important: Nuts and bolts on your bike should always be tightened to the manufacturer's specifications.

How to Overhaul a Jockey Wheel

Removal, lubrication and installation of a standard jockey (pulley) wheel.

In this tutorial we’ll learn how to overhaul a standard jockey wheel (pulley wheel) on your rear derailleur. In a future tutorial we’ll cover the sealed cartridge bearing style found on higher end derailleurs.

Tools

For this job you’ll typically need a 2.5 or 3mm allen key. Some older models have a nutted bolt requiring a metric wrench. You’ll also need a rag and some waterproof grease.

Pulley Removal

First you’ll want to remove the chain from the front chainring to give it some slack. You don’t need to remove the rear derailleur or cable for this job, but I will for this video so we can see things a bit better.

It is important to note that the upper and lower pulley wheels are different, so they should be overhauled one at a time to avoid a mix-up. The upper wheel will often have a thicker profile.

Remove the jockey wheel’s bolt by unthreading the bolt counter-clockwise. Once the bolt is removed, the jockey wheel will slide out of the derailleur cage. There will be a cupped washer facing inward on either side. Remove these and then pull the bushing sleeve out from the center.

Cleaning

Now wipe all parts clean with a dry rag. You can use a little cleaning solvent if needed. Inspect the teeth on the jockey wheel. These ones are in good shape. If yours are broken or badly worn they will need replacing.

Lubrication & Installation

Before reinstalling, apply some grease to the bolt, bushing sleeve, and inside of the pulley wheel. Then slide the bushing back into the wheel and hold the cupped washers in place on either side while you place the wheel back into the derailleur cage. Then tighten the bolt to the specified torque: usually around 3 Newton Meters or 20 inch pounds.

Repeat the process as needed for the other jockey wheel. If for some reason both wheels are removed and the inner cage plate has come off, remember that the larger end of the cage plate always attaches to the lower pulley wheel.

Related Links

Recommended Tools

Categories

Discuss this topic in the Bicycle Repairs and Mechanics Forum

Hello, I've had my bike from teenage years in the garage with the wheels off for a few years now. Put it all together and instantly remembered why it was in storage. The handlebars either move without the wheel turning or the handlebars get REALLY hard to turn (with the wheel ofc). Its a matter of maybe a quarter turn on the top bolt from loose to tight, there's no inbetween. I think when I was y...

Read more

Patching a tire

Latest post 3 weeks ago

In the past I have had a lot of punctures. When they happened, I patched the tube, but the holes in the tire were so small, they did not need patching. After many more kilometers, rubber started coming away around two of the holes in the tire, exposing the chords. If I did not do anything, a rock could cut the chords, destroying the tire. I wanted to get more use out of the tire. I cut patches fr...

Read more

Hi, So I bought a used Schwinn Meridian sight unseen online auction for $59 & drove 8 hours round trip to get it. It appears to be brand new actually. When I got it home, the next day I checked out my score. When I sat on it and pressed on the pedals, they moved but the bike did not. I inspected the bike and realized that whoever put this trike together, forgot to put what appears to be ...

Read more

I had a previous incident with my bike, and the front brake got bent. Now when I try to use the front brake, it is very weak (when I ride the bike and fully depress the front brake, the bike does not stop quickly). I tried to fine-tune the disk brake caliper (I did it many times before), and it looks good and tight, but the front brake. What could be the reasons for this?...

Read more

Full Rebuild vs Service

Latest post 1 month ago

Hi, I've had my Giant Defy for two years now and have done about 4000 miles on it. I keep it clean and generally only ride in dry or damp conditions (never pouring rain). Apart from a potentially stretched shifter cable (won't go in highest gear despite adjusting barrel adjuster and limit screws) the bike rides fine. I keep on top of basic maintenance, cleaning, checking for chain wear etc... an...

Read more

Sloppy front deraullier

Latest post 1 month ago

Hi there how do i tell if my front deraullieur needs to be replaced on my hybrid it has a ton of play back and forth....

Read more

Hi, I got a cracked shimano DI2 front derailleur (see picture attached). I try soldering it but no luck (probably don't have the right solder). Any suggestions on how to fix that please? Thanks   20230206_170038.jpg (Size: 47.7 KB / Downloads: 35) ...

Read more

Hello, I’ve got an old set of square taper FSA tempo cranks (2x) that I want to swap from a single speed 120 OLD bike to a 1x10 135mm OLD one. Any tips on how to calculate the spindle width for correct chain line? I can’t find anything for that model on the manufacturers website, and i don’t think measuring the one on the single speed will work with the different chain line....

Read more

Help with headset preload

Latest post 2 months ago

First time adjusting a headset and I'd like to get it right. Brand new giant reign with a carbon frame, that I do not want to damage I finally have the preload set to where there is no play but I'm concerned that it is to tight... Stage 1- obvious play/clunk Stage 2- no clunk, but if I lock up the brake and push and pull hard, I can feel some very slight movement Stage 3 - no play or movemen...

Read more

8 Speed on 7 Speed Freehub Body

Latest post 2 months ago

Awhile back, I was able to hack a 7 speed freehub body and get an additional speed out of it by using a 9 speed cassette with the narrower spacing. Note that these older freehub bodies are 7 speed exclusive. They do not typically have the space to fit a larger cassette on them. To do this, I took a 9 Speed Dura Ace 11-23 cassette and I simply removed the final combination cog from the back, then...

Read more

How often do you wash your bike?

Latest post 2 months ago

Ciao. I know that some bike riders overexaggerate the 'cleaning part' and wash (or spray) their bikes at least once a week. I know, it's mandatory after a muddy trail ride. But I'm thinkging more about daily commuters. It gets dusty here and there, but how long is too long without a shower for a bike? For a bike that rides almost every day....

Read more

I made a video of what my bike is doing. Can someone please watch and help? https://youtu.be/NTu-831CuGM...

Read more

How to lubricate my bike's D-lock?

Latest post 2 months ago

Looking for advice. I have repeated problems with my D-lock sticking. I've used standard light bike oil which then leaks all over my hands when I handle the lock. I have some 3-in-one PTFE spray: would that be better?...

Read more

Hi everyone! I hope you're enjoying a great start to 2023. I'm curious to hear your go-to method for getting a chain truly clean. I don't mean, just looks shiny or is good enough for a quick clean after a ride. I want to know what you do when you want to get every last morsel of ground-up, link-destroying, roller-eating, tooth-gnashing crud out of your chain. The Best Chain-Cleaning Recipe Ever?...

Read more

Obviously, this doesn't speak for them all, but they certainly might fit! And not even just barely (as suggested by some sources), but with a lot of room to play with. This is another GT Tempest frame that I recently purchased. It's originally a 26" alloy touring bike. As you can see, there's lots of head room, and plenty of clearance to increase the tire size up to probably 38c—maybe even 40c....

Read more