Derailleur Hanger Alignment Tool

[cool_hand]

As per title. Looking for recommendations for a Derailleur Hanger Alignment Tool.
Park Tool's DAG-3 looks about the best bit of kit currently out there but its a little steep at £120.
Lifeline (Wiggle) one doesn't look too bad and fairly good value at £40.
Would be very interested to hear other suggestions/recommendations? x

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

I bought a cheaper clone some years ago and quickly returned it as there was a lot of play at the hanger connection edge making it unreliable.

The previous Park version, the DAG 2.2, is available for £65 at Sigma Sports

 

[sleuthey]

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/rear-hanger-alignment.291496/

 

[C R]

As per title. Looking for recommendations for a Derailleur Hanger Alignment Tool.
Park Tool's DAG-3 looks about the best bit of kit currently out there but its a little steep at £120.
Lifeline (Wiggle) one doesn't look too bad and fairly good value at £40.
Would be very interested to hear other suggestions/recommendations? x

I have the lifeline one. It is ok for occasional use, but a bit cumbersome.

 

[Punkawallah]

RJThe Bike Guy has a YouTube video on how to make your own?

 

[Big John]

I made my own but we have a park tools one at work. Both work fine but don't think the tool is a 'done deal' solution. You still have to know how to use it properly and hangers can still snap with all that leverage the tool gives you. Just take your time and go easy. I've had mine a long time and have only used it a couple of times so think about that when buying one. Park are good for the trade but a bit overkill for home use.

 

[All uphill]

I bought a relatively cheap one (£40ish) from Amazon a couple of years ago and it's been ideal.

Our household has six bikes and checking the alignment has become part of their regular maintenance. Having good gear changes is a joy.

 

[cool_hand]

Thanks for suggestions. I'd seen the DIY video one before but I don't have the patience to build one!
I had a look on eBay and there are many sellers stocking a ZITTO Hag-5 tool which can be purchased for as low as £15 including shipping.
It doesn't look that bad but could be a waste of money! It's the same as the one that's sold on WISH.
Just noticed the ABBEY tool is called HAG, that's where they got the name!

 

[Punkawallah]

Let us know how it works out, will you?

 

[FrankCrank]

Last time I was back in UK, had to straighten out a hanger. Used a spare wheel, axle is the same thread size and pitch as that in the hanger.
Screw it in and prise it any which way till it looks parallel to the one already in the frame.
Easy and accurate, and definitely cheap charlie, just gotta have a spare wheel handy

 

[T4tomo]

I have a cheapo ebay one. It works fine and has been a used a lot on our fleet and various mates bikes, a lot of rear shifting issues are from misaligned hangers. My mate's new bike came (online purchase) with the hanger well out of wonk.

The spare wheel works great, but obviously you need a wheel with a threaded axle, which are rare on modern wheels.

 

[cool_hand]

This is a tricky one.
When you start digging into the quality of the cheaper priced tools they do appear to be of poor quality.
The Park Tools DAG 2.2 is a little better but not perfect (see Amazon's 1 star reviews). It can be purchased for £65 – my LBS charges £10 to straighten a hanger and a new replacement mech hanger can be purchased for around £10 although I've found them for as low as £7! I do take on board that new mechs may still need to be adjusted although I don't think you should replace a hanger unless its broken.
The one tool that appears to currently stand out is the Park Tools DAG 3 - the best price I've found is £104. But for a tool that I'm going to use infrequently it offers very little value. I'll also add it does seem an odd situation when a company offers two tools that have the same purpose but one is of inferior quality – why don't they discontinue the DAG 2.2?
Mech hangers only bend if you knock them, if you ride a mountain bike that might be a regular occurrence but as a road cyclist this happens rarely (bike fell over when it was left outside a store).

Update: showed the DIY video to my neighbour and he is making one for me. I'm not holding my breath.
In the meantime I took my bike to my LBS as I was too impatient.

 

[Fastpedaller]

A spare wheel is good. Another option is to use a rear track hub (which will have a solid axle with the correct M10 fine thread). With the addition of a fixed-wheel sprocket with a stout bar, tube or angle welded to the sprocket you have a good tool. Just rotate to various positions and measure to the (good and true of course) wheel rim( wheel correctly fitted straight in line) , the measurement should be the same all around The issue with any tool like this is whether there is play in the pivot bearings, as this can lead to a large inaccuracy because of the length of the tool. I used a track hub which has 'sealed' bearings, but of course a cup& cone bearing can be used if the bearings are adjusted to a very fine degree. If the hub is required for building a wheel, the sprocket and welded part can just be unscrewed.

 

[andrew_s]

I got the Cyclus tool (£40).
It works, no obvious quality problems, but no comparisons as I've not used any other.

 

[Lookrider]

Last time I was back in UK, had to straighten out a hanger. Used a spare wheel, axle is the same thread size and pitch as that in the hanger.
Screw it in and prise it any which way till it looks parallel to the one already in the frame.
Easy and accurate, and definitely cheap charlie, just gotta have a spare wheel handy

As a hack that I seen on a video but not tried out
A CO² cartridge has the same thread and less chance of snapping the hangar as it's short leverage
There is no wheel or aligner as such so it's a "outdoor " in the field fix that you can only eyeball or use a handy straight edge that you carry in your pocket !!!