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Help! Bent Rear Derailier Hanger


Jonathan's picture

By Jonathan - Posted on 04 March 2010

Hey everyone, i went for a ride a few days ago and went over a massive stick without realising :S In short i ended up with the chain guide thing behind a spoke in my wheel.

Now every time i go into first and second it absolutely chucks the chain. Can i just bend it back or will i make things worse?

Thanks

Jono

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Rob's picture

You need one of these:

Hanger straightening tool

Or you could try and borrow this one... I believe it is located in Queenscliff these days Eye-wink

hawkeye's picture

You can bend it back, but don't use the rear mech as the lever!

As a field fix I stick the appropriate multitool allen key in the pivot bolt, and after making sure that the bolt is all the way home in the hanger and there's no slop, gently bend it until the DR cage is dead vertical (parallel to the wheel).

Brian's picture

If it is bent too much you are best of replacing it but if you need to get your hands on a hanger alignment tool I have one.
Cheers
Brian

hairylittlehobbit's picture

I got mined fixed by the guys down at BA in 10 minutes, very cheap.

Fatboy's picture

Hangers are made of a soft malleable metal designed to bend to protect your more expensive derailleur. Yes you can bend them back but you now have a weak point. Not worth the potential troubles out on trail. Get a new one, they're relatively cheap.

Pants's picture

If you are going to bend the metal i would advise heating it up first with a really hot hair drier or proper Makita heat gun, especially if the bent metal is aluminium.

And I agree with others, they are not that expensive so a new one would be best!

Trev's picture

I agree with fatboy. try to straighten yours though and use it for a spare. I had the same problem you had, bent it straight enough by hand to get me home then used the precision of a pair of multi grips to fine tune. Now I leave it in the frount of my truck to 1 remind me to stay away from big sticks and
2 remind me that i have a spare which probably is'nt where i'll need it most. Must put it in the camelbak where it belongs

obmal's picture

The one time I have needed a spare hanger on a ride I also needed about 5 spare spokes and a completely new derailleur, so I don't bother with carrying a spare on me when I ride.. I do keep a spare one in the workshop though.

hawkeye's picture

Hawkeye junior did a good job of snapping the one on his old bike last year, managed to break the chain as well, but no damage to the DR except for a scrape on the paint.

Fortunately that was at Manly Dam so he didn't have to walk far. Somewhere in the middle of Koorainghat Forest back of Old Bar would have been different - and there are more sticks there.

Agree Trev's comment about moving my spare to the Camelbak.

Forty bucks seems to be about the going price. Cheap insurance on a long ride.

Jonathan's picture

Makes a lot of sense to get a new one, would rather not have the problems down the track and as it happens i was going to by an xt one very soon so im not that fussed about it, although i did do a ridiculously steep climb without my granny gear Sticking out tongue Probably for the best.

Thanks everyone.

Jono

hawkeye's picture

Doesn't add much weight to your Camelbak. The money you save on buying one instead of two can go to a good multi-tool with chainbreaker built in. You'll save some weight and Dad can get his T-handled hex keys back! Evil

Jonathan's picture

I guess he can hawkeye Sticking out tongue

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