Re: Front derailleur issues

Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> writes:

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.
There are miniature cartridge bearing models which are seldom noisy
and run a very long time with factory grease under the seals.
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.

I have had one of the sealed bearing jobs fail suddenly in a walk home
sort of way.  It had been exposed to several seasons of road salt.

I prefer squealing to failing.
--