4000/5500/OzM front derailleur

[Colin]

Just stripped and rebuilt the 4000se over the last weekend replacing all of the drive train and took it out last night, sweet as a new bike again!

I used some polymer resin black polish left over from my old Celica GT4 on the carbon swing arm and forks and they came up a treat! (thread likely to start on how this will "damage" the CF.......... Yeh right, show me some evidence......)

Shame to have gotten it dirty though!

But to my real reason for posting.......ain't that front M750 derailleur a b1tch to get adjusted! It's bad enough getting the height right but then the top and bottom stop screws are completely inaccessible under the swing arm!

Anyone got any tips/work arounds?

I see the 2008 XT FD has got angled screw heads so at least this problem has been recognised and probably affects new bikes as well!
http://cycle.shimano-europe.com/catalog/cycle/products/component.jsp?JSESSIONID=HYgT3QLH1mMTk5lxLLwr8BHzG9qdq79CM2GKFsL2GTNQznzcwT2k!895077036&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441788084&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302053046&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181667&bmUID=1192796366044


Col.

[willem]

yes... Get rid of it!
With just the right size ring and a 9 speed in back, most of us "mortals" don't even need a front derailleur.

Just changed to SS front end on my XC 856 and new Trance. Added a bashguard that also works as a lightweight chain retainer on downhills. Suuuhweeeet.

I suppose if you're racing, or dramatically changing terrain during your rides, you might need another ring.

[Matno]

I've had good luck using a large nail with a head that fits into the slot on the screw head. Tedious, but you usually only need to adjust it once...

[jazclrint]

I put SRAM's new X.7 low mount on replacing the XT that never quite worked right.  I just went and looked at my 5500 and I remember it was a PITA to get to the set screws, the same as the shimano ones.  Unfortunately, that new FD isn't going to be any better.  If they had them forward that would work.

[RhinoDave]

I bought one these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B00012ZHQO/ref=dp_image_0/103-1849237-7053444?ie=UTF8&n=228013&s=hi

I ground the cross point side off.

[asylum_inc]

I used some needle nose pliers  The screw heads are a little chewed up and ugly but it works.  Good luck to you.

[Luke]

I had a creak down there the other day, off came the crank, checked it all out and put it back on.
Only thing is - I have the old square taper BB and the rings aren't in the same place.

That was about 4 months ago, I commute 3 times a week on it. It runs on the big ring, needs a bit of a tap with the heel to go onto the middle ring, and rubs horribly on the granny.

So I've stopped using the granny.

Yes it's a pain to set them up, and my little bit of fake seat tube seems mighty flexy, so even when set up at home, it didn't perform well on the trails.

If I find an XTR on fleabay I might get down there and fiddle a bit, but for the time being my legs are getting chunkier because of my laziness...

I've unbolted the shock before to move the swingarm up, just to adjust the bloody thing.

...

[shovelon]

, but for the time being my legs are getting chunkier because of my laziness...



...

Man, I wish I was that lazy! :-)

[IMO]

I use the back of a junior hacksaw blade. If you cross cut the head  so its a full cross, rather than half cross and a flat., Then you can slot the back of the blade in the top , and get 1/4 turn. Job done.

[iliv2k2]

I remove the shock and replace with a piece of wood or pvc to hold the swingarm in position.  Not the perfect solution, but it's worked mostly.