Adjusting a SRAM Mechanical Shifting System

You don't need a workshop to adjust the gears. You can usually fix chain rattling and gear jumps that don’t work smoothly yourself. In our tutorial you can find out how to get your rear derailleur working properly again.

• Hex wrench, 3 mm
• Ruler or SRAM Chaingap Tool (compatible with the rear derailleur)
• Workstand (optional)

This tutorial explains how to adjust mechanical SRAM Gravel and MTB rear derailleurs. The images show a different rear derailleur model and are for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to the manufacturer's manual.
For mechanical SRAM Transmission rear derailleurs, only step 4 applies. For more details, please refer to the corresponding manual.

• H-screw (outer end stop adjustment)
• L-shaped screw (inner end stop adjustment)
• B-screw (chain wrap adjustment)
• Tension adjustment screw

• Shift to the smallest sprocket at the rear.
• If the chain does not fall onto the smallest sprocket, reduce the tension. To do this, turn the tension adjustment screw clockwise by hand.
• Turn the H-screw in or out to adjust the rear derailleur cage to the left or right. The upper pulley wheel should be positioned vertically under the smallest sprocket.

• Shift to the largest sprocket at the rear.
• If the chain does not climb onto the largest sprocket, increase the tension. To do this, turn the tension adjustment screw anti-clockwise by hand.
• Turn the L-screw in or out to adjust the rear derailleur cage to the left or right. The upper pulley wheel should be positioned vertically under the largest sprocket.

• Shift to the second-largest sprocket (12-speed cassette) or the largest sprocket (7- to 11-speed cassette) at the rear.
• Look at the gap between the upper pulley wheel and the largest sprocket from the rear (disc brake side), and measure it with a ruler (starting from the outer edges of the large teeth). By turning the B screw in or out, you can increase or decrease the gap.
• The spacing should be 13 mm for 12-speed Gravel cassettes. For MTB, the sizes are 3 mm (1x12), 14 mm (1x11, 1x7), or 22 mm (1x8).

 

Note: SRAM recommends using a Chaingap Tool compatible with your rear derailleur to adjust the chain wrap. The procedure is described in the respective manual (Gravel or MTB).

• Shift through the gears from top to bottom and test whether the chain runs smoothly in all gears.
• Otherwise, reduce the tension by turning the tension adjustment screw clockwise.
• Finally, check again to make sure the rear derailleur shifts smoothly from low to high gears and, if necessary, increase the cable tension (turn the cable adjustment screw counterclockwise).

Your rear derailleur should now shift smoothly and run silently. If it cannot be adjusted in this way, there may be various reasons such as a bent derailleur hanger or jammed gear cables. In such cases, the service workshop in your Rose store will be happy to help you.