Clicking from the cassette/jockey wheels

Clicking from the cassette/jockey wheels

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Discussion

Gruffy

Original Poster:

7,212 posts

258 months

Monday 20th October 2014
quotequote all
Can anybody offer advice on how to diagnose the problem I'm having?

I've just replaced the rear derailleur cable on my Triban, which went perfectly well, but now there's a pronounced clicking/ticking from the rear when pedalling. It's not there when freewheeling, only when the chain is in motion and getting louder the faster I pedal. I can't see the chain contacting anything at any point, anywhere. The indexing seems fine too.

Any clues?

Get Karter

1,934 posts

200 months

Monday 20th October 2014
quotequote all
indexing may work fine, but if its slightly out of perfect alignment, then you can get this clicking.

Look at chain line from back of bike and see if the derailleur could line up the chain more perfectly than it is currently. If so, adjust barrel adjuster accordingly.


Gruffy

Original Poster:

7,212 posts

258 months

Monday 20th October 2014
quotequote all
I have done this and it looks right. I'm new to bike maintenance though so I'm sure there's room for improvement.

Get Karter

1,934 posts

200 months

Monday 20th October 2014
quotequote all
Well if the only thing you have changed is the cable AND there was no jockey wheel clicking before you changed the cable, then the only rational conclusion is the tension you have set the new cable is not the same as it was before.

It sounds like you need to fine adjust it until it is back to the perfect length (tension).

N.B. Even a quarter turn of the barrel adjuster can make the critical difference.

(A bike stand makes it much easier visually)

Gruffy

Original Poster:

7,212 posts

258 months

Monday 20th October 2014
quotequote all
Makes very good sense. I'll have another tinker. Thanks.

upsidedownmark

2,120 posts

134 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
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Also, don't rely entirely on lining it up by eye - tweak it until the clicking goes away, if it does!

Watchman

6,391 posts

244 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
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Start by making sure your hanger is straight. You'll either need a tool to do this or 5 mins in a bike shop. I spent hours on mine over the course of a weekend, eventually giving up in favour of bike shop help. Chap straightened out my hanger and it all came together very quickly and simply.

I've bought myself a tool to do my own now.

PHmember

2,487 posts

170 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
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Also remember that the new cable will most likely stretch slightly in the first few weeks so will more than likely need adjusting again soon.

TheLemming

4,319 posts

264 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
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Had a clicking noise from the back wheel, turned out to be one of the cogs in the rear mech intermittently seizing and the click was the chain slipping over it.

Annoyingly enough it mostly behaved on the maintenance stand

Took ages to get to the bottom of that one, mech replaced in its entirety under warranty at 160 miles when I finally worked it out.

supertouring

2,228 posts

232 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
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Is the chain ok?

if one of the links is a bit "sticky" then it can make a noise when it goes through the derailleur.

MadDad

3,834 posts

260 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
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Are you using a 'missing link' or similar? I had the same issue last summer, turned out to be the link I used to join the chain - drove me and the LBS nuts for weeks!

Gruffy

Original Poster:

7,212 posts

258 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
The chain is in good health. It's relatively new and passes the chain measurement tool. The clicking is constant and in proportion to the speed with which the chain passes through the rear. It isn't limited to one part of the chain.

I'll check the hanger but as the clicking only appeared after changing the rear cable it makes most sense that my indexing isn't as slick as I'd like to think. I'll have a tinker now and report back.

boyse7en

6,671 posts

164 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
Another chain-related possible cause that I had on mine was one of the plates on the inside face of teh chain had cracked and the plate had bent up slightly, causing it to click once every revolution

Benrad

650 posts

148 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
Is the end of the cable touching the chain? I've done that one before with front derailleur cable and pedals. Took me ages to find!

Gruffy

Original Poster:

7,212 posts

258 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
I've fettled the indexing and twiddled barrel adjusters. They were making the noise louder and quieter so that would seem to be it. I've made it as quiet as possible before running out of adjustment. By this point I'd lost all sense of perspective as to what noises were normal and what weren't. I'll take it for a quick spin tomorrow to check but I think I probably need to close all the barrel adjusters right down and then take in the slack before starting again with a bit more range on the adjusters.

yellowjack

17,065 posts

165 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
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Benrad said:
Is the end of the cable touching the chain? I've done that one before with front derailleur cable and pedals. Took me ages to find!
Ahhh! The old "gear cable fouling the pedal cranks" clicking at the front derailleur. I've had that one too, and much like you, it took an absolute age to work out what the blazes was causing it.

TheInternet

4,703 posts

162 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
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Watchman said:
Start by making sure your hanger is straight. You'll either need a tool to do this or 5 mins in a bike shop. I spent hours on mine over the course of a weekend, eventually giving up in favour of bike shop help. Chap straightened out my hanger and it all came together very quickly and simply.

I've bought myself a tool to do my own now.
You can also do this reasonably well by screwing a spare wheel in place of the mech.

Gruffy

Original Poster:

7,212 posts

258 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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Gruffy said:
… I think I probably need to close all the barrel adjusters right down and then take in the slack before starting again with a bit more range on the adjusters.
This was it. I loosened the cable, reset the adjusters and the started from the beginning. Then I had enough left in the adjusters to pull in the slack and fine tune things. I just went out for a short spin to check things out and bagged a cheeky KOM so I'm taking that as a sign I've done a fair job.

Thank you all for your advice.