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Mech align tools
 

[Closed] Mech align tools

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Any recommendations other than the obvious Park? Are they worth it in general?

AXS proving a bit sensitive, dropped the bike on today's ride and my perfect shifting suddenly was no longer perfect


 
Posted : 11/04/2021 5:49 pm
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I have a Lifeline one at home and have used a Park DAG 2.2 at work.

I prefer the Lifeline.


 
Posted : 11/04/2021 5:54 pm
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I have an icetools one, no complaints.


 
Posted : 11/04/2021 6:00 pm
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Damn, lifeline out of stock.

Quite pleased with my Allen key efforts, shifting well again, but proper tool and all that.


 
Posted : 11/04/2021 6:10 pm
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The new Park DAG 3 is very nice!


 
Posted : 11/04/2021 6:28 pm
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Is the DAG 3 worth the upgrade from the old park one ?


 
Posted : 11/04/2021 8:05 pm
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Unior is good enough for some
https://www.ineosgrenadiers.com/sponsors/unior-tools
https://uniortools.com/eng/press/news/2020/02/TeamIneos2020


 
Posted : 11/04/2021 8:52 pm
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I bought the park one after too many posts said the lifeline one had play in it


 
Posted : 11/04/2021 10:18 pm
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Certainly well worth having as a tool. I've got the older Park one which does the job. Not a stunning piece of design but easy enough to use that I'll grab it and check pretty much any time I work on gears. Great to eliminate that particular issue before even starting


 
Posted : 11/04/2021 11:33 pm
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I've got some cheap off CRC one (about £40) that may well be the Lifeline one mentioned above.

It's turned "royally busted" into very straight on a few occasions now. Well worth it. It has never touched one of my bikes, but the kids - how do they bend them so easily and regularly!


 
Posted : 11/04/2021 11:40 pm
 Mat
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I bought the park one after too many posts said the lifeline one had play in it

+1

(the DAG 2 that is)

Sorted the shifting on my scandal frame build from 'nowhere near indexed' to 'shifts perfect'.


 
Posted : 11/04/2021 11:44 pm
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Park. Worth every penny. 👍


 
Posted : 11/04/2021 11:46 pm
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Just upgraded my DAG-2 to a DAG-3, it's luuurvely.

I also seem to end up working on a lot of kids bikes so yeah bent hangers a-gogo.


 
Posted : 12/04/2021 12:32 am
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I have a super cheap one off ebay, it's got tons of play in it but it's really simple to work with anyway (you don't need the tool to have no play, you just need some consistency)

You can go right back to basics... Mech bolt thread is hte same as a QR axle, so, if you've got one of those or an old wheel you can thread it in and you have a perfect perpendicular sticky out thing. Put a straight edge through the dropouts- I used a bit of spare threaded bar- and you can easily see if they're parallel, and the axle now makes a really good bending tool. Doesn't work in designs that need the wheel in to secure the hanger though.


 
Posted : 12/04/2021 12:47 am
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As above, I have the Lifeline one and there is play but as the play is consistent, it works perfectly well for me.


 
Posted : 12/04/2021 2:51 am
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Yep the play just means I tend to hold the tool away from the bike lightly and then the gauge is fairly accurate. Wheel in (lots of hangers seem to pinch up slightly when a wheel is installed (even if it has its own hanger bolts) and measure adjacent to the valve to avoid any wheel buckle from affecting your alignment.


 
Posted : 12/04/2021 8:08 am
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^^^yup, that's exactly how I do it with mine. Possibly one of the most useful told I own, first thing I check on any of my mate's bikes who have shifting issues, and used on a seemingly weekly basis for my 8 year old's bike...


 
Posted : 12/04/2021 8:16 am
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I was going to pull the trigger on the lifeline one over the weekend but got scared by the reviews of play in the tool, might pay the extra £30 and get the Parktool DAG 2.2.


 
Posted : 12/04/2021 9:59 am
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The DAG 2.2 develops play too. I found the Lifeline gives more consistent results.


 
Posted : 12/04/2021 10:15 am
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Anyone thinking of getting the DAG-3 from Freewheel, don't forget the STW 20% members discount to help soften the blow...


 
Posted : 12/04/2021 11:06 am
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Anyone used the IceToolz one? (that "z" puts me off a bit)


 
Posted : 12/04/2021 11:12 am
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Bejesus I thought that the Dag 2.2 was expensive, for a tool I use at home intermittently


 
Posted : 12/04/2021 11:21 am
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Big fan of Calvin introducing a rock to proceedings (about 40 seconds in)


 
Posted : 12/04/2021 11:24 am
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Get it bought - great bit of kit. I have the older Park one but Lifeline seems to get OK reviews too...


 
Posted : 12/04/2021 11:38 am
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I have the Lifeline tool, if there is play tighten the grub screw on the top.


 
Posted : 12/04/2021 5:23 pm
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There is a grub-screw to dial-out the play.


 
Posted : 13/04/2021 8:52 am
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I’ve got the Wolf Tooth components one - bit pricey (but I had vouchers to lessen the blow).

Easy to use and quick, though still some degree of interpretation needed, so might not be the one to get for that nth degree of accuracy.


 
Posted : 13/04/2021 9:32 am
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I've just bought a cheap (£20 or so) Ebay one; will report back on whether its any good or not.


 
Posted : 13/04/2021 10:01 am
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I’ve just bought a cheap (£20 or so) Ebay one; will report back on whether its any good or not.

Me too. I bought it after searching high and low with no luck for the one I made a couple of years ago out of an old metal table leg, some wood and an old mech assembly.
It works well and as above it's consistency that's important, moreso than accuracy.

Obviously, not too long after I'd ordered it, it turned up in a mates bike cupboard and was put to work straight away on his bike... 🙄


 
Posted : 13/04/2021 10:34 am