How to replace your old jockey wheel. Which pulley goes where?

If your old jockey wheels are worn or broken they will make an unpleasant noise and may affect gear shifting. In the worst case scenario they can even damage your derailleur. How to replace old jockey wheel? The task may look difficult but fear not as we will guide you through this process step by step.
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00:00 - Start
00:07 - Support our channel on Patreon
00:15 - Welcome
00:30 - Are all the jockey wheels this same?
00:42 - Finding which Shimano jockey wheel is top and which is bottom
01:07 - Finding which Sram jockey wheel is top and which is bottom
01:25 - Tools required for jockey wheels replacement
01:56 - Preparation
02:42 - Replacing bottom pulley
03:38 - Replacing top jockey wheel
04:48 - Final words

[@WheelersAtLarge]

Thank You

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

He
y, you're most welcome. If you have any bike-related questions or need further guidance, feel free to get in touch.🙂

[@acckids]

Thanks

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

You're welcome.🙂 Let me know if there's anything else you would like to see on my channel.

[@SayWhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat]

i was about to write that you dont need to rmeove chain..when i saw comment about it already exists :D To remove wheel people have to buy tools and so on... so people instantly will pay money and get it done in service :D

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hi Tom, thanks for the comment. To a certain point, you're right. Many maintenance tasks can be performed in different ways. Just like you don't have to remove the wheel to repair a puncture, although most people would. In our channel, we show people how they can perform a repair in a methodical way so they can master it before trying more trickier techniques. Let me know if this makes sense?

[@hugoni66]

I've bought BBB jockey wheels, and they say A and B - not "up" and "down" or "guide" and "tension" or whatever.
So which one is up in the top? A or B?

[@Harmonyww]

My bike runs SRAM Apex 1 and both jockey wheels have U on one side and L on the other

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hey, thanks for your comment. That's interesting. I've been in touch with the Sram tech centre and they said that you can use them as both top and bottom pulleys as long as they are the same size and have no directional orientation. You need to make sure that the letter L (if you are fitting it as a lower jockey wheel) or U (if you are fitting it as a top jockey wheel) is facing outward so that you can actually see the letter u on the bottom jockey wheel and the letter l on the top jockey wheel when looking at the derailleur from the front. I hope this clarifies things for you. If you have any further questions or need more information, feel free to ask. 🙂

[@warpampee]

Can I replace the stock pulley of RD 4700 GS with 12T 14T pulley?

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hey, thanks for your question. The best way is to check the compatibility on si.shimano website. Generally, this should be possible but you might need to adjust the chain length to accommodate the new pulley wheels. A longer chain may be required for larger pulleys. I hope this is helpful and let me know how you got on🙂

[@davidnash8724]

SRAM has directional jockey wheels. Nothing in the video tells which direction the upper and lower should be installed. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hey, the fit the Sram jockey wheels in the correct direction you need to make sure that the letter L (if you are fitting it as a lower jockey wheel) or U (if you are fitting it as a top jockey wheel) is facing outward so that you can actually see the letter u on the bottom jockey wheel and the letter l on the top jockey wheel when looking at the derailleur from the front. I hope this clarifies things for you. If you have any further questions or need more information, feel free to ask. 🙂

[@davidnash8724]

Thank you so much! Could not get a definitive answer on Sram site! @@cyclemaintenanceacademy

[@dw1444]

there is no need to remove the chain

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hi, thanks for the comment. Great that you can do this without removing the chain🙂. What is so different about our channel is that we do not show here how we can do things but rather how the viewer (who is often new to cycle maintenance) can tacle the task with less chances to make a mistake and potentailly fail. I hope this makes sense🙂