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So, I bent the mech mount on my inbred. It's directly attached to the frame, no mech hanger.
Is there a right and a wrong way to bend it back?
Ideas ...
1. use the old broken mech as a lever. I'm not sure whether this means the shape of the screw thread is protected, or if it's worse off as the force goes through it?
2. hit the frame directly with a rubber mallet?
3. hit the frame through a chisel or such like to better direct the impact?
large adjustable spanner.
but do try the rubber mallet and chisel first and please post pictures.
don't hit it bend it slowly.
I've bent my Ti HT fixed hanger a couple of times, both when destroying mechs... Best solution is to take it into a bike shop with a hanger realignment tool.
It just works.
2 please with a video
If you've got an old rear cup and cone axle, the thread is the same as a mech, so you can bolt it into the hanger to give you a perfect lever.
Then, add a straight edge through the dropouts (I use a bit of M10 steel bar I had lying around, because it fits perfectly and can also be bolted in place, but anything will do) and you've got a straight line to compare against. Perfect hanger every time. Sounds faffy but actually much easier and more effective than most methods.
If you don't want to do it this way, then yep adjustable spanner and eyeballs.
Ha ha 🙂 Ok large adjustable spanner sounds like a great idea.
I bent my swift hanger back with a tool which is meant for the task. It allows you to alight the hanger with the wheel in multiple directions and ensures its straight...(sorts out the twist as well as the bend)
Bent mine on a Cotic Bfe (should have taken pics for keepsake come to think of it) after a jump gone wrong.
Used a monkey wrench to straighten it (albeit very slowly).
I would advise against hitting it just [i]thomthumb[/i] said.
...as does the old rear axle. That reminds me I've got to open up the horizontal dropout in the process too, it got sandwiched shut.
Put the wheel back in if it is not thru-axle. Then large adjustable spanner with as much of the spanner around the bit you are pulling as possible. If you can nicely ratchet up how hard you are pulling on the spanner, it should do the biz.
Then I would find something you can screw into the mech mount hole like an old axle as above (I used a felt pen that was just the right size once) and eyeball it.
Also - proper straightening tools can be had for not much money - you will probably be needing it more than once if you ride your bike properly(!)
I've never managed to get one correctly aligned without the proper tool.
molegrips my weapon of choice but rough and ready
this is bent 🙂
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Mine was worse than that! End result, I couldn't bend it back, or didn't have the balls to try hard enough, but my LBS could. 🙂