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: Ztto 8-Speed 11-46...  

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