How to Change a Front Derailleur

The front derailleur is the component attached to your bike's seat tube with the derailleur cage hovering just over the front chain rings. The derailleur is responsible for physically moving the chain from chain ring to chain ring, and is controlled by the bike's left shifter. You may need to change your front derailleur due to a crash, performance upgrade or regular wear and tear, but the process should take you under 20 minutes from start to finish.

Things You'll Need

  • Chain tool
  • Hex wrench
  • Phillips screwdriver
  • Cable ends
  • Pliers
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Instructions

  1. Remove the Old Front Derailleur

    • 1

      Use a chain tool to break your chain, by one of the chain's pins, free from the bushings. This will allow you to completely remove your old front derailleur from your bicycle.

    • 2

      Locate where the front derailleur cable connects to the derailleur mechanism and use a hex wrench to loosen the bolt and detach the cable. Your front derailleur will now be held on by its securing clamp and should be free of any other obstructions.

    • 3

      Use your hex wrench to loosen the clamp that holds your front derailleur onto your bicycle's frame, then remove the derailleur mechanism.

    Installing the New Derailleur

    • 4

      Place your new front derailleur in the same mounting position as the old one. Tighten the securing clamp just enough so that the derailleur holds securely in place but still has enough slack for minor tweaking of its position.

    • 5

      Move the derailleur to make sure that it has room to clear the biggest chain ring without touching it. Make adjustments as necessary by moving the securing clamp up on the bike's seat tube so that it can clear the big ring.

    • 6

      Pull the front derailleur cable so that it is taut, then place it in the retaining clip and tighten the bolt to secure the cable into place.

    • 7

      Locate the limit screws that sit on top of your front derailleur. These control how much the derailleur can move in either direction. Ensure that the derailleur has 2 mm of clearance between it and the largest chain ring. If it does not have the proper amount of clearance, use a Phillips screw driver to adjust the derailleur cage's location.

    • 8

      Place the chain back over the gear rings and use your chain tool to place the pin back into the broken link.

    • 9

      Place a cable end on the tip of your front derailleur cable and use a pair of pliers to crimp it securely into place.