Derailleur Hanger Alignment Tools and....

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wheelsONfire
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by wheelsONfire

I guess some if not many of you have been aligning your RD hanger!?
My question is, once you bent this hanger so it work properly, have you noted it is weakened?
I didn't realise how soft these are, thinking they were more stiff i can't stop but wonder if the best would be to replace the hanger?

To be clear, it shifts well now inspite i didn't even had an alignment tool.
But again, i wonder if the hanger won't give in easier, once bent (corrected) ?
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Ax Lightness Vial EVO Race (2019.01.03)
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Attermann
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by Attermann

a new one isn't necesseraly straight on your frame.

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wheelsONfire
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by wheelsONfire

Attermann wrote:
Sun Apr 16, 2023 3:58 pm
a new one isn't necesseraly straight on your frame.
I heard that before. So maybe they are pre-bent before the frames ship out.

Well, i looked at these tools (ordered a copy of Park Tool DAG 2.2) and i think it would be better if the reference point were between the drop outs or TA if that is used. Hard to tell what tolerances these tools are certified at. It had been ideal if they had a tolerance you could view before buying one.
Bikes:

Ax Lightness Vial EVO Race (2019.01.03)
Open *UP* (2016.04.14)
Paduano Racing Fidia (kind of shelved)


Ex bike; Vial EVO D, Vial EVO Ultra, Scott Foil, Paduano ti bike.

voicycle
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by voicycle

Depends how much bending is involved. Nobody makes much of it but I think a lot of tutorials do differentiate between “aligning” and “straightening” a hanger. They seem to hold their stiffness pretty well if you’re just fine tuning things, but if you’ve got to correct a significant bend then they do get soft and weak fairly quickly.


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TobinHatesYou
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by TobinHatesYou

The Park Tool DAG-3 is decent, but the Abbey Tools HAG is even better. A genuine DAG-2.x has too much play in it for my tastes, who knows how much play a copy might have...could be more, could be less. I doubt anyone who owns one has actually even bothered to check.

kode54
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by kode54

Agreed. Buy once.. the Abbey HAG. You’ll never need another.
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MrCurrieinahurry
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by MrCurrieinahurry

Isnt that Abbey one which u can also buy a stem attachment to set the lever positions?

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wheelsONfire
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by wheelsONfire

kode54 wrote:
Mon Apr 17, 2023 10:58 am
Agreed. Buy once.. the Abbey HAG. You’ll never need another.
I can understand people racing and crashing quite alot.
I can also see guys having lots of bikes. I have only once have my hanger bent, it was just now.
It only tipped over. I must admit i am baffled the hanger got bent.
Abbey tools cost way too much, with regards to how often i would need to use it.

THY, yes, i am aware of copies might be a risky business talking tolerances. That's why i addressed the info of what a tool sold have in terms of tolerance.
But the tool i ordered look exactly like PK DAG 2.2.
If it turns out crap i will probably scrap it.
But it's not as critical like a BB tool.
I have direct press bearings - so now i run 29*42*7 bearings straight into the frame "house".
The bearing seats are all carbon, with a tight fit, so i rather not press a bearing in a way it cause damage to the frame.
I guess aligning a hanger a bit less precise, is atleast something that doesn't cause a permanent damage to the frame.
But for sure, if i could get Abbeys version and their tools to a better price, i would pick them.
Bikes:

Ax Lightness Vial EVO Race (2019.01.03)
Open *UP* (2016.04.14)
Paduano Racing Fidia (kind of shelved)


Ex bike; Vial EVO D, Vial EVO Ultra, Scott Foil, Paduano ti bike.

kode54
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by kode54

You have a gravel bike as well. I have to align or check alignment when hitting the rough stuff...and yes, I have a few bikes and help others work on their bikes...all of which I have used it several times a month. its also peace of mind that its true.

Yes, I can see if you only have one bike...however, if you ever want to make sure its aligned, a knock-off copy will work.
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Nickldn
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by Nickldn

The genuine PT DAG 2.2 has a couple of mm of detectable play once mounted on the RD hanger.

In real life that is not necessarily an issue as:

i) the nature of the hanger alignment process is not exact due to the axis of the rear wheel being somewhat different to that of the RD.

ii) The alignment rod is also not a precision tool (you'd need a laser ranger).

iii) manually bending the hanger will never result in perfect alignment.

iv) RDs do have some built in tolerance to poor alignment, but less in 12s, 13s, etc.

For these reasons it's fine to have a tool with a bit of play, but too much play and it becomes a waste of time.

As an aside, yes new RD hangers are not necessarily aligned.
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ms6073
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by ms6073

wheelsONfire wrote:
Sun Apr 16, 2023 3:54 pm
I didn't realise how soft these are, thinking they were more stiff i can't stop but wonder if the best would be to replace the hanger?
Not really answering your other questions but this comes up so often it is hard how people fail to realize the economies of such a part. Ask your self which would you rather have to spend money to replace - a relatively inexpensive derailluer hanger or a much more expensive rear derailleur (stupid expensive if we are talking Di2)?
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Karvalo
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by Karvalo

ms6073 wrote:
Tue Apr 18, 2023 12:24 am
wheelsONfire wrote:
Sun Apr 16, 2023 3:54 pm
I didn't realise how soft these are, thinking they were more stiff i can't stop but wonder if the best would be to replace the hanger?
Not really answering your other questions but this comes up so often it is hard how people fail to realize the economies of such a part. Ask your self which would you rather have to spend money to replace - a relatively inexpensive derailluer hanger or a much more expensive rear derailleur (stupid expensive if we are talking Di2)?
At the same time, how often does a flimsy derailleur hanger save a rear mech anyway? And how often does a bent derailleur hanger that isn't immediately noticed result in a catastrophic interaction of mech, spokes and seatstay?

Personally on the balance of probabilities I'd much rather have a stiffer aftermarket hanger like Wheels MFG if the stock one is too soft.

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wheelsONfire
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by wheelsONfire

ms6073 wrote:
Tue Apr 18, 2023 12:24 am
wheelsONfire wrote:
Sun Apr 16, 2023 3:54 pm
I didn't realise how soft these are, thinking they were more stiff i can't stop but wonder if the best would be to replace the hanger?
Not really answering your other questions but this comes up so often it is hard how people fail to realize the economies of such a part. Ask your self which would you rather have to spend money to replace - a relatively inexpensive derailluer hanger or a much more expensive rear derailleur (stupid expensive if we are talking Di2)?
Well, my bike turned over on a carpet, so there's really not even a dent on the RD.
To be honest, i don't even noted that the RD really touched the carpet (which it obviously did).
Not a extremely huge problem to get it to shift like before, but the OCD in me still would like to verify i am home.
I just ordered a new hanger (again, OCD), it was quite expensive with shipping, but it might be needed anyway so so...
https://r2-bike.com/ABBEY-BIKE-TOOLS-Ha ... -Gauge-HAG
For me it would be 289 Euro (taxing is different pending on where you live)
So about 300 Euro including shipping.
Bikes:

Ax Lightness Vial EVO Race (2019.01.03)
Open *UP* (2016.04.14)
Paduano Racing Fidia (kind of shelved)


Ex bike; Vial EVO D, Vial EVO Ultra, Scott Foil, Paduano ti bike.

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wheelsONfire
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by wheelsONfire

Oki, i got one of these copies (i guess). It looks identical to Park tools DAG 2.2.
If the tolerance is as good or not would be impossible to say. Using the alignment pin at 9, 12, 3 and 6, is pretty difficult to get the pin "exactly" at same distance at all 4 points. The longer the extension arm plus the fact that the arm is locked at the bolt (that goes in to the ears thread) and further next locking is the pin itself.
I have no idea how a more expensive tool would be better without actually testing one.
I used the valve (body) as a reference point instead of rim. I have noted that my hanger bends very easily after it have been bent at 2 occasions.
Bikes:

Ax Lightness Vial EVO Race (2019.01.03)
Open *UP* (2016.04.14)
Paduano Racing Fidia (kind of shelved)


Ex bike; Vial EVO D, Vial EVO Ultra, Scott Foil, Paduano ti bike.

by Weenie


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JoO
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by JoO

You have different kinds of hangers.
The one on my Ridley was soldid but soft.
Easy too straighten.
The one on my canyon was cnc’ed, hollow but stiffer.
Difficult to straighten and I feared breaking it.
The unior DAG is not good. Al lot play in the measuring pin.
I do believe the hangers get less stiff after straightening.
But a new one is always straight when mounted in the frame.
A bit of a necessary evil.

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