Derailleur Capacity: What Fits 11-46T Cassette?

What size of derailleur to fit the 11-46T cassette?
The larger the range of gears you have, the larger the cage you'll need.
Before selecting a derailleur, you must first determine your drivetrain capacity.
The drivetrain capacity is the maximum amount of slack chain the rear derailleur cage can handle.
To determine the drivetrain capacity, you need to calculate the difference between the largest and smallest front and rear gears and then adding those numbers together.
The front only has one chainring and it has 32 teeth. (So there’s no difference on the front gear)
For the cassette, the largest and smallest sprockets have 46 and 11 teeth respectively. (So 46 - 11, the difference is 35)
[32 - 32] + [46 - 11] = 35
The drivetrain capacity is 35.
According to the parameters from Shimano and SRAM, a long cage derailleur is likely needed for this setup.
The cage of the derailleurs varies in length from one to the other and they have different pulley sizes.
Derailleurs in testing:
Shimano Alivio M410
Shimano STX MC31
SRAM SX-4
Shimano Deore XT M761
The cage of the Shimano Alivio measures 80mm and the pulley size is 50mm.
The cage of the Shimano STX measures 85mm and the pulley size is 38mm.
The cage of the SRAM SX-4 measures 95mm and the pulley size is 40mm.
The cage of the Shimano Deore XT measures 100mm and the pulley size is 40mm.
Which derailleur would fit best with the 11-46T cassette? Starting from the smallest to the biggest, let’s check that out by putting them on one by one and find out which one has more clearance between the cassette and derailleur.
A hanger extension has to be installed.
The Shimano Alivio doesn’t work well, the cage is too close to the cassette and the chain is rubbing it.
The Shimano STX works fine with some adjustments.
The SRAM SX-4 provides very good clearance.
The Shimano Deore XT also has good clearance, but not as much as the SRAM SX-4 has.
So in conclusion, to fit the 11-46T cassette, you’ll need to install the hanger extension and a long cage derailleur with at least 85mm in length (centre to centre).
Other related video:
Uphill Resistance: Ztto 8-Speed 11-46T Cassette • Uphill Resistance: Ztt...
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#derailleur #drivetrain #capacity
Danyo Sports Channel Episode 120
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[@cgfootman]

Great video. The best I've found on this subject so far 👍

[@RichElReparador]

Great video!, love the explanation (and the editing as well!), thanks for sharing

[@BrianRPaterson]

Excellent. Exactly what I was looking for! I have an old Dura Ace rear derailleur and 11-32 cassette, and a 30T chainring, with a nice and simple bar- end shifter. But, I need better gears to save my knees on the steeper climbs. Im hoping I can just add a hanger extender an swap out the cassette. Otherwise I'll have to get a new derailleur, cassette, and might as well get a new shifter to run it. in which case, it'd make better sense to switch to an 11 speed Deore set up. I'll measure my cage and, hopefully it'll be 85mm or longer. Thanks very much for the detailed video. Cheers Live long and keep pedalling!

[@andrewgardner7104]

Thanks mate that’s just what I wanted to know. You have earned a sub.

[@augustobriones4316]

Nice video and well explained, thank you !😊💪✌️👌😎

[@marcelo4741]

Excellent!

[@ManiacInTheShed]

Good video 👍

[@chadkline4268]

I have the AdventX 11-48t. 36t chainring. That will climb any hill, but you can't pedal down steep hills. Instead of skipping 4t between cogs, i wish they skipped 5t. I'd rather have more range than closer gears. 44t chainring with 11-56t cassette would've been better. I hope MicroShift offers an alternative cassette with 500% range.

[@TheBassman396]

Thanks very useful info

[@GiubertDiLapi]

hi mate! hope you are doing great. I have exactly the same Deore XT derailleur, I want to know based on your experience if is possible to put a 10 speed cassette 11-42 or you only can put a 9 speed cassette there? also I want to know if reducing the cassette teeth, can I upgrade to a 34 o 36 tooth in the front? Thanks for this video, hope you answer me to make my changes!

[@nitibonginglisero4228]

a long hanger would suffice maybe for short cages. and 32t front crank.

[@osmankhalid2005]

What should be the chain length in this case as this chain seems to be short

[@kangmi26]

Would you mind test cheap chinese RD ? for example sensah or ltwoo

[@n_ex___]

i have 11-46 but i want to have bigger drive train what do i do? do i need to change my spracket?

[@fabioeSeBe]

Hi genius, I have a question. My crown is 42t and I'm trying to fit this cassette 11-46t the question is Would it work with an equal derailleur long box or is the 42t too much?

[@focuspocus7126]

Hello, I have a question about the last derailleur you tested, the shimano deore xt, is it possible to fit it on a 11-50 cassette with the amount of clearance it has?

[@DanyoSports]

Hi, yes, it should fit: Wide Range Drivetrain: 9-Speed 11-50T Cassette kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIm0i2WdgNxql6s

[@juketreks2192]

Would love to see a video showing the installation of a rear derailleur, and how to connect the shifter to the derailleur. Lots of videos show how to adjust the derailleur but haven’t seen a good one that shows how to initially install the components and connect the cable with correct position of derailleur from the 10t to the 46t. Without that, adjusting the rear derailleur is like replacing the toilet seat when the toilet doesn’t flush. It won’t work. Thanks.

[@samteks125]

Installation instructions come with the components. You'll probably find them on the manufacturer's websites (Shimano, SRAM etc.) if you bought your components second-hand. Otherwise, I'd recommend visiting your local library to get a book covering bicycle mechanics' basics.

[@juketreks2192]

@@samteks125 thanks, but like I said, I would love to see a Video.

[@ervingangan2782]

your chain is too short

[@hardtailad5618]

Agree. The cage must be almost horizontal on the 11t cog.