XTR M9000 gearing noise

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HaakonJohansen
Posts: 284
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2014 4:58 pm

by HaakonJohansen

Hi there good folks. I've made a thread (Chain too long?where I mentioned this noise before, but this thread will specifically ask about this "problem".

I'm running an 1x11 setup with XTR M9000 derailleur and shifter, SRAM XG1195 cassette (X01) and KMC X11SL chain. The problem is that when I'm shifting to a lighter gear (larger cog) the chain makes a noise like it wants to shift back to the smaller cog. It works perfectly fine though (it doesn't jump down), and shifting is quick both up and down, but the nise remains. If I change to a smaller cog, the noise never shows up. And just recently I've noticed that if I'm switching to a larger cog, the noise disappears if i push the lever a little bit longer than I need to. This also changes the "resting position" of the derailleur (if you understand what I mean), so that the noise disappears without me having to hold the lever in this position. Hard to explain, but it's like I can change a gear an a half, without the derailleur moving back to the position it would have if I'd only change one gear.

Anyone experiencing the same problem? Is it just the way it's made? Or might I have a defective gear shifter or derailleur (probably less likely)? Hope anyone might be able to give me some info/tips.

afalts
Posts: 157
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2012 3:20 pm

by afalts

What type of cable and housing are you using? No kinks or tight bends to the cable and/or housing?

Also check the tension of your clutch and that it is within spec - they can hesitate to shift into larger cogs, or feel very stiff at the shift lever, even when new from the factory. If you have ridden a lot, clutch system may need a service/cleaning.

Finally, I've had nothing but bad luck with KMC X11 chains. 10's and 9's were money, but nothing but noisy drivetrains and broken chains with the 11's.

by Weenie


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bikewithnoname
Posts: 1734
Joined: Tue Sep 22, 2009 1:29 pm
Location: Paris

by bikewithnoname

Sounds like you may need to make a couple of turns on the barrel adjuster of your rd, the indexing sounds like it might be a little out.
Alternatively might your cable routing be kinked or pinched, this might be causing the cable to snag or pull during shifting
Third thing to check is is your rd hanger straight if you have one or has the rd taken a hit?
"We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities." Oscar Wilde

HaakonJohansen
Posts: 284
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2014 4:58 pm

by HaakonJohansen

All the things you've mentioned above is checked. New cables, everything is really smooth, except the noise, and the fact that the rear derailleur actually can move a little from the "original resting position". I've cleaned the clutch system, but it might maybe be too tight? Cant really see how this would affect the sound though, as the problem lies in the small play in movement sideways. I've sent Shimano an email to hear if they have anything to say.

The chain might be noisy compared to Shimano/SRAM ones (haven't tried those), but like I've said, there is actually some play in the way the derailleur rests, so I don't think that's the main issue. Unless the Shimano/SRAM chains doesn't make noise even if there is some play, of course.

CGT
Posts: 342
Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 5:33 pm
Location: Stockholm, Sweden

by CGT

Sounds as if you have some friction in the cable system, especially when you say that you can push the lever a bit further and that gets it sorted. Which inner cable and housing are you running? Have you routed them too tight?

HaakonJohansen
Posts: 284
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2014 4:58 pm

by HaakonJohansen

I was thinking about it maybe being friction problems, but it does seem a bit strange. Just swapped to Alligator I-links Mini. What do you mean by too tight btw? I might try to get some more liner in there, to see of that sorts things out.

afalts
Posts: 157
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2012 3:20 pm

by afalts

If your clutch is too tight, it can severely resist shifting into a higher gear, and you overshifting would help it get into the right place where it would be if there was no clutch resistance. You can easily check tension in the clutch system as per the dealer manual on pages 20 & 21 here: http://si.shimano.com/php/download.php? ... 08-ENG.pdf

I like to run mine on the lower range of the recommendation, but I also use a chainguide with my 1x system so I don't have to worry about drops.

Alternatively, you can see if the noise goes away if you turn the clutch to the 'off' position.

Otherwise, cable friction is still my best guess. I-links are ok (personally never been overly happy with their performance) but shimano SP41 and polymer coated cables are the best when it comes to lowest friction - definitely lack the bling and weight factor though

CGT
Posts: 342
Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 5:33 pm
Location: Stockholm, Sweden

by CGT

Like afalts says, finding out if the clutch is the problem is easy, just turn it off and see if the problem persists.

stoney
Posts: 474
Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 11:26 am

by stoney

I had the exact same noise with my XTR 9000 rear derailleur and SRAM X01 cassette when in the 42 gear. It went away after the first two weeks of riding. This was with a Shimano 11speed chain. My next chain will be a SRAM 11 speed chain...I suspect it will play nicer with the X01 cassette. Other than that noise for the first week or so, this set-up has been bomb proof....love it!

simonguilliard
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2017 11:38 pm

by simonguilliard

HaakonJohansen wrote:Hi there good folks. I've made a thread (Chain too long?where I mentioned this noise before, but this thread will specifically ask about this "problem".

I'm running an 1x11 setup with XTR M9000 derailleur and shifter, SRAM XG1195 cassette (X01) and KMC X11SL chain. The problem is that when I'm shifting to a lighter gear (larger cog) the chain makes a noise like it wants to shift back to the smaller cog. It works perfectly fine though (it doesn't jump down), and shifting is quick both up and down, but the nise remains. If I change to a smaller cog, the noise never shows up. And just recently I've noticed that if I'm switching to a larger cog, the noise disappears if i push the lever a little bit longer than I need to. This also changes the "resting position" of the derailleur (if you understand what I mean), so that the noise disappears without me having to hold the lever in this position. Hard to explain, but it's like I can change a gear an a half, without the derailleur moving back to the position it would have if I'd only change one gear.

Anyone experiencing the same problem? Is it just the way it's made? Or might I have a defective gear shifter or derailleur (probably less likely)? Hope anyone might be able to give me some info/tips.


I have the exact same drivetrain with the exact same problem (although I’ve just changed the cassette to XG1199 as everywhere seemed to be out of stock of the XG1195). Having suffered the problem for quite some time, I’m beginning to think that the problem is with the indexing of the shifter (changing up vs changing down) as I’ve noticed that pushing slightly in the trigger lever (without actually initiating a gear change, so only slight) will get rid of the noise. Barrel adjustment, and adjusting the indexing screws no the derailleur don’t make any difference.

I’m not sure if this is exactly the same for you, but it might help (I’m going to try another/new shifter)

planB
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2011 5:34 pm

by planB

I run XTR 9000 shifter/derailleur with a SRAM GX 10-42 cassette. At first I was using an XT 11s chain and I could never get the shifting quite right. It would hesitate while shifting one direction, I would solve it with the barrel adjuster, then the shifting would hesitate the other way... It would make similar noises to what you're describing. Shifting was okay, but not perfect (like I was hoping for).

I then installed an entry level SRAM chain and it solved everything. This was something I'd read about online, but I was surprised it made such a difference. I also found this set up to be particularly sensitive to chain length -- a little bit too long and shifting hesitated in the higher cogs.

by Weenie


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