Re: Front derailleur issues

On 4/14/2025 10:15 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:

On 4/14/2025 9:11 PM, AMuzi wrote:

>
Most common roller noise is a dry sleeve. It's just a simple journal, often steel on steel, which will show a bright red dust if it's been run dry.
>
Better designs are steel on bronze or oilite bronze and some are ceramic sleeves.  All of them run better, quieter and longer with some oil on the sleeve.
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There are miniature cartridge bearing models which are seldom noisy and run a very long time with factory grease under the seals.
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Replacement is seldom necessary. Clean out the crud and oil it.

 After one muddy tour I had a squealing idler pulley. I took the ball bearing idler out of the ancient Huret Svelto derailleur in my parts box and used it as a substitute. IIRC, that's still working well on the bike.
 I do have some sealed bearing idlers in a drawer somewhere.
 

+1 to vintage ball bearing rollers.  The ones on my Svelto are still running fine with minimal occasional attention over many many years.
That said, they're rare now, haven't been made in 50 years.
--
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971