Derailleur alignment tool- what's in your tool box?

[Eric Estlund]

I've been running a Cyclus tool for a bit, and while it works fine it's never been "a pleasure" to use.

I've used a few Park, Campy (and clone), DA, etc and have been generally find them all ok. I'm hoping for a more emotional reaction (in the positive direction).

What's hot right now? VAR? EVT?

[Whipsmart]

The EVT tool at work is pretty flex free, although I don't find it terribly exciting to use (not that one should find aligning derailleur hangers exciting...)

I think a person could EASILY build something similar to the EVT tool for little cost.

[Bssc]

Old Shimano DA it is by far my most fave

Park good for a deep sea fishing sinker weight

Campy ok for 1980's and earlier

[sam]

Im not sure why people knock the park it does its job. I use the VAR its really solid, but it hangs up on some hangers, the evt is nice but not sure if it is nicer then it needs to be hence getting expensive.

[Eric Estlund]

Which EVT tool are you guys referring to?

The DAG-2 is fine, but not an upgrade from the farm equipment tough Cyclus one I have (their stuff has a very industrial feel). I've not been bowled over by the shimano ones I've used (the older DA type). Nice enough.

Maybe getting excited over a thread in feeler gauge is to much to ask?

I feel like this is something Jim Stein would be making...

[Whipsmart]

I've used the Park tool, the Shimano DA tool, and The EVT works better than both. The Park and Shimano tools both develop play, and the Shimano tool flexes when aligning hangers (not just checking them). This is an irritation to me, because the flex in the tool ends up causing one to overshoot the amount of movement desired in the hanger (even after cycling it a few hundred times). I will say that the "Truearc" EVT (standard one - not the fancy RC car wheel one) is more robust in this capacity. Again, a person could easily make one similar to the EVT, and it would be stiffer than the Park or Shimano.

And for a total machinery dork whose eyes roll back in his head and starts drooling over toolholders, collets, levels, heck, even stupid screwdrivers, not to mention the machines that they go in, no, its not too much to ask to have a derailleur alignment tool that makes me excited. If we want people to get excited about our bikes, I want to be excited by every damn tool I use to make them! ;)

BREEEEEATTTTHE buddy, breathe!

[drietz]

$300 for a derailleur hanger alignment tool? Holy smokes that's ridiculous.

...in the most awesome of ways! Now I have total tool lust.


Now I literally want all of their tools.

[Too Tall]

Old old Park tool. It has zero flex what are you guys talking about? It is made from a piece of CrMo that doubles as a tire kicker. Love it.

[Eric Estlund]

To answer my own question, I am now sporting one of these. Better then anything else I've used to date:

[drietz]

That.

Is.

Amazing.

I've never wanted a tool so bad. Except for this $1200 truing stand I've heard about...

[PGSmith]

How long is that EVT gauge when it is collapsed?

[steve garro]

I have a Park, but hell - just make one.
- Garro.

[dbohemian]

To answer my own question, I am now sporting one of these. Better then anything else I've used to date:

[IMG][/IMG]

Would it maybe not work better for us fbuilders to just have a threaded portion with a long arm attached at a right angle and then check from end to end on the alignment table? Seems to check off a wheel is something better left for a bike shop?

[Eric Estlund]

Possibly- at least "better" on paper. I can see a case for having the parts relative in their working environment, even if that is slightly off from the table recommendation.

The way my table works it tells me if things are in plane relative to the BB shell (I know some people use HT). For this particular bit of set up I'm much more concerned about axle to tab alignment and using a build wheel seems to work (you'll only ever get that tab "so" square anyway).

I'm picking up what you are putting down, though. I'd be interested what someone* comes up with in that regard.

*I'm pretty happy with my hanger tool, so I'll likely put more effort into my other massive to-do list before I spend time on it.

[progetto]

My hanger alignment tool is the most used tool in my workshop, 99% of the new bikes that I assemble need alignment. It is also the first thing I check when a bike comes in for a service. Funnily enough nearly all frames I build rarely need to be set.
Bill

[Eric Estlund]

How long is that EVT gauge when it is collapsed?

A hair under 11" from the far end of the knurled dial to the end of the arm.

[Andrew R Stewart]

So in the repair world... we see a lot of bent hangers. Sometimes I'll use the Park tool to straighten the hanger. But, also, sometimes I find there is some der bending that exists and a straight hanger will still have a der that's not. So i'll set the chain in a mid position, ft and rear on the cogs, and hand align the hanger/der to suit the cage orientation as it is. I do this with an allen wrench in the der mounting bolt and, often, a screw driver between the hanget and the rear cogs. Striving for an average and a working solution to the cost of a new der. Andy.

[progetto]

So true Andy. I find the sram mtb derailears to always be trash after an accident. I tend to find the cost of trying to re-orientate a deraileur and getting it to shift correctly can be more than the cost of fitting a new deraileur, especially with low end gear. Us retailers have got to make a dollar somewhere.

[Brandon Davis]

Have you seen Jason's (Abbey Tool) his is boss! A friend recently acquired one and I have to say it is pure art!

[afwalker]

Abbey tool would be the next one I try after my Park wears out:) It's got some more miles left in it however...
Hanger Alignment Gauge (HAG) - Abbey Bike Tools
cheers
andy