Why you need to own a derailleur hanger tool

[mpemburn]

When I go into a bike shop and look at the wall of tools—usually Park tools—I am stricken with a serious bout of envy. My own shop tools all fit into one small carry box, though it has many of the necessaries like a torque wrench, chain tools, spoke wrench, etc.

I've long considered the derailleur hanger alignment tool to be one of the elite items seldom needed by the home bike mechanic, but I'm starting to think differently after a recent experience with my own bike, combined with what is said in this article: "The Best Derailleur Hanger Alignment Tool: 9 Tested". To quote:

But because derailleur hangers are designed to be sacrificed, that also means they’re prone to bending. That manifests as dodgy and inconsistent shifting that no amount of cable-tension adjusting, limit-screw fiddling or chain cleaning will solve. A derailleur hanger alignment gauge tool is not only extremely useful for diagnosing that your hanger is, in fact, bent, but also for making it straight again.

I will probably go with the Park tool.

 

[Cycleops]

This is mine:

 

[DCLane]

I've had one for about 5 years and they're really useful. It takes a bit of practice to learn, which I did at my work's bike workshop, but has meant several hangers saved.

Mine's the £45 Lifeline one from Wiggle/Chain Reaction, that from memory was in the sale at around £20.

 

[mpemburn]

This is mine:
View attachment 622435

I have one of those, too. I toss it into the works now and again to stir things up 😉

 

[T4tomo]

A good few years back probably not necessary.
However 11 and now 12 speed shifting is much more sensitive to correct indexing and aligning so sometime its "Good to check" even if just to eliminate it from the list of possible issues.

You don't need an expensive one as @DCLane has proven.

@Cycleops's one is fine for 8spd and below

 

[All uphill]

I have a cheapie one from ebay which works fine. I'd rather buy the tool than pay someone else to use theirs., but that's just me.

It has been used four or five times in the last couple of years when I've worked on my own and neighbour's bikes. The most out of line was on a new bike (£169 from a supermarket)that I was assembling.

 

[I like Skol]

I use a large spirit level and small steel rule measured in two planes, adjustments done with a small adjustable as per @Cycleops

 

[slowmotion]

You might want one but you don't need one.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Personally I'd mark that under "job for the LBS", along with wheel building and other major extremely infrequent* stuff. But I'm not a big time home mechanic

*Super infrequent - in fact, never - for me as I don't have a bike with a bendy aluminium sacrificial hanger.

 

[oldwheels]

I have a spare hanger for my trike which I got from Germany just in time before the madness struck.
In the past I have used a flat steel surface and a bit of wood with pressure to straighten.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I have an alignment tool, got it a few years back.

 

[derrick]

I would not be without one.

 

[rogerzilla]

I do it with a long steel rule, calipers and by eye.

 

[Salty seadog]

When I go into a bike shop and look at the wall of tools—usually Park tools—I am stricken with a serious bout of envy. My own shop tools all fit into one small carry box, though it has many of the necessaries like a torque wrench, chain tools, spoke wrench, etc.

I've long considered the derailleur hanger alignment tool to be one of the elite items seldom needed by the home bike mechanic, but I'm starting to think differently after a recent experience with my own bike, combined with what is said in this article: "The Best Derailleur Hanger Alignment Tool: 9 Tested". To quote:



I will probably go with the Park tool.

I have the Park Tools one.

 

[FishFright]

I have one of those, too. I toss it into the works now and again to stir things up 😉

Just don't mention fish in an amusing way and you'll be fine