[Closed] I need a mech hanger alignment tool ......

I got the Park one - it's a sturdy bit of kit but I only got it because various discounts meant it more or less matched the price of the Lifeline etc ones and I'm sure they do the job just as well.

They're a doddle to use, you just need the right combination of bravery, force and sensitivity when making the adjustments.

I've got the lifeline one, and it's absolutely fine. There's a little bit of flex (it's basically just a metal bar, after all...), but you can just allow for that - it's not really an exact science, anyway...

I use a bit of angle and some bolts. Works fine.

You can use an old cup & cone rear axle screwed in from behind too.

Park Tools one is good. Worth the extra? No idea! What you need is somebody who has both!

I've got the Park one. It's good. There are a lot of ways of doing without, but it's easier with. Depends how much it's worth to you.

Worth the extra? No idea! What you need is somebody who has both!

Yep.

Either way I would highly recommend you go for it. It is one of those odd things I never really thought about before I bought it, but it has massively enriched my life (well, my mtb life anyway!)..

Park Tools one here. Worth every single penny.

Ok thanks I’m sold on getting one I expect I will use it a few times a month just to keep on top of it, I’ve had so many issues with shifting and eventually after trying everything I take it the shop and they say the hanger is slightly out

So it is a sound investment thanks for the replies sounds like both will work fine and park one is a little better or at least quality wise as you’d expect

I have no issue whacking at it as I’ve got spare hangers it’s just figuring out how to use the thing scares me more in terms of lining it up etc

There are some cheap Chinese ones on eBay/amazon. I have the ztto cylindrical one. It’s ok but I wish I’d spent more on something less fiddly

Yeh I’ve read about that one being a bit hit and miss prefer just spend once and get it right for the park one or lifeline one

Can't comment on Park Tool version, but my cheapo lifeline one sorted out the shifting on an 11 speed upgrade here.

You can use an old cup & cone rear axle screwed in from behind too.

Are we just leaving the obvious inuendo hanging?

I bought the Lifeline one and thought there was too much 'slack' in it.
Still worked ok but rather than send it back I took it apart and fitted a shim.
A bit annoying that they didn't make a better job on a critical part of the device.
Should have just made my own,it would have been awesome 😉

oldest son bought a park tool one, very sturdy, easy to use. He sorted out his cheesey frame, then re-sold the tool, IIRC in total he was only £4 out of pocket at the end

I bought the park copy off ebay, it is the same as the park one but around £20 cheaper, having used both the park one isnt worth the extra£
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Professional-Bicycle-Derailleur-Hanger-Alignment-Gauge-for-MTB-Road-Bike-Cycling/402557995240?hash=item5dba5388e8:g:xacAAOSw7TNfse5w

One argument for buying Park is that it will always be worth something if you want to sell it, whilst the others won't be.

Have a go at making one yourself first, nothing to lose. See RJ The Bike Guy’s vid DIY derailleur hanger adjustment tool

CRC have the Lifeline one for £36 at the mo. It's worked well for me.

@fasthaggis
Full Member
I bought the Lifeline one and thought there was too much ‘slack’ in it.
Still worked ok but rather than send it back I took it apart and fitted a shim.
A bit annoying that they didn’t make a better job on a critical part of the device.
Should have just made my own,it would have been awesome

I've got the same one, yep, works fine but definitely a little bit fiddly due to the play.

What did you do exactly to make the shim?

^^Made the shim from a bit of Fever Tree tonic tin,other tonics are available 🙂

^^Made the shim from a bit of Fever Tree tonic tin,other tonics are available 🙂

@fasthaggis

Interesting approach to sorting out the play. How did you remove the grub screw that holds in the axle / screw part? On mine it is jammed in solid and I don't want to put too much pressure on it in case I round it off and / or break the tool.

devash
At first (without taking it apart) I pushed some shim in from the hanger end and it helped take up a lot of the slack.
The grub screw was solid/fixed,I think they lock in a set position when it's built,but me being me I drilled it out,took things apart,re-reamed the main holder,fitted longer shim and a new grubscrew. 🙂

^^^^^^^ Awesome, will have a fiddle with mine next time I'm in the garage.

Close the door first 😉

Oh, and make sure the nose of the new screw is close to the same shape as the cut out in the main shaft.
You will also want to fix the new grub screw in position ,I used a bit of thread tape and a second grub screw to lock them up.

I am sure the Park tool has all this detail covered already ,but I like doing this kinda stuff and it has been loaned out to my bike club mates a lot since. 🙂

Sounds beyond my capability so will just take the slack up when measuring. 😂

I've got the Lifeline and it does indeed have a lot of play. I regret not spending a bit more on the Park.

Cheers @fasthaggis, I'll try your initial approach but I won't be going "full haggis" and drilling out the grub screw or anything.

I think that would end badly if I try it.😂

It's not hard to negate the play while using the lifeline one. Just very lightly pull on the end of the arm while checking each position just enough to take up the slack without bending anything and that is accurate enough.

They’re a doddle to use

My Lifeline one really isn't, in my opinion. You have to continually adjust the pointer bar thingy and it's sort of slow and annoying. Aligning threaded bar in the derailleur mount with one through the axle would be better, IMO. Are there any off-the-shelf tools that do that?

EDIT this is what the Wolf Tooth one does, but it's not cheap.

Has anyone tried the Wolftooth alignment tool?
https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/products/pack-hanger-alignment-tool

I bought one of those ztto ones off Ebay, works fine with a slight change, replaced the grub screws with slightly longer M4 socket cap bolts, minimal play imo and the head with the thru rod no longer rotates once you swap the grub for a bolt and nip it up.

Never seen the Wolftooth one before. Looks quite a good idea!

Bit of a thread resurrection, the Shimano 105 10-speed has started to be too fussy on my Cross Check even with new cables and a few goes at adjusting the gears.

Most places seem to be out of stock for non-super expensive alignment tools, bad timing as Park have now released an alloy DAG-3 as a replacement to the cheaper steel older model.

Worth a punt on a Chinese eBay Park DAG-2.2 copy or using Bicycle Hero (ships Taiwan/US), open to other suggestions? Haven’t got a decent local bike shop anymore and the less local good ones are super busy.

https://www.bicyclehero.com/gb/parktool-dag-2-derailleur-hanger-alignment-gauge.html

https://ebay.us/Dyb20b

Hmm, that ebay copy is £17.50 if you live in China. After my GF faceplantd last she bent in her rear mech. I gave it two bends by hand and it appears to be shifting correctly, but I guess this is worthy investment to make sure, and going forwards.

I'll buy it and try and remember to post back how it functions, play,etc.

Hmm, that ebay copy is £17.50 if you live in China.

Moving to China is an expensive way to save £20... 🙃

I have the Lifeline one and it's a faff to use. I align with the valve at 12 o'clock and spin the wheel so it's at 3/6/9 o'clock to check there. The alignment prong has to be pulled out of the way to clear the chain/seat/mudguard stays so mark it with a felt tip pen to reposition before continuing each time... Unless I've missed something obvious...

I have the Lifeline one and I put a small rubber ring on the measurement rod (on the non wheel side) so I can move the rod out the way to get round the wheel and yet still know the right length. All my friends comment on how perfectly my bikes shift 😂
It’s great, see no need to replace with more spendy Park tools one (which I have with other tools)

One of those tools never considered until had a very obviously bent hanger following bike falling over....used a few times since when shifting not indexing and been surprised and then happy at outcomes...Park tool because was available no experience of anything else.

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Now I know where the factory is they come from. Alway a giggle when I read these places. And people think Wetwang is hilarious.

Edit: even the Halo sweatbands come from a similarly named city, with the same first 4 letters as the tool.

@mrdestructo - That is progressing faster than I expected! Will be interesting to hear your feedback on one of them.

Agree with the other poster, persuading my wife to move country for cheaper optimised shifting would be a hard sell… 😂

@kimura54321

Okay, finally got it this evening. The delivery was a tad delayed likely because, I guess, they were drawing straws at the depot who had to delivery right next to covid ground central (we have a few cases in the next block unfortunately)

Read the instructions and watched a Parktools video whilst doing it.

My thoughts:

1) Tyre and tube off, preferably chain if you can to avoid any stress on the mech hangar threads when you take things off and on.
2) True your rim before you start.
3) Be very careful threading the tool into the mech hangar threads. I had three attempts. The first two started to produce shiny thread peeling off. But then the rear mech itself was a bit "stuck".
4) Your rear mech may be damaged. Bear this in mind, and take into account later. I think this bike's rear mech is a bit floppy, and I did give the lower cage a twist because, in the end, it wasn't shifting to the last three gears properly (10speed Sensah RX rear mech)
5) The tool has some play. It's not the end of the world. The play feels is at the end where it goes into the mech hangar,

In practise:

1) Thread on, rotate bar to point to front of bike, tighten grub screw so it holds but doesnt restrict movement.
2) adjust bar so it is just outside the rim, just far enough in that it reaches where the rim would be.
3) Swing the tool around 90 and 180degs, understanding the bit to gauge the rim is loose. It's a two handed job. Let it slide loose because you have to slide it out, then slide it back down to the right diameter from axle to rim.
4) Swing it round a few times, mind blown, wondering why it's in front of the rim at one place, and behind the rim at another (that may be anecdotal!)
5) At the point it's far out, grab the tool near the hangar with one hand, and your other hand is the leverage.
6) Bend gently, a bit at a time, checking the distance each time. Bend at different points around the circle, one at a time, if you want (if you're panicking wondering how you are going to make a difference of 23mm when the Parktools video playing in the background is saying "you want less than 3mm"!!!)
7) Eventually, if your mech hangar hasn't snapped, and the threads haven't blown out, the tool measuring bar is now roughly the same distance at the three points you've been acting on. Waheey!
8) Carefully remove tool, and replace rear mech (and chain, tyre and tube if you've removed them.)
9) Stick bike on stand and setup the gearing. (Maybe, like me, you'd tweaked the mech after the bike was crashed, just to get home, so things are a bit squiffy, and you can examine the rear mech for any crash damage now - I had to bend the lower cage by hand using mark 1 eyeball hoping not to bend the mech hangar and have to start all over again.)

Anyhow, wonderful experience. Would recommend it again. We might ride tomorrow before it gets too hot (likely realfeel of 41c at the highest and some sort of government weather warning about high ozone levels??) and after we squeeze through all the temporary fencing to stream visitors through the security gate and make sure no one from the next block gets in and turns us into zombies.

Value? It's not about money. It's about good shifting. We all crash bikes. We've all had bikes that we can't seem to setup the gears even with fresh cables and shifters. Bent mech hangars were possibly the cause. This tool can help you test, bend back, and get your shifting good again. I might buy a bendy truing stand next after faffing with post-it notes and sat awkwardly over an upside down bike truing this wheel up before using the mech alignment tool. They're only £14.30 after all.

@mrdestructo - Thanks for the detailed view, glad it worked out well for you.

Don’t think mine is quite as far out, but will be careful regarding any threads etc.

Saw on the Abbey Tools video they rotated the valve stem with the tool that means you could be less fussy about wheel trueness.

I have a folding Park mechanics stand at home, which should make things easier as it is fairly sturdy.

Went with the Abbey one in the end as my birthday was coming up, glad that I did since when I used it on my cross check it was out on two points by 8-9mm. Super fast to tweak and recheck it.

Also looks lovely and is super compact, might not go in the main bike tool box because of that 😬

https://flic.kr/p/2mhhwe6

Why would you bother taking the tyre off, or worry about truing the rim, every time you want to check the mech alignment?

Line the tool up with the rim at the valve. Turn wheel and tool 180 degrees, and measure at the valve again. The measurement of the hanger is now independent of any inaccuracies at the rim.

If you are taking the tyre off, you should ask your LBS for a long stand to hold the wheel whilst you do it.