Shimano XT rear mech snapped

[The Bear]

Snapped my rear mech today. Looks like a link broke in the chain and dragged the rear mech around my cassette. Sounded horrible.

Looking at the spec of my Cube Reaction Race it says its fitted with a Shimano XT RD-M8000-DGS ShadowPlus 11 speed rear derailleur

Searching online for a replacement, there seem to be a few different types of XT M8000 mechs, some with long cage, some with medium cage, some say Deore....

Whats the best way of knowing which one I need, and which cage length for my 11-46T cassette? Is mine a long cage?

 

[TobyAnscombe]

From my experience it tends to only be road bikes with short cages and mountain bikes are medium to long. Ideally you want it as short as you can..

I have a hazy memory of the DGS part number being a medium length but I could be wrong. As you are running a 46T rear cassesst then I'd just plump for a long to cover all eventualities.

Long cage https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-xt-m8000-shadow-mtb-rear-mech-11-speed/rp-prod135893 would probably be a good replacement... other views are available !

 

[The Bear]

Thanks Toby.

Any idea if the fixing bracket is part of the mech, or is that a separate item?

 

[awol]

The snapped fixing bracket is separate and called a derailleur hanger and you need the correct hanger for your frame/bike.

 

[The Bear]

Thanks awol.

I’m wondering if it might be worth getting a new mech anyway incase it’s got twisted when being dragged around the cassette.
The bikes been used every day for last 2 years over 1,500 miles. I need a new chain & cassette so is it worth having a new mech at the same time?

 

[soundwave]

you might have also damaged the cassette teeth so check that as well as my top pulley wheel on my mech was ripped of some how and snapped the chain and it bent some teeth as well.

you can bend the mech back in to place but the hanger is meant to break so you might be ok.

id get the new hanger and chain and stick it all back together and see if there are any problems indexing the gears you will know straight away if anything is bent or not

 

[The Bear]

Struggling to find the hanger as a separate item when looking online. I’m assuming they are available as a separate item?

 

[soundwave]

there are 1000s of them but only one will fit the frame you have.

could be this but not 100% as half of it is missing just ask the seller if it is the right one.

Pardon our interruption...

 

[The Bear]

So I need one that’s specific to both my Cube Reaction Race frame, and my Shimano XT derailleur. They don’t make life easy do they

 

[soundwave]

yep there also different sizes for shot long cages ect the one for my bike cost 30 quid with postage

 

[The Bear]

Cripes! This is getting dearer by the minute.

Derailleur
Bracket
Cassette
Chain

 

[soundwave]

id get the hanger first and take it from there you might be ok ass the mech is still in one piece just check the thread on the mech where it attaches to the hanger is not damaged.

 

[GLJoe]

So I need one that’s specific to both my Cube Reaction Race frame, and my Shimano XT derailleur. They don’t make life easy do they

As far as I am aware, there is only one OEM hanger for each model of bike. You don't have to worry about different models for different derailleurs
(unless you need some custom setup and therefore need a custom hanger, but I can't see your bike having this)

 

[soundwave]

there are 2 for mine both look totally different but both do the same job as it was redesigned for the newer version right pita to find as well

 

[soundwave]

 

[The Bear]

Think I'll have to go to the LBS and ask them to source me the hanger. Once I have the part number I can then buy them elsewhere in the future.

 

[soundwave]

well it would help a bit if we a bit more of it to go on lol also where is the other half of it?

 

[The Bear]

well it would help a bit if we a bit more of it to go on lol also where is the other half of it?

I've just removed it from the derailleur to photograph it...

 

[soundwave]

is there a number on the other side ?

 

[soundwave]

Pardon our interruption...

see i found it 7 quid lbs would more like be 30 quid+it made my hdd hurt finding that its not easy so get fkn 3 lol