Front shifter fails after replacing crankset - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

07-11-2004, 08:05 AM

Hi,

I've just upgraded my crankset and bottom bracket. And now I can't change
gears on the front derailleur. I've tried moving and adjusting the front
derailleur.

I think the problem may have 2 causes:

1) I have an old, worn, 8-speed chain. The crankset is 9-speed. The
8-speed&9-speed combo shouldn't be a problem but I suspect the old chain
might be too worn to work. My worry is that although people did tell me
that shifting performance would be 'poor', they didn't say the performance
would be non-existent. Since upgrading, it's actually impossible to
controllably change gear, even if I push the derailleur way out. It's
possible to change from the large to the middle but impossible to go from
middle to large.

2) Before buying the BB and crankset, I read that the crankset needs the
longest available BB axel, so I got 121mm BB. But perhaps this is a little
too long, resulting in the front chainwheels being pushed too far away from
the frame?

My new BB is the Shimano LX Splined ES51 and the Crankset is the LX Splined
9sp M571 170mm 22.32.44

I've taken some photos to illustrate my problem:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Thanks in advance for your help,
Jack