Wolf Tooth Pack Hanger Alignment Tool

[Mark McM]

I guess this new tool had to be invented because other "innovations" have rendered the previous trail-side derailleur alignment method "obsolete".

Back when wheel used threaded steel axles (either solid for nuts or hollow for QR skewers), the rear axle threads were the same derailleur bolt threads (10mm x 1mm). To do a trail-side derailleur hangler adjustment, you'd remove the rear derailleur, and screw a the axle end of a 2nd rear wheel into the hanger. You'd then apply force as necessary to the 2nd rear wheel to bend the hanger until both wheels were parallel. This method no longer works with 12mm through-axles, obviously.

[RudAwkning]

Originally Posted by EnginCycle

Fixed it

Re-fixed it

[unterhausen]

The HAG is a great tool, but it's not impossible to bend the shaft if the hanger is stiffer than normal. That seems like the design goal of the current shimano, but it has a pretty impressive price tag. The thing that would bother me is having the pointer off center. Is there a detent? The thing about the original Shimano tool that these were based on is that the pointer is on top, and it's a bit awkward to rotate. But mine is missing the ruler/pointer, so I have to use one that isn't quite right.

Those early Shimano tools are often missing the entire top part, but people still want top dollar for them. I know someone that made a top part for one, but the design is lost to history.

[Veloo]

There's a DAG 3 now.
https://www.parktool.com/product/der...nt-gauge-dag-3

[FriarQuade]

Originally Posted by unterhausen

The HAG is a great tool, but it's not impossible to bend the shaft if the hanger is stiffer than normal.

Is this something you've actually done? In the years we've been making them we've never had anyone bring a bent HAG to our attention. I'm sure it's possible, anything will bend if you give it enough umph. But that heavywall 4130 tube isn't going down easy.

[J.Higgins]

After five decades of bike mechanic experience, I'll have to say that in the handful of times I needed a DAG, eye-balling it probably would have sufficed. I see absolutely NO reason to carry one on the trail. Making a DAG more complicated and less-sturdy with plastic parts or multiple parts is a radical departure from the KISS principle. I'll stick with the Park DAG. Simple. Utilitarian. Effective.

[Veloo]

It's next to impossible to bend that thing.

Well where do you come from?

Bend (OR).

Originally Posted by FriarQuade

Is this something you've actually done? In the years we've been making them we've never had anyone bring a bent HAG to our attention. I'm sure it's possible, anything will bend if you give it enough umph. But that heavywall 4130 tube isn't going down easy.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by J.Higgins

After five decades of bike mechanic experience, I'll have to say that in the handful of times I needed a DAG, eye-balling it probably would have sufficed. I see absolutely NO reason to carry one on the trail. Making a DAG more complicated and less-sturdy with plastic parts or multiple parts is a radical departure from the KISS principle. I'll stick with the Park DAG. Simple. Utilitarian. Effective.

Altho only 3.5 decades of wrenching...

[reuben]

Originally Posted by Veloo

Your hanger can get bend out of alignment more easily that you'd expect. I was surprised to see my Lynskey was quite out but still shifting OK.

Here's the Park vid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXfvW0L3iLM

Thanks. In hindsight, I could have used one of those in the 90s, although I *thought* the guy who repaired my bike after The Big Crash did so. Maybe he did and it was rebent later, I dunno.

[reuben]

Originally Posted by Veloo

It's next to impossible to bend that thing.

Well where do you come from?

Bend (OR).

(Mic drop)

[unterhausen]

Originally Posted by FriarQuade

Is this something you've actually done? In the years we've been making them we've never had anyone bring a bent HAG to our attention.

The owner of the shop I work at sometimes makes me switch out for the park on particularly stiff hangers. I don't know if anyone at the shop ever bent one, but my impression is yes. I think it was probably Harry, because he totally wiped out a Crombie. I imagine they wouldn't tell you. I put most of the force on it near the hanger, because I can feel it flex.

[Neil]

I have the Park Tool one and can confirm that it does well at making my girlfriends bike shift cleanly again roughly once per quarter. The Wolf Tooth one does look interesting for the tool kit that I'm putting together for my summer holiday though - it's usefully smaller than the Park one, which leaves me more room in the box and that's probably worth the purchase price of the Wolf Tooth.

The Abbey HAG gets great press, and would of course help my entry in #toolboxwars, but it's also significantly more expensive than the Wolf Tooth (almost twice the price here in the UK).

[mjbrekke]

I've had the Wolf Tooth tool on my want list for some time and, now that travel is becoming a possibility again, finally decided to order one. It looks like a perfect option for adding to my Bike Friday toolkit--small, light, and works independent of wheel size. One of the very few weaknesses I've found with my BF Pocket Rocket Pro is that the derailleur hanger can easily be bent while traveling with the bike in its suitcase. It will be nice to have a hanger tool traveling in the suitcase, too.

Jim Langley has a very favorable review of the Wolf Tooth here.