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Hi folks,
I've just refreshed the drivetrain on my old Banshee Spitfire using a few parts that I've had floating around for a while - 11-speed XTR shifter, XT (M8000) long-cage rear derailleur, XT 11-speed 11-46T (HG freehub) and a KMC-clone chain. Chainring is an AbsoluteBlack 28T on XT cranks.
I've got the shifting dialled in, including under load, but it's super-noisy (clattery), particularly in the lower gears (larger cogs). I have not been able to tune it out, no matter what I do. It is tolerable but not pleasant. Chainline is on 7th gear.
Any thoughts?
The chain is my best guess, assuming you’ve checked the hanger is straight and you’ve got it going through the jockey wheels correctly and not rubbing on the metal tab thing.
It's possible that the chain is "catching" slightly on the chainring and not coming off cleanly. Is it worse under load? Try a different chain if you have one maybe..?
Threaded the chain on the rear mech correctly?* So its not going over the small metal bar between the jockey wheels?
*Yeah, I know, we've all done it at some point...
Threaded the chain on the rear mech correctly?*
*looks sheepishly at feet* pfft, what sort of idiot would miss that…
Miss-matched wear?
Sometimes when I've mix and matched old and new, I've had grumbling from the drivetrain which turned out to be the chain starting to ride up on the chainring and cassette teeth and then slipping back into place, which creates a grumbling feel through the pedals and sounds noisy/creaky
*looks sheepishly at feet* pfft, what sort of idiot would miss that…
same sort of idiot that would feed the derailleur cable in the wrong side of the mech…. *whistles random tune while looking skyward, also sheepishly. 🙄
what sort of idiot would miss that…
Many types . . .
You've got enough clearance between the upper jockey wheel & cassette ?
Threaded the chain on the rear mech correctly?
Yes, definitely the right side of the tab - I've made that mistake before!
You’ve got enough clearance between the upper jockey wheel & cassette ?
Yes - and adjusting the b-tension made no difference to the noise.
Miss-matched wear?
All unused parts.
At the moment my best guess is that it's the chain. It does still make noise under load, although it seems much better after its first fettling ride.
Thanks all for the ideas...!
I’d say it’s probably the chain assuming the chain line is ok and all the other parts are new. Likely where it’s meshing over the NW ring. It might quieten down over 3 or 4 rides.
I never use cheapie chains anymore - 1 of my bikes has an XX1 gold chain and 2 have gold KMC X12 / X11 NiTi chains. The XX1 chain is the quietest.
got he same thing on my brand new drivetrain (except derailleur) deore 11/51, 30 tooth chain ring, and xt level chain (cant remember the exact model) wasiest 2 gears sound horrible and have noticible friction
i put it down to the chain angle at the larger sprockets, which is amplified by the short chainstay length (425mm) considering respacing my bb/crank/chainring if i have the tyre clearance to see how it works