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The SLX 12 speed alloy rear mech plates that form the jockey wheel arm are made from soft cheese. It took a whack in Patterdale and was well bent out of line.
I just bent it back with alarming ease. Almost like bending solder wire!
Anyone else noticed this?
it's the extreme heat that you guys are having in the UK. it's softening the metal. just wait a few weeks for the summer snows to arrive and all will be fine again.
Yes, I have...
Yes on the upper jockey wheel area - had to bend it back as the chain would bounce off the side of the jockey - fixed now
Yes I’ve seen a mate do this by hand too.
And he’s not exactly a gorilla or anything.
I’m just considering moving from GX 11 speed to XT 12 speed as I’ve read so much bad stuff about GX Eagle 12 speed.....I just wonder if 12 speed with the huge 51t cogs is a step too far for our current style of derailleurs?
Only considering swapping for some more range - I’d like an easier lowest gear but feel with 30f/10r I don’t want to compromise speed on certain road sections anymore (which is why I’m holding off getting a 28t chainring)
Drat, I've been planning to bin my GX eagle mech for a SLX job, I don't want to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire. XT any better?
A stick did this...
The incident was barely more than walking pace, and the mech hanger wasn't even slightly bent!
They aren't made of the sturdiest stuff, that's for sure...
Yes, on more than a couple of occasions. Would be interesting to know if xt is any better, looks like there's a better shape to it but can't tell much from pictures... Anyone has any experience with those?
Based on M6000/M7000 yes it's made of cheese but it does bend back easily. You can also just fit a XT cage if you really want. My kid has been running a M6000 for 2 years and he can wreck anything but it's still working, even if its been bent back a couple of times.
I don't know if XT is any better but I’ve had one SLX mech bend after an altercation with a big stick. I was able to bend it back into shape though and it is now a spare.
XT's been fine for me, replaced a 12 speed GX with it and not looked back, but the reality is any mech can deform if you hit it the wrong way, we do always think that it was a small bump or the likes, but i think sometimes we're not fully aware of how much force we put through them when we have those small offs or hits.
I had a clutch fail on a 12sp XT mech but it was still straight after 800 miles.
Mate bent his Xt up like a pretzel on a "twig"... at least you can buy replacements.
The incident was barely more than walking pace, and the mech hanger wasn’t even slightly bent!
The mech hanger is to protect the frame though, isn’t it?
I've got a GX Eagle mech with a big gouge on the mech body from clattering it off a rock, its still working fine.
Rear mechs bend, I don't think one make is inherently more prone to damage than another.
xt stronger than slx in my experience
I've just bought another Deore rear mech... nothing has happened to my first one... I just decided that the other bike deserved one as well... bomb proof perfection.
Could you reinforce the inner plate or double it up with another one with slightly longer jockey wheel bolts.
When you bend a Shimano 12 speed mech cage back, how do you know where it should end up? I haven't bent mine yet but they don't start straight...
Can buy spare inner and outer plates separately if needed quite cheap to.
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/gear-spares/shimano-slx-rdm7100-inner-plate-sgs-type-y3fy26000/