Bent aluminum hanger. Help please!

[bikeworkshop]

Thanks for the advice. The Campag one looks solid... but why would you put the idea of a 'retro toolkit" in my head??! Retrobikes are financially draining enough!!

A campag aligning tool, bought second-hand, will almost certainly prove a sound investment for your latter years both mechanically and financially
(This is what I tell myself anyway)

 

[Tricky1977]

if your going to do it yourself then just buy the right tool (or make one, mine's home made).
it threads in to the hanger, you reference of the wheel (I use the valve stem), spin the rim and tool to the other side of your plane and adjust, spin back and do it again. do this at top bottom front and back then a few times at other angles to be sure.

that's it, done, no eyeballing, no nearly right, no heavy work.
or pay the 10 to 15 quid that your local bike shop will charge to do it. (sorry, you are in london, make that 100 to 115 quid )

cheapest on shamazon

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Derailleur-Alignment-Mountain-Bicycle-Calibration/dp/B08HQK1T18/ref=sr_1_17?crid=I8Y8W8LMQRV6&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.14NvLtAiOO_Pa06FqxxicmPysZx_UTXbLCpopRfG2m1X0GDyCEKtVidQaJFOmO7zNnpDwk7xC-5V37sc4HPOPkVnrYfiNPT3QtRxKxWYiJnTYXSWQvDyHFuzXj5xw6gf7NI4mYAywTRzNbCdP_MauRzYT-zPf7CRO2bcFwL5z1ysdT9raWtINq4Y3vESaen0LkIOMPNNhiiKZiAB_b1Hq1V5md64XQR4LKC_Vztw0gI6215hCEXygRM-35c3LHxxT-f1O6qfw7KmY9pAllM8XUaZb3hwOcbQ1xOtedc4xbk.ri90WKea7IaqCR7mjxbhr_qwsIUdaMhbAZlvG1PHims&dib_tag=se&keywords=derailleur%2Bhanger%2Balignment%2Btool&qid=1715844982&sprefix=derailleur%2Bhan%2Caps%2C246&sr=8-17&th=1

I’ve been researching these and the red one has mixed reviews.
There is a park tool clone for £40 with better reviews but it’s your money

Amazon.co.uk

amzn.eu

 

[novocaine]

I’ve been researching these and the red one has mixed reviews.
There is a park tool clone for £40 with better reviews but it’s your money

Amazon.co.uk

amzn.eu

it gets bad reviews because people try to use it to do the bending instead of just using it to gauge.

the park tool ones are better, they can be used to do the bending.

also, red one was the first I found.

my home made one could be used to beat burglars with, it's a 1" thick walled steel box section and it's 3 foot long because I couldn't be arsed to cut it down.

 

[Spanky22b]

I'm not sure what the adjustable wrenches method is, but I've used a different method which while typing, enhanced. Maybe I read it somewhere, maybe my brain does work?

So, my previous method is using a threaded hub axle. It fits the threads of the hanger. Thread it through and you have the ability to adjust on infinite plains using it as a lever. This has worked for me just by eye, but my enhancement is to add a flat washer or plate and bolt against each side of the hanger. The flat plates will give you an indicator of where the hanger is bent. You can then align using the axle as a lever, in very small increments, adjusting the bolts and plate as you go until straight. Or perhaps even tighten the bolts up, so that the plates align the hanger?

The hanger doesn't look too far out, and you'll not need to put a lot of force through it to align. Keep the wheel in place to keep the frame aligned and you should be golden.

I seen a similar method used by RJ THE BIKE GUY on his youtube channel, he used the wheel with no tyre on, screwed it in from the non drive side of the wheel make sure it's screwed tight. The wheel will show how far out it is aligned to wheel fitted fitted on the bike (take the tyre off that wheel aswell) Bend accordingly and take measurements from North, South, East and West rim to rim until the measurements are equal.
I've tried it on a steel mech hanger and it worked well.

 

[d8mok]

I’ve got a X tools one which is similair to the Park one. It’s fixed many many bent hangers on frames. For £30 its a no brainer to get one.

 

[focomat 1c]

So, my previous method is using a threaded hub axle. It fits the threads of the hanger. Thread it through and you have the ability to adjust on infinite plains using it as a lever. This has worked for me just by eye, but my enhancement is to add a flat washer or plate and bolt against each side of the hanger. The flat plates will give you an indicator of where the hanger is bent. You can then align using the axle as a lever, in very small increments, adjusting the bolts and plate as you go until straight. Or perhaps even tighten the bolts up, so that the plates align the hanger?

I have used a slight variation to this idea as follows : Fit a spare axle in the place of the existing wheel using heavy duty washers and nuts on both sides of the dropouts , making sure that the OLN measurement is the same as the wheel . Fit another axle into the gear hanger again using heavy duty washers and nuts * on both sides of the hanger BUT this time the gear hanger axle ends up inboard of the mech position and in theory exactly parallel to the dummy axle . It is easy to see if the axles are out of parallel and to correct any problems using the gear hanger axle as a lever .

* The gear hanger is not very wide and the axles fit in the hanger is ' improved ' by using nuts on both sides , this also helps when using the axle as a lever

The adjustable spanner front and rear mech adjustment technique is best described in ' Richards Bicycle Book ' by Richard Ballantine
who also gives some interesting advice regarding ' dealing with dogs ' , which is a whole different topic !