Vitus 979 Rear derailleur dropout cracked - Any adice?

[tjordan]

Hi guys,

I bought a Vitus 979 and took it to my local bike shop to get it put together as it was shipped from Spain. However, the mechanic cracked the rear derailleur dropout as he was screwing it in and now i'm not too sure how best to proceed.

Does anyone know if the part is easily replaceable? Or do you think I should find a frame repairer who can have a go at fixing it?

Or alternatively I just convert it to a single speed...

What would you guys do? Any help / advice would be appreciated. I'm a bit of a novice so apologies if i've skipped out any details.

I've attached some pictures of the break. Cheers!

 

[greencat]

I guess I would be expecting the bike shop to fix it, or offer appropriate compensation. I suspect a frame builder would be able to fix it though.

One quick fix would be one of these:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/291654095133
although I'm not sure it'll work with near vertical drop outs like yours seem to be.

 

[tjordan]

Yeah I'm still waiting for a response from the shop about compensation...They tried to find an 8 speed derailleur with a mounting bracket as a fix, but couldn't find anything so I went to pick up the bike and talk to the owner about compensation but they weren't in that day. Bit of an awkward situation.

Thanks for the suggestion. Just seen this on the ebay link: "Your rear axle needs to be long enough to accommodate the thickness of the steel claw & axle fastening bolt when fitting.

Replacement axles are available on the market in the unlikely event your rear wheel axle isn't long enough"

Not sure what that means but it's a fiver so might just get it.

 

[greencat]

I would be ringing around some frame builders for quotes for repair - and use that as a starting basis for compensation.

 

[hamster]

There appear to be a lot of file marks on the dropout around the hanger. ALSO looking from the inside edge there appears to be a crack on the other side too, running from the inside. It seems to have been filed heavily. I also don't see how tightening a mech will cause a crack - stripped thread yes, crack no.

To be honest it looks to me like it's been bent in the past (crash?), then straightened which caused the cracking. Also look at the outside - there are odd marks which look like witness marks from a mole wrench on hanger part.

 

[Nob]

I’d get my money back & walk away as soon as I could....

 

[Blacktopdisciple]

Its very disappointing that this has happened. I don't think the steel mech hangers identified would work due to being designed for horizontal dropouts. This is an old bike with a non replaceable alloy dropout. It looks like it has been badly mauled by some tool or a vice. It has numerous other marks on it and possibly the start of cracks at the rear. The thread does not look like it is in the best of condition either. I see Hamster has also identified these issues.

If it was my bike in that condition I would not expect a bike shop mechanic to accept liability for the cracking whilst fitting a derailleur. I would accept the risk myself as part and parcel of the joys of owning vintage bicycles.

It could be converted to single speed or fixed provided you could find a way of tensioning the chain.