Acera vs Altrus

[Sidewinder Jerry]

Well I've gotten the Sidewinder on the road. I'm quickly discovering the Shimano Tourney M300 rear derailleur is a piece of crap. A large portion of it is plastic. It just doesn't want to hold gears very well when under a moderate load. I've tried tighting the jockey pully arm spring but because one side of the spring is in a plastic hole the spring pops out when you try to set it.

So this is for shift kit builders what's your opinions on the following rear derailleurs:

Shimano Acera M360

Shimano Altrus M310

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

Should also add the freewheel is a 7 speed 34-13.

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

Well went to pay my rent yesterday. As I was leaving the post office with a money order the Shimano Tourney M300 rear derailleur came apart. Jockey pulley arm came lose from the derailleur body. Had to push the bike three blocks to my landlord's office.

I was allowed to leave my bike in her office. After paying the rent I had to walk a mile to get home. The weather is calling for rain all day here. Tomorrow I'll take some old chain and Kiwk links to do a single sprocket wrap to get the bike home.

I've got a Shimano Acera M60 ordered since it'll work with the Shimano Revo twist shifter. Eventually, after mark20 suggestion and research into the Sram X5; I feel that's what I'll go with soon, though I'll have to order a shifter for the X5.

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

If in the future I go to the Sram X5 rear derailleur an 8 speed Sram X4 shifter be the best one to use.

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

After some more research the Sram X4 rear derailleur actually looks like a better option than the Sram X5. The difference between the two is the X4 is made of steel and metal alloy; the X5 is made of steel and aluminum. The reason aluminum was used in the X5 was to reduce weight.

We MB'ers don't care about an few grams of weight reduction; we want strength. So since I've already ordered it I'll put the Acera M360 on a pedal only bike. Sadly the plastic part that failed on the Tourney is plastic on the Acera M360 as well.

So I'm thinking I should just go ahead and order a Sram X4 rear derailleur and a 7 speed Sram X3 shifter.

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

Went and got the bike from my landlord's office today took some old chain with me. Did a single wrap around a sprocket and chainring made it home doing 5 mph. Better than pushing lol. The Shimano Tourney M300 was destroyed. My Shimano HG71 chain had several twisted links. Didn't appear to be any damaged cogs or chainrings. So shift kit builders if your rear derailleur has a lot of plastic in it be ready for problems.

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

I initially thought the Shimano Tourney M300 rear derailleur came apart from inside of the plastic knuckle that holds the jockey pulley cage axle. However, it was the axle that came lose from the cage.

Got the Sram X4 rear derailleur and Sram X3 trigger shifter in today. You can immediately tell the X4 is way stronger that the Tourney M300.

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

As my good fortune would have it, I was going under 5 mph when it happened.