Front derailleur setup - Campy

[eippo1]

So I will fully admit that I'm not the best mechanic in the world, but I really suck when it comes to setting up recent year front derailleurs. I can get them lined up correctly, the limits all done up, but I can't for the life of me get them tensioned correctly.

Anyone have any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?

The limits are fine and I have no issues when shifting the derailleur by pulling the cable, but I get bubkiss when I try to shift with the actual lever. Just a bunch of stubborn clicks. These are brand new cables and I just moved the Campagnolo group over from one bike to another where it was working fine.

[jtakeda]

A I just set up the s2 11 speed derailleur. Not sure if this is the front der you’re speaking of.

Make sure the front shifter is in the lowest click. I found I messed that up a couple times. Then it’s just as normal, tug the cable and cinch the bolt.

[jkbrwn]

If all else is set up correctly, sounds like a lack of cable tension to me? Do you have barrel adjusters/inline adjusters you can use to bring up the tension?

[vespasianus]

Originally Posted by eippo1

So I will fully admit that I'm not the best mechanic in the world, but I really suck when it comes to setting up recent year front derailleurs. I can get them lined up correctly, the limits all done up, but I can't for the life of me get them tensioned correctly.

Anyone have any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?

The limits are fine and I have no issues when shifting the derailleur by pulling the cable, but I get bubkiss when I try to shift with the actual lever. Just a bunch of stubborn clicks. These are brand new cables and I just moved the Campagnolo group over from one bike to another where it was working fine.

Is the FD not moving at all? Are you sure there is nothing crimping the cable (I ask I did this).

If not, make sure you are in the lowest gear and the in-line barrel adjuster is cranked all the way in. Route the cable through and pull the cable tight - may need to use a pair of pliers to hold the cable in - and tighten. Subsequently use the barrel adjuster to tighten enough to get the FD to shift up.

[eippo1]

Originally Posted by vespasianus

Is the FD not moving at all? Are you sure there is nothing crimping the cable (I ask I did this).

If not, make sure you are in the lowest gear and the in-line barrel adjuster is cranked all the way in. Route the cable through and pull the cable tight - may need to use a pair of pliers to hold the cable in - and tighten. Subsequently use the barrel adjuster to tighten enough to get the FD to shift up.

I'll have to check this, but see nothing visible besides the California cross, but had my last bike cabled this way and the RD works fine with this setup. The thing that baffles me is that all seemed fine in limit setup since I do that by pulling directly on the cable. Maybe I just have to really really crank the cable before attaching it to the FD>

[donevwil]

Prior to fastening the cable set the inner limit screw so the inner cage slightly rubs the chain on the small ring, route the cable, pull it snug with pliers and fasten. Back out the limit screw to set the desired cage position, this will tension the cable. It may take a couple attempts to get it perfect.

[Mark McM]

Brand new cables/housings may need to some tension on the cable to fully seat. As the cables/housing settle in, the cable can loose tension (resulting in those 'ghost' clicks at the start of lever movement. After initially installing the cable, you might want to grab the free end and give it a good, firm tug, to help everything to bed in. (If the bare cable runs externally, then after initially clamping it in the derailleur you can also grab the cable under the down tube and pull it away from the frame to generate tension to help bed the housings. If you do this, make sure the shifter is in the 'small chainring' position, and that front derailleur can swing freely without jamming the chain.)

[Hindmost]

Originally Posted by donevwil

Prior to fastening the cable set the inner limit screw so the inner cage slightly rubs the chain on the small ring, route the cable, pull it snug with pliers and fasten. Back out the limit screw to set the desired cage position, this will tension the cable. It may take a couple attempts to get it perfect.

This is what you want to do. Avoids having to add an inline adjuster.

[homagesilkhope]

Mis-threaded cable? Make sure the cable is passing through the eyelet in the cable spool and the cable barrel anchored there.

[chismog]

Tiny tab on the arm, at the back of the pinch bolt? The cable goes over this tab before it gets to the pinch bolt. Poor swing if cable is routed under the tab.

[corky]

Have you installed the cable correctly ? Is the nipple in the cradle correctly.?

You can determine this by undoing the cable clamp on the front derailleur, holding the end of the cable and keeping tension on it, operate the shifter, does the cable move when you shift?.....answer no, then the cable is not installed in the shifter correctly. Which is my guess.

Ie. What homage said.....sorry didn’t see this until I’d posted.

[djdj]

Getting bubkiss suggests that the shifter cable may not be run correctly through the shifter. You should be getting more than bubkiss even if the tension is not 100% correct. The Campagnolo website has an excellent video on setting up 2015+ group sets, which I highly recommend.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by eippo1

So I will fully admit that I'm not the best mechanic in the world, but I really suck when it comes to setting up recent year front derailleurs. I can get them lined up correctly, the limits all done up, but I can't for the life of me get them tensioned correctly.

Anyone have any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?

The limits are fine and I have no issues when shifting the derailleur by pulling the cable, but I get bubkiss when I try to shift with the actual lever. Just a bunch of stubborn clicks. These are brand new cables and I just moved the Campagnolo group over from one bike to another where it was working fine.

11s? Cable actually in the take up spool hole in the lever?? Sometimes hard to get in there and then up thru the hole. Best with lever off.

Ahh, see it's been mentioned above.

[vespasianus]

Originally Posted by djdj

Getting bubkiss suggests that the shifter cable may not be run correctly through the shifter. You should be getting more than bubkiss even if the tension is not 100% correct. The Campagnolo website has an excellent video on setting up 2015+ group sets, which I highly recommend.

Yeah, but that video does not show installing a cable. It does a good job setting up the derailleurs.

If the FD does not move at all, the cable is not installed correctly. If it moves but not enough, there is not enough cable tension.

I would also back out the limit screws fully to make sure you did not make a mistake there and somehow are limiting movement.

[jad3675]

I've found the steps outlined in this weightweenies post spot on:

https://weightweenies.starbike.com/f...c.php?t=159147

John