Was “inspecting” my bike to the best of my knowledge and noticed this. I’m pretty sure this is my front derailleur, and I noticed it’s at a weird angle. One screw is also loose. If anyone could explain this or point me in the right direction I would really appreciate it.
by drkshape
3 Comments
Angle is for easier access to these limit screws. You only have to touch these if the chain comes off when shifting to any of both extremes.
The two black philips head screws are your limit screws. They set the range of motion of the derailleur. H screw stops the derailleur from shifting past the big ring, L screw stops it from moving past the small ring. As the other commenter said, they only need to be adjusted if the chain is over or undershifting in either direction, i.e. failing to shift in to small or large (undershifting) or shifting past the ring and dropping the chain (overshifting).
The angle you’re seeing is normal and as designed. Some derailleurs have their adjustment screws pointing straight up, some are pointing straight out to the side. Just how this one was designed. If the cage (silver part) is parallel with the chainrings and has about 2-3mm clearance above the teeth on the big ring your derailleur position is good.
If you gently shift the derailleur while watching the movement of the derailleur you should be able to see how these screws work. If you’re brave and want to learn, loosen your cable anchor bolt and adjust the L screw in either direction to see what happens. Now watch Parktool videos until you can get it back to correct adjustment!
It’s good that you asked the question.
Everytime someone new to bike maintenance comes into our co-op and says “I just bought this used bike, what should I do for inspection?” I give them the proper tools, lube and torque wrench. Then tell them to make sure all fasteners are properly tightened. The one question I sometimes forget to ask… “Do you know what limit screws are for?”