The NXS kit includes several adapters for different rear derailleurs:
M5-0.8 – fits most Shimano
M6-0.75 – fits most SRAM
M6-1.0 – fits many Chinese derailleurs
MTB Insert – A threaded insert installed into derailleur that does not have an adjustment barrel
If you have a different size thread in your derailleur, please contact us and let us know the thread size so we can add this to our kit in the future.
Installing The MTB Insert
In the case of a rear derailleur with no adjusting barrel, you can use the MTB insert with the M5 adapter. This stainless steel insert is threated into the cable port of the rear derailleur.
Note: You should use great caution with this, so as not to damage the derailleur. If it feels too tight, don’t force it. Some cheap derailleurs are made from die cast aluminum, and it could break during installation. You should be fine with most high quality derailleurs from Shimano, SRAM, etc. Use some grease on the insert when installing it.
After the insert is inserted into the derailleur, you can connect the shifting motor using the M5 adapter and M5 locknut.
Here is the insert installed in a Shimano rear derailleur
The adapter, nut and lock nut installed on the derailleur
Installed and working great with a Shimano Deore rear mech - If I wanted to upgrade to another mech, is the insert re-usable, or will there be replacements available in the future? (It was quite stiff inserting it so would be worried it may not come out)
The insert is made from stainless steel, so probably can be re-used a couple times. It will definitely come out easier than it went in, because it was forming its own threads. And yes we will be offering replacement parts on our eStore soon.
Just a heads up that I had the same issue as the person who posted the installation video - I snapped the head off the insert. This was on a Shimano SLX 12sp derailleur and the insert had not yet bottomed out on the derailleur body when it broke. I was using grease and a good socket, not an open ended wrench.
While the head has broken, I was still able to thread the mounting bolt in and everything is working fine. I would need to use an ez-out or similar if I did want to go back to cables.
Thanks for the heads up. We will try to improve this for the upcoming builds. We had not broken one in our own testing, but perhaps some of the adapters are weaker. If you do need to remove it, a left hand screw extractor should work very well.
It’s really not ideal. Your kickstarter page should have been more specific about the need to essentially modify your derailleur if you don’t have threads (which many modern derailleurs don’t).
In this thread you say “you don’t need to wind it all the way in”, yet in the pictures above it is flush with the deraillur body - if i had known that before and I didn’t try wind it all the way in, it likely wouldn’t have broken.
Maybe if you’re winding it in to a derailleur body with softer aluminium it might be less likely o break but something like a higher end Shimano or Sram derailleur is pretty solid.
With the lead time and delays with this product there should have been time to produce a comprehensive instruction document for installation.
