoping this is just a cable tension sort of issue, but again, I don't know. So please, help!!! 

I am eternally grateful to your knowledge and assistance.


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## jheeno (Jun 28, 2011)

there's a cable microadjuster at the top underside of you're down tube
turn the knob. 









I am not sure which way but i usually feel the tension, turning it such that the tension gets tighter should move the derailleur away from the chain. Be careful and don't be too greedy with the micro adjuster ... I usually adjust it such that there is no contact. Too much and you will damage you're inner cable
Make sure it's the cable that leads the front derailleur and not the rear. It should be the left one. To check which cable it is touch the front lever a bit and you should find out which cable it is.


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## JustTooBig (Aug 11, 2005)

based on the info provided, your cable needs more tension (by moving your shifter inboard, you are increasing cable tension). That can be accomplished one of two ways: 1) loosen the pinch bolt on your derailleur, pull a bit of slack cable through and re-tighten the pinch bolt; or 2) you may have a barrel adjuster on the cable stop at the top of the downtube. Turning that adjuster counter-clockwise puts more tension on the shift cable.

Park Tool has very nice little tutorials on their website. This stuff can be easier to understand with the addition of their more complete instructions and illustrations. I'd recommend you check them out.


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## jpick915 (May 7, 2006)

Microadjuster is called a "barrel adjuster" and turning clockwise (facing the front of the bike) reduces cable tension, while counter-clockwise increases tension. If this is the issue, then you want to increase tension to pull the derailleur cage further out from the chain, but I suspect it is likely an issue with the limit screws.

Check out the link below, it provides a good summary of front derailleur installation and adjustment. It is not a difficult process, but make sure you understand what you are doing or you can really muck up your front shifting. 

Park Tool Co. » ParkTool Blog » Front Derailleur Adjustments


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## Samadhi (Nov 1, 2011)

Before you run out and start trying to adjust your derailleur.

I would say your problem lies in the limit screw setting for the big ring not being set quite right. You can, of course, try adjusting yourself and you will eventually get it right. Getting to that point may take longer than a drive to/from the shop you bought the bike from, so consider taking the bike back to the LBS for adjustment. You bought the bike from them and they owe you a machine in proper working order. 

Working on the front derailleur can be a bit tricky and can be a real bear to set right, especially if you're new to working on them. Personally, I HATE working on the front derailleur. I'd rather hang out in the doping forum than work on that part of my bike. Best, I think, to take the bike back to the shop and have them do it this time.. If you want to wrench your own bike (and I think you should) ask to look over their shoulder while they work on it or ask them to give you a lesson in how to do it yourself. Unless you bought that Felt from a bunch of guys called Dick, they'll be happy to help you I'm sure.

There are also a lot of videos and whatnot out here on the internutz that can help a lot.


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## bruin11 (May 21, 2004)

When it is rubbing what cog in the back is the chain on. Or does it rub in all gears.


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## psychling78 (Oct 12, 2003)

*good advice, but wrong side of the bike*

The adjuster you should use for the front derailleur is on the LEFT side of your downtube, not the right. From the pictures you supplied, I'd say you need to move your limit adjuster to allow a little more play (counter-clockwise) and turn the barrel adjuster out (also counter-clockwise) to get more tension, as others have noted. Be sure to make SMALL adjustments and see what the effect is. A quarter-turn works wonders!



jheeno said:


> there's a cable microadjuster at the top underside of you're down tube
> turn the knob.
> ]
> 
> ...


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## Pirx (Aug 9, 2009)

jpick915 said:


> If this is the issue, then you want to increase tension to pull the derailleur cage further out from the chain, but I suspect it is likely an issue with the limit screws.





Samadhi said:


> I would say your problem lies in the limit screw setting for the big ring not being set quite right.


Ahem. Since the OP can move the cage out to the correct position as shown in his pictures, his issue has nothing whatsoever to do with the limit screw settings. Setting the barrel adjusters as already described will fix his minor issue. I agree with him, though, that the shop he bought the bike from should have done this for him before they let him take the bike out of the store.


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## Doolab (Feb 13, 2008)

Go to youtube.com and search for front derailleur adjustment.
Watch a couple of videos and you'll know how to adjust it yourself. 
Then bask in your new-found bike maintenance glory.


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## chriscookz (Jul 2, 2012)

Thanks for all the advice. I'm at work now so I can't take it out and ride it, but I tried turning the barrel adjuster counter clockwise a bit and it LOOKS like there is a small gap now between the derailleur and the chain. I'll know more when I take it for a spin at lunch if the problem is fixed, but it's looking good so far.


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## jpick915 (May 7, 2006)

Pirx said:


> Ahem. Since the OP can move the cage out to the correct position as shown in his pictures, his issue has nothing whatsoever to do with the limit screw settings. Setting the barrel adjusters as already described will fix his minor issue. I agree with him, though, that the shop he bought the bike from should have done this for him before they let him take the bike out of the store.


Obviously I should have read a bit more closely.


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## c_h_i_n_a_m_a_n (Mar 3, 2012)

Yup ... you need to increase the tension in your cables ... +1

If you have not got a barrel adjuster, then you are limited to adjusting at the pinch bolt at the derailleur ...


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## lostPixels (Jun 12, 2012)

I have the same setup and the same exact problem. 105 FD is a *****, and the limit screws don't do anything. This is something many people have had problems with.

Last time I was at my LBS they were like "that's just chain noise, it's always going to be there"...

I've tried many times to tweak my FD with some success, but my bike is not quiet, and never really has been.


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## chriscookz (Jul 2, 2012)

Just rode it for a couple miles over lunch, the cable tension adjustment seemed to work. There is no longer any chain rub on the large gear  

There is now a little bit on the small gear when I am in the smallest rear gear, but that's to be expected I suppose, given the angle of the chain. I don't ever ride that combination anyway, I was just running through all of the gears to make sure it's working properly.

Thanks again for all the advice.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

lostPixels said:


> I have the same setup and the same exact problem. 105 FD is a *****, and the limit screws don't do anything. This is something many people have had problems with.
> 
> Last time I was at my LBS they were like "that's just chain noise, it's always going to be there"...
> 
> I've tried many times to tweak my FD with some success, but my bike is not quiet, and never really has been.


you're doing it wrong. there is nothing wrong w/ the 105 front derailleur. the limit screws cover a large enough range of motion to throw the chain over the big ring on any crank. if 'many people' are having problems w/ this, 'many people' aren't performing the adjustment correctly. i have a hard time believing that shimano with all of it's engineering might has designed, prototyped, tested, and produced any derailleur...front or rear, that has 'limit screws that don't do anything'.


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## lostPixels (Jun 12, 2012)

cxwrench said:


> you're doing it wrong. there is nothing wrong w/ the 105 front derailleur. the limit screws cover a large enough range of motion to throw the chain over the big ring on any crank. if 'many people' are having problems w/ this, 'many people' aren't performing the adjustment correctly. i have a hard time believing that shimano with all of it's engineering might has designed, prototyped, tested, and produced any derailleur...front or rear, that has 'limit screws that don't do anything'.


You would be surprised. Turning them, taking them out, will have no/little effect on the FD. Maybe I am indeed doing it wrong but I havent found an effective way to adjust my FD, especially because I dont have the microadjusters mentioned in the thread earlier. I've followed tutorials and spent a good bit of time googling without finding a remedy to my issue. Tonight I am going back to my LBS for a fitting and I hope they will be able to help me out.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

lostPixels said:


> I have the same setup and the same exact problem. 105 FD is a *****, and the limit screws don't do anything. This is something many people have had problems with.


You need to talk to more people then who have 105. MANY MANY more have no problem at all. Thus you haven't really talked to many people, or the people you've talked to don't know what they're doing.


> Last time I was at my LBS they were like "that's just chain noise, it's always going to be there"...


Time to shop around for a new LBS!



chriscookz said:


> There is now a little bit on the small gear when I am in the smallest rear gear, but that's to be expected I suppose, given the angle of the chain.


Yea to be expected. But if you really tried you could probably adjust it out. It's do-able 
You're correct, it's not good to ride in that gear combination. And that little bit of rubbing is a good reminder to shift. :thumbsup:


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## redlude97 (Jun 29, 2010)

lostPixels said:


> You would be surprised. Turning them, taking them out, will have no/little effect on the FD. Maybe I am indeed doing it wrong but I havent found an effective way to adjust my FD, especially because I dont have the microadjusters mentioned in the thread earlier. I've followed tutorials and spent a good bit of time googling without finding a remedy to my issue. Tonight I am going back to my LBS for a fitting and I hope they will be able to help me out.


Wait, you have FD that doesn't have a downtube barrel adjuster or an inline adjuster? How are you adjust the tension to tune your FD? By loosening the mounting bolt and pulling or releasing the cable? This doesn't provide a fine enough adjustment to tune the FD correctly


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

lostPixels said:


> You would be surprised. *Turning them, taking them out, will have no/little effect on the FD. *Maybe I am indeed doing it wrong but I havent found an effective way to adjust my FD, especially because I dont have the microadjusters mentioned in the thread earlier. I've followed tutorials and spent a good bit of time googling without finding a remedy to my issue. Tonight I am going back to my LBS for a fitting and I hope they will be able to help me out.


you can REMOVE the high limit screw and you can't stop the chain from rubbing? c'mon now...really? let's see some photos of your set up. something is really wrong here.


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## lostPixels (Jun 12, 2012)

redlude97 said:


> Wait, you have FD that doesn't have a downtube barrel adjuster or an inline adjuster? How are you adjust the tension to tune your FD? By loosening the mounting bolt and pulling or releasing the cable? This doesn't provide a fine enough adjustment to tune the FD correctly


You are correct, it doesn't. That's been the only thing I that I've been able to do. I will check again but I havent been able to locate any barrel adjusters. Unless there is an adjuster under the hood of the Brifter, I dont think I have one.


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

is the derailleur parallel to the chain rings?


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## maximum15 (Feb 6, 2004)

Not to hi-jack this thread, but I had a 9 speed ultegra front derailer that I couldn't get adjusted correctly, at least not permanently. It would work for a while just perfectly, then start over or under shifting by tremendous amounts. When this happened on rides, I could use the barrel adjuster to get it working again -- then it wouldn't shift and I would have to undo the barrel adjustment to get it working a second time. I checked the cable and routing and found no issues. In frustration, I pulled another ultegra 9 speed derailer I had, put it on the right size clamp, and put it on the bike with the issue. I have been on many rides with no issues since changing the derailer. I need to take some time and see if I can figure out the problem with the original derailer. Any ideas of what can cause the limit to change drastically for no visible reason. This are such simple devices that having a problem such as this makes no sense.


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

for the most part, aren't shimano front derailleurs double or triple specific?


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

oh....and make your life easier OP.....get a set of barrel adjusters.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

lostPixels said:


> You are correct, it doesn't. That's been the only thing I that I've been able to do. I will check again but I havent been able to locate any barrel adjusters. Unless there is an adjuster under the hood of the Brifter, I dont think I have one.


Wow! And you're blaming a 105 FD for this "105 FD is a *****"? 
Not cool. You'd have this problem with any derailleur with no adjuster. 

And you claim there are lots of people with this problem?


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## Giffs (Jan 14, 2013)

I bought a brand new 2013 felt z85 and had same issue, was just about to post my question.


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## rowcyclerug (Feb 3, 2013)

You got great advice here. One suggestion, for the future. Get Leonard Zinn's book........... Zinn and the Art of Roadbike (or Mtn Bike) Mtce. 
Great if you want to get into maintaining your own bike...... I'm in a similar situation. An overnight ferry trip to the nearest bikeshop.


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## cdonner (Apr 30, 2013)

*Shimano instructions*

I am surprised that nobody mentioned the Shimano instructions for the 105 front derailleur adjustment (http://techdocs.shimano.com/media/t...00-5501/SI-59G0C-En_v1_m56577569830612176.pdf) Just perform steps 1, 3, and 4. This, together with the responses here, helped me get my derailleur fixed. Yes, it still touches the chain on the middle gears, but as it was already mentioned, this is expected.


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