How do you adjust Shimano 105 5800 11 speed front derailleurs?

[dcama5]

I posted this across the hall so I will here as well. Does anyone have any suggestions on adjusting these long arm 11 speed front derailleurs? I have tried just about everything but nothing really works well: Converter in this way and the other way, run the cable the way Shimano recommends and the way Lennard Zinn wrote may work better, but nothing works really well. Any ideas? Thanks.

[saab2000]

Keep the cable tension tight. Tighter than you would have with previous types of front derailleurs. I have a barrel adjuster on my 9000 front der and it's necessary. You can't get the cable tight enough during the installation to make it work properly. Get it as tight as you can, then tension the cable more with the adjuster. I'm not a huge fan of these new long-arm front ders and that's the only way I can find to keep my 9000 models shifting properly. I assume the 105 is the same.

[AJosiahK]

Agree with Saab. I've installed many 58, 68 and 9000 fronts and and mostly needed barrel adjustors. Use the tool that comes with too, changing the pins position might help too..... I can't actually recall if the 5800 series comes with but Ultegra and d/a fronts come with a TL-fd68 or tl-fd90 respectively.

That might do the trick

[Gummee]

I've done several now. They get easier with practice.

The first few had me seriously scratching my head wondering WTHeck Shimano was thinking.

M

[PacNW2Ford]

I found this interesting: http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/03/bikes-and-tech/technical-faq/technical-faq-shimano-11-speed-front-derailleur-cable-setup_363733

[dcama5]

Thanks everyone for the comments. Yes, I noticed that it was impossible to get it tight enough and I will pick up an inline barrel adjuster later today. I'm pretty sure that will do the trick.

[Gummee]

If you don't have one, the quick workaround is to set the low limit, then clamp the cable as you're pulling the arm downwards. That way, when the arm pulls back up, you take up more slack as if you had a bbl adjuster.

Barrel adjuster is better, but if you NEED to ride this bike RIGHTEFFINGNOW! it'll get you going.

HTH

M

[choricoff]

I had a really hard time adjusting my 6800 FD, and eventually found this thread: http://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum/f40/shimano-9000-front-derailleur-setup-issues-36114-3.html

Post # 44 from suhacycles:
FWIW, installed a 6800 FD for the first time recently and discovered what to do when the cable runs EXACTLY down the middle of that tool that you use to determine how the cable is attached. According to Shimano, attaching with the converter on or off should work but neither did. Had a significant amount of the chain rub in top gear no matter what I did. Figured the ‘solution’ was to increase the range that the cage moves somehow to have more room to play with the trim. Decided to position the converter pin to the right (Off position I think) and then attach the cable to the far right on the outside of the pin and up to the bolt. Thus, the lever arm is shortened slightly and the cage swings a little farther out… voila, no more rubbing. Shimano doesn’t say anything about this option in its instructions but it works. =)


After trying with the pin in both positions multiple times (and nearly ruining the cable due to fiddling while frustrated), this is what finally worked for me. Unfortunately I did not have the alignment tool that should have come with the group which may or may not have made things easier.

[nublar]

Make sure your cable angle is correct as well

[dcama5]

Got a pair of inline shift cable housing barrel adjusters, put one in and now everything is perfect. These derailleurs really shift nicely when the tension is right. Thanks everyone.

[Cicli]

I tighten the low limit screw two turns too tight, attach the cable then loosen the low limit to where it should be. This puts extra tension on the cable and helps. You can then fine tune with the barrel adjuster. I try to avoid inline adjusters. Just a personal preference.

[saab2000]

All these suggestions to keep the tension high are very good. But having an inline barrel adjuster isn't so horrible either. Don't even notice it on the bike.

But those suggestions are good indeed.

Here's my Giant. The front der didn't work properly until I installed it and I have to use pretty much all the adjustment available to get the tension as tight as possible.

A fourth hand tool would help too.

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8682/15998058421_bfc342baca_b.jpg

[fatallightning]

all that fancyness and a wired computer from 20 years ago eh?

[saab2000]

all that fancyness and a wired computer from 20 years ago eh?

I've since installed a Garmin and it does nothing I prefer except keep track of more than one bike, something I could do by switching this between bikes.

The Garmin is WAY overrated. This Cateye is lighter and very accurate. I'm glad I still have it.

As far as I can tell, the Garmin is little more than a satellite based speedometer that requires me to start and stop it when I start and stop, something the Cateye does automatically.

I know it's a tangent, but seriously, what's the point? I want speed, time and distance and don't really care about the rest.

This is what it looks like now. Ambivalent about the Garmin.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7543/16274026222_b5ec8f8fea_b.jpg

[aramis]

I've since installed a Garmin and it does nothing I prefer except keep track of more than one bike, something I could do by switching this between bikes.

The Garmin is WAY overrated. This Cateye is lighter and very accurate. I'm glad I still have it.

As far as I can tell, the Garmin is little more than a satellite based speedometer that requires me to start and stop it when I start and stop, something the Cateye does automatically.

I know it's a tangent, but seriously, what's the point? I want speed, time and distance and don't really care about the rest.

This is what it looks like now. Ambivalent about the Garmin.



If you aren't using a powermeter or Strava (or something like it) there's really no reason to spend the money on a Garmin.

That said mine's great, I use it on all my bikes (trainer, track, road) with my powermeters and Strava.

[Likes2ridefar]

this tool makes installation a breeze:

http://www.parktool.com/product/cable-stretcher-bt-2

[oldpotatoe]

this tool makes installation a breeze:

http://www.parktool.com/product/cable-stretcher-bt-2

Or adjust front Der so that the cage touches the chain when in small ring, big cog, pull cable TIGHT, tighten bolt then turn inner barrel adjuster a wee bit counterclockwise...tightens cable. How Ya do it on Campagnolo.

[saab2000]

this tool makes installation a breeze:

http://www.parktool.com/product/cable-stretcher-bt-2

That's the "Fourth Hand Tool" I was mentioning. I really ought to buy one. I've used them when I wrenched in shops in a past life and they're really useful.

[PaMtbRider]

How many trim positions do you have with these front derailleurs when set up properly. I just installed a 6800 group on my wife's coupled travel bike. The way it is now it has a trim position on both chain rings. This doesn't seem correct.

[saab2000]

I have two for the small ring and two for the big ring but really I don't need one for the big ring. If I have it shifted all the way out it won't rub unless I'm in the big-big combo.

[dcama5]

Or adjust front Der so that the cage touches the chain when in small ring, big cog, pull cable TIGHT, tighten bolt then turn inner barrel adjuster a wee bit counterclockwise...tightens cable. How Ya do it on Campagnolo.

I've done it this way for years, but it didn't work with this long-arm derailleur. I tried that adding just a tad more tension about a half dozen times with no luck. Just as soon as I put an inline barrel adjuster in (as Saab2000 pointed out at the beginning of this thread) everything was perfect. I actually like the way this derailleur works now.

[Gummee]

I've done it this way for years, but it didn't work with this long-arm derailleur. I tried that adding just a tad more tension about a half dozen times with no luck. Just as soon as I put an inline barrel adjuster in (as Saab2000 pointed out at the beginning of this thread) everything was perfect. I actually like the way this derailleur works now.

That front derailleur and the resulting shifting is why I switched all 5 of my road-based bikes from SRAM (mostly Red) to Shimano.

M

[oldpotatoe]

That front derailleur and the resulting shifting is why I switched all 5 of my road-based bikes from SRAM (mostly Red) to Shimano.

M

Was it the greatness of the new shimano 11s FD or the not-so of the sram, particularly titanium flexy FD? Probably both but I have fixed more than a few sram FD issues with a shimano(6700) FD. Stiff CRs don't hurt either.

[bobswire]

Was it the greatness of the new shimano 11s FD or the not-so of the sram, particularly titanium flexy FD? Probably both but I have fixed more than a few sram FD issues with a shimano(6700) FD. Stiff CRs don't hurt either.

Reading all these comments pretty much supports my reasoning for staying with 10 speed, at least Shimano got this right > http://road.cc/content/news/147338-shimano-launch-shimano-tiagra-4700-groupset

[dcama5]

Reading all these comments pretty much supports my reasoning for staying with 10 speed, at least Shimano got this right > http://road.cc/content/news/147338-shimano-launch-shimano-tiagra-4700-groupset

Please don't base your opinion of Shimano on my (learning) experience with the 11 speed front derailleur. Now that I have it set up correctly, it works flawlessly. My wife has Campy 10 speed on her Serotta and Shimano 11 speed on her new bike. They both work very well. I have no complaints about either.

[oldpotatoe]

Please don't base your opinion of Shimano on my (learning) experience with the 11 speed front derailleur. Now that I have it set up correctly, it works flawlessly. My wife has Campy 10 speed on her Serotta and Shimano 11 speed on her new bike. They both work very well. I have no complaints about either.

And both work light years better than anything smarm. Their answer is 1by....there, I said it...so what...hey big Ed, are you listening????

2015 Campagnolo is 'very nice'.....

[bobswire]

Please don't base your opinion of Shimano on my (learning) experience with the 11 speed front derailleur. Now that I have it set up correctly, it works flawlessly. My wife has Campy 10 speed on her Serotta and Shimano 11 speed on her new bike. They both work very well. I have no complaints about either.

No worries,just a knee jerk reaction to that idiom,If it ain't broke.......:) Truth be told I'm pretty much set with wheelsets,cassettes and shifters to be going after 11 speed at this time.

[Gummee]

Was it the greatness of the new shimano 11s FD or the not-so of the sram, particularly titanium flexy FD? Probably both but I have fixed more than a few sram FD issues with a shimano(6700) FD. Stiff CRs don't hurt either.

I'd tried a SRAM front derailleur for a bit, realized how crappy the shifting was, pulled em all off and put D/A derailleurs on in their places.

Nope. I liked the way the new 6800 stuff felt that much more and put my $ where my wrenches were. Get em right and its smmooootttthhh

M

[Gummee]

No worries,just a knee jerk reaction to that idiom,If it ain't broke.......:) Truth be told I'm pretty much set with wheelsets,cassettes and shifters to be going after 11 speed at this time.

Aaah but it IS broken comparatively. Ya gotta try a properly set up front derailleur to see what I'm talking about.

M