Upgrade GX derailleur or swap to XT ?

Zimmerframe

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Jun 12, 2019
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Or SLX shifter if you are in tight budget. It cost about 35-40€
Found the SLX for 30 and the XT ispec II for 30 aswell. Though I need an i-spec b so it will mount on the Zee's ... which is 40 :)

Wasn't really sure how the SLX and XT worked compared to each other and found this which is interesting :

 

inwoods

Active member
Jul 31, 2018
116
108
Poulton-Le-Fylde.
Snapped my Sram derailleur the other day, had a spare Shimano XT M8000 in the shed but cant get it to index with the Sram shifter, I'm not sure if the hangers bent or they just don't work together, I'm gonna put a Shimano shifter on today and Ill report back.

Oh thats on a Levo comp 2020.
 

inwoods

Active member
Jul 31, 2018
116
108
Poulton-Le-Fylde.
Snapped my Sram derailleur the other day, had a spare Shimano XT M8000 in the shed but cant get it to index with the Sram shifter, I'm not sure if the hangers bent or they just don't work together, I'm gonna put a Shimano shifter on today and Ill report back.

Oh thats on a Levo comp 2020.

Update, swapped the shifter to a Shimano and perfect shifting, so my hangers ok and can confirm the Sram S700 shifter and Shimano 11 speed mech will NOT work.
 

Mcharza

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Aug 10, 2018
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Found the SLX for 30 and the XT ispec II for 30 aswell. Though I need an i-spec b so it will mount on the Zee's ... which is 40 :)

Wasn't really sure how the SLX and XT worked compared to each other and found this which is interesting :

From where you found at that price, it's cheep
 

Zimmerframe

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From where you found at that price, it's cheep
SLX : €30


XT : Ispec II €30


XT : Ispec B €40

 

Zimmerframe

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Quick update ..

XT 11 speed arrived and new chains.... you can't have too many chains ...

Quickly swapped over (didn't have much time) .. had to pull a bit more gear cable through to get a nice loop into the XT rather than the shorter length which goes in straight to go round the GX wheel.

For some reason when I was trying to index I kept getting slackening cable ?! checked both ends at the start so who knows .. So it wouldn't index.

On the third go it seemed to settle down and was pretty sweet, so walked away.

Just had another quick go and it seems to be changing nicely through the whole range, it was quite sensitive to b-screw position/cassette spacing .. need to ride it though to know for sure.
 

Zimmerframe

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And another update from a test ride (s) ..

Discovery 1 : my rear cassette is shot .. well, 10 and 11 are worn to hell and jump with the new chain in Turbo going full gonzo uphill.

Discovery 2 : With the old chain it still works nicely ... so I need a new cassette and probably chainring .. crap .. Oh well, I knew they were well past their best.

Discover 3 : Yes the XT derailleur works perfectly well with the SRAM shifter on an 11 speed setup, though maybe takes a bit more tinkering to get it exactly indexed at the start, though as mentioned, most of that was installer incompetence from magical cable stretch ..

Discovery 4 : I'd never realised XT clutches were adjustable .. what a fool ! :) So backed it off a little as it felt crazy tight !
 

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
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You might have got it "working" but SRAM 11spd shifter pull ratio is 2.48, while shimano 11spd mtb is 2.6.
This means your shifter pulls the inner cable is 1.3mm less over the whole cassette. That's actually quite a lot. so you're top jockey wheel won't be lined up where it's designed to be, shifts won't be ideal and load also isn't as designed (sprocket and jockey wheel) Especially when you're using motor assistance.
Shimano top jockeys do have float, but that's not why it's there.

Buy a shimano 11 speed shifter. (SLX is cheap and a little nicer in use than GX IMO)
 

Zimmerframe

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You might have got it "working" but SRAM 11spd shifter pull ratio is 2.48, while shimano 11spd mtb is 2.6.
This means your shifter pulls the inner cable is 1.3mm less over the whole cassette. That's actually quite a lot. so you're top jockey wheel won't be lined up where it's designed to be, shifts won't be ideal and load also isn't as designed (sprocket and jockey wheel) Especially when you're using motor assistance.
Shimano top jockeys do have float, but that's not why it's there.

Buy a shimano 11 speed shifter. (SLX is cheap and a little nicer in use than GX IMO)
It's just spend spend spend with you. ?

Yup, I know about the alignment difference. And yes, sadly you're correct, I should just buy an xt shifter as it's the same price as an slx. So when I order my cassette.. I will. Just brought a new lid.. when the oh sees my bike bills she's going to just say.. oh look Gary's made it so I can buy another ?..
 

Philpug

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Jun 14, 2020
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Reno NV USA
I actually was set to do this when we ordered our C-Dale Habit 2 Neo. We much prefered Shimano shifting to Sram, I also like being able to use my pointer for downshifting. Problem was availability this summer. XT 8100 rear derailleurs were on back order and XT shifters were also tough to come by. I saw a video that showed that Shimano shifters can work with the GX rear and ordered up an XTR shifter, but a comedy of errors,they shipped XTR front shifters. I ened up staying with the GX and quite frankly, it has been fine. My wife might still switch hers over, not sure.
 

High Rock Ruti

Active member
May 13, 2019
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Massachusetts
Presently running an SRAM GX 11 speed on the Kenevo.

It was awful at the start but it either settled in or I got used to it and it actually doesn't shift too badly now - part of the initial problem was something to do with the cable, which a horse fixed by picking the bike up with the gear cable - much better afterwards.

Unfortunately, now the jockey wheels have so much play in them it's amazing it even changes gear.

So, I either swap them out to hope ones and at the same time do the bike yoke cable wheel change at the same time to hopefully end up with nice GX shifting for life (well a few weeks) :


Or swap to an XT GS 11 speed ... ?!?

The XT GS 11 speed derailleur is actually cheaper than buying the pieces for the GX .... :unsure:

Does anyone know if the SRAM shifter will work with the XT GS or do you need to swap out to a XT SL-M8000 at the same time ?

High Rock Ruti

Zimmer how goes it. I break derailleur's so often I went from XT to GX it shifts just as well for me. On my Turbo Levo's running EX1 (POS) the derailleur was very sensitive to hanger alignment, but no so sensitive that by sighting it and bending by hand it would shift well for a while. I Bushwack so often that I suck up sticks jambing the derailleur and tearing both the hanger and the derailleur off. However I've now sent 4 derailleur's directly to shimano and so far they have always sent new one's back two XT 's one GX and 1 Di2, just send them in with no note (no lying required)takes a few weeks to return, I buy a new one so I always have a spare, just replaced hanger and derailleur today on the new Orbea wild fs team.

Warm Regards

Ruti
 

Zimmerframe

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High Rock Ruti

Zimmer how goes it. I break derailleur's so often I went from XT to GX it shifts just as well for me. On my Turbo Levo's running EX1 (POS) the derailleur was very sensitive to hanger alignment, but no so sensitive that by sighting it and bending by hand it would shift well for a while. I Bushwack so often that I suck up sticks jambing the derailleur and tearing both the hanger and the derailleur off. However I've now sent 4 derailleur's directly to shimano and so far they have always sent new one's back two XT 's one GX and 1 Di2, just send them in with no note (no lying required)takes a few weeks to return, I buy a new one so I always have a spare, just replaced hanger and derailleur today on the new Orbea wild fs team.

Warm Regards

Ruti

Low Sponge Muddy

I've read your derailleur saga's before ! :) I had lots of GX (sram) issues at the start but it's been good lately. The Jockeys are shagged though and it was cheaper to switch to XT than buy new Jockeys (well, until Gary told me I needed to buy a new Shifter and then probably more compatible handlebar and then maybe a more appropriate bike to go with the handlebar and a different house to have a different garage to hold the new bike).

I do collect a lot of sticks though. I feel a bit like a stick magnet .. I might have to try your send it back method if (when) I trash the XT tomorrow......

Zim
 

DrStupid

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Jul 10, 2019
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High Rock Ruti

Zimmer how goes it. I break derailleur's so often I went from XT to GX it shifts just as well for me. On my Turbo Levo's running EX1 (POS) the derailleur was very sensitive to hanger alignment, but no so sensitive that by sighting it and bending by hand it would shift well for a while. I Bushwack so often that I suck up sticks jambing the derailleur and tearing both the hanger and the derailleur off. However I've now sent 4 derailleur's directly to shimano and so far they have always sent new one's back two XT 's one GX and 1 Di2, just send them in with no note (no lying required)takes a few weeks to return, I buy a new one so I always have a spare, just replaced hanger and derailleur today on the new Orbea wild fs team.

Warm Regards

Ruti
This is awesome news about replacement derailleur from OEM. I'm going to give it a try.

Bushwacking is fun and good.
 

High Rock Ruti

Active member
May 13, 2019
419
329
Massachusetts
Low Sponge Muddy

I've read your derailleur saga's before ! :) I had lots of GX (sram) issues at the start but it's been good lately. The Jockeys are shagged though and it was cheaper to switch to XT than buy new Jockeys (well, until Gary told me I needed to buy a new Shifter and then probably more compatible handlebar and then maybe a more appropriate bike to go with the handlebar and a different house to have a different garage to hold the new bike).

I do collect a lot of sticks though. I feel a bit like a stick magnet .. I might have to try your send it back method if (when) I trash the XT tomorrow......

Zim

High Rock Ruti

I specifically look for Shimano because there so good, one other proviso. Two shops said "trail damage", but my friend insisted giving witness, "I haven't paid for pedals or derailleur's in 8 years!". He's more overbearing than I am, wait is possible to be "more" overbearing? Shimano is warrantied for 3 years, a derailleur that lasts three years?, that's preposterous!
 

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