4th Gear regularly slips into a higher gear

[gpretorius]

I have a new Rohloff (~500km).  I have noticed that it has a tendency to slip into a higher gear when changing into 4th gear (both when changing up or down).  Is this just a run-in issue or should I look into it more?

[JimK]

I think the hub is designed to failsafe by jumping into 14 whenever it gets lost in a shift.

If you let off the torque and click solidly into 4, does the hub switch quickly into 4? Or does it stay stuck in 14?

My hub will always switch quickly to the correct gear if I am clicked solidly into it and have no torque on the pedals.

[wheezy]

I get the majority of my mis-shifts in the middle of the upper and lower ranges rather than the expected 7-8-7 shifts. It's always due to being being over-hasty or clumsy with the change, and it always drops to the correct gear once I back off. I rarely know what gear I'm in, so I can't specify exactly where it occurs.

It seems to me these gearboxes are idiosyncratic by nature, but once you get to know your particular hub, any concerns you may have quickly evaporate.

[NZPeterG]

Check Q/R ?
I had may 4th or 5th gear play up on my Old Rohloff and it was that I did not have my axle nut's tightened to the right torque!
 

[Beave]

I would recommend you look into it more. Besides the known 7-8-7 shift issue, anything else is abnormal and should be fixed, especially if still under warranty. Rohloff hubs aren't cheap and you deserve a perfectly functional unit!

If I had to guess, I would wager that your hub is shifting into gear 11 (the high-range version of gear 4)temporarily during your intended shift to 4th, from either 3rd or 5th. I'd put money on an internal spacing issue or faulty shifting shaft.

From my understanding, Rohloff's shift into 14th during the 7-8-7 shift, because gear 14 is gear 7, minus the final reduction. It is the shift from low to high range (or vise versa), in addition to a gear change, that demands attention, otherwise the Hi/Lo coupling is under pressure and cannot release or engage, which turns gear 7 into gear 14 until the pressure is released. As mentioned earlier, in my opinion, any other odd behavior is unacceptable. 

[Beave]

Also, to play off "NZ Peter", you should check the tightness of the QR (or threaded axle). Too little or more importantly too much can cause problems.

Most likely, this is probably one of the very few hubs that develops an issue early in it's life, say the first few hundred miles. It is something that supposedly cannot be detected post-manufacturing, but only shows up after the hub has been broken in a bit. I think Rohloff actually recommends that you rack up some miles prior to an important tour or event, just to be sure your hub is in fact working as intended. Once you reach that milestone, you are usually OK for the remainder of the hubs useful life. Kind of like surviving your crazy, rebelious teenage years....

I've also heard that people have been able to fix similar problems on the road, by banging the axle as outlined in the Rohloff manual. Clearances are pretty tight inside, so sometimes this is just the ticket to get the main bearings to set correctly into their seats. Worth a shot.