Derailleur Hanger Alignment Tool: The Most Important Bike Tool You Don't Have

6 років тому

Had an over the bars moment that has messed with your shifting? Spent countless frustrating hours trying to index your shifting but even when you follow the procedure, your shifting is still terrible? It could be the alignment of your rear derailleur hanger.
This simple piece of metal that attaches the rear derailleur to the bike frame can become bent. This will then set your jockey wheels out of alignment with the cassette sprockets. If this is the case the alignment can be adjusted and corrected using a Gear Hanger Alignment tool.
In all honesty, the average home mechanic probably wont have this tool in their personal arsenal of tools, but they should. Proper alignment is crucial to accurate, crisp shifting, and this can only be measured with one of these tools.
Even a newly fitted hanger can be out of alignment, so being able to measure and correct this is a vital skill for sorting mountain bike drivetrain frustrations. This video will show you how to use a derailleur hanger alignment tool to straighten a bent derailleur hanger.

КОМЕНТАРІ: 12

@tr1ckster 3 роки тому

You don't need to remove the mech, cable and chain - you can just undo the mech bolt and let it hang on the chain while you sort the alignment.

@wawanbalik 4 роки тому

Thanks a lot for this. About to order the to check my trainer bike that's plagued with shifting issues. Managed to fix some manually but might as well get the tool. Ride safe and stay safe!

@denethorpalantir2815 4 роки тому

I just had to tweak my road bike hanger that fell over on concrete. Contact points were the saddle and of course the derailleur. Shifting was of off and I had the Park tool primarily for mountain biking but in recent years I just ride road/gravel, but after a minor tweak bend and some minor cable adjusting the shifting is back to normal. Great tool to have.

@baddriversofcolga 6 років тому

I made my own for $15 using a square metal tube, a bolt, and some washers and nuts. Also of note you don't have to remove the chain in order to do this. Sure, there's less stuff to get in your way once you're doing your alignment, but I didn't have real issue doing it with the chain on and the derailleur hanging. Here's the video I watched on how to make the tool: ukposts.info/have/v-deo/q4eVg2qbpatimZs.html

@singletracks 6 років тому

Your right that uou dont need to drop the chain or even remove the gear cable. You will see a lot of shop wrenches just letting it hang to save time. For myself and for a video, removing the mech and chain keeps it clean and easier to see whats going on.

@RemiBusseuil 4 роки тому

I think alternative brand (ETbotu) make it for $40 so no real point faffing around with creating a tool

@besiko 3 роки тому

are shifting terrible because of bent hanger ? why bent ?

@madpanda4087 2 роки тому

Why on earth did you remove your chain the Derailleur and cable from the bike? You don’t need to!! Just unmount the derailleur from the hanger and let it hang down on the chain. Then you just bolted back onto the hanger when you have finished.

@indorock 4 роки тому

Isn't it far cheaper and less hassle to just buy a new hanger right away, instead of buying this tool and faffing about with it, only to find out you will need a new hanger all the same?

@chris1275cc 4 роки тому

Not really, the hangars that come on a lot of bikes are mass produced by casting or drop forging (not the most precise way of making things) and more often than not out of alignment from brand new. The CNC made ones are a lot better from new especially the thru-axle type. BUT they are a lot more expensive to buy. Then you may still have the issue that the drop out is slightly off so the perfectly straight hangar needs to be "bent" into alignment with the bike. Also as long as your hangar is not too bent you can bend it to alignment without weakening it.

@webchez69 3 роки тому

From a repairing point of view, if someone brings you a bicycle with shifting problems, you can quickly adjust the bike without having to order every hanger in the world. Great money maker and happy customer of having it repaired quickly.