How to Install a Shimano Altus Rear Derailleur (7 & 8 Speed Bikes)

If your bike is skipping gears, clicking, clattering, or shifting poorly, this step-by-step tutorial will show you how to install and adjust a Shimano Altus rear derailleur so your bike shifts smoothly again. In this video I demonstrate the complete installation process using a 2012 Trek 820 mountain bike, including derailleur mounting, chain routing, cable setup, limit screw adjustment, barrel adjuster indexing, and a quick trick to check if your derailleur hanger might be bent. The Shimano Altus rear derailleur is a reliable replacement for many 7-speed and 8-speed bikes, making it a great upgrade for older mountain bikes, hybrid bikes, and commuter bikes. If you've never installed or adjusted a rear derailleur before, this guide walks you through everything you need to know to get smooth shifting at home without going to a bike shop. Topics covered include: • Installing a Shimano Altus rear derailleur • Setting high and low limit screws • Correct chain routing through derailleur jockey wheels • Cable tension and pre-stretching • Barrel adjuster indexing for smooth shifting • Troubleshooting bad shifting and bent derailleur hangers If your bike sounds like a little freight train when shifting, this repair will help get it running quietly again. Timestamps 0:00 Fix clicking, skipping gears and poor shifting 0:17 Shimano Altus derailleur overview (7-speed & 8-speed compatibility) 0:31 Removing the old derailleur and prepping the install 1:04 Proper derailleur mounting and barrel adjuster setup 1:27 Chain routing through derailleur jockey wheels 2:06 Cable install, pre-stretch, and tension adjustment 2:44 Barrel adjuster indexing for smooth shifting 3:20 Low limit screw adjustment and full gear test 3:46 Quick derailleur hanger alignment hack #bikerepair, #rearderailleur, #shimanoaltus, #mountainbike, #bikemaintenance, #cycling, #trek820 ************************************************************************* I only recommend items I actually OWN and use. The links above may provide a small advertising commission at no added cost to you.