ZTTO Derailleur hanger alignment tool

Anyone else got one of these?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BIke-Maintenance-Corrector-Tool-Rear-Derailleur-Hanger-Hook-Repairing-Tool-H2O2/402307514755?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Either I’m doing something wrong or its not fit for purpose. Someone has put a lot of effort into designing and machining a useless tool.

I screw it into the hanger, extend the arm and use the rod to measure the distance to the edge of the rim. Then rotate around the rim and check this measurement is consistent.

However:
A) Its got so much play when the two parts are extended that its impossible to take a consistent measurement.
B) And the head rotates! Surely the head should be fixed at 90 degrees to take a repeatable measurement? Am I supposed to eyeball that the rod is 90 degrees to the arm?

Please tell me I’m using it wrong and describe how you would use it.

I’ve got a cheap Lifeline one, has a little play but you just allow for it when in use. As long as there isn’t a tonne of it it should be usable.

The head rotation, can it be superglued in place? A bodge I know but if it allows its use…

mark the head so you can return it to the same point but move it out of the way of the frame

Great idea to mark the head, I will scribe a line on.

However I fear the engineer in me doesn’t like the play in it and might buy the park tool one after all.

I’ve not tried that specific tool

But it’s a recurring issue I have with Chinese tools.

I look at the price of the park tool and think How hard can it be to make one,
It’s over priced for a bit of metal in X shape. It must be pretty impossible to make that tool incorrectly

Decide to buy said tool from China rather than park

Get tool, find out that although it’s shaped like a tool it doesn’t actually work for some reason

Go and buy the park one in the end.

Put the Chinese tool in the scrap metal bin at the tip.

Just unpacked mine for the first time. There’s a 2mm hex bolt near the head that stops the rotation.

Pros use the Abbey Tools one. Not cheap though.

I got the x-tools one which also has a bit of play but was told on here that the Park one also has play.

It’s not that bad to be fair and I gently pull the rim end of the tool towards me while checking to take out the play. I reckon it should be accurate doing it this way.

The rotating end is probably a handy thing for when you want to get past the chain/seat stays but some means of accurately setting it square again would be the ideal.

The Park one definitely has play, not a huge amount, and easy to account for it in use. It’s also bulky around the mounting area, not generally a problem, but we’ve had to grind ours away to fit and adjust certain frames.I’m happy enough with the one we have in work that i’ve bought one for home use too.

Just finished using mine. There’s a 3mm grub screw in one end that I had to tighten that sorted out a bit of the play. It locates in a wee groove inside the tool.

Still some play, but I suspect no more than some other tools.

Thinking again about the rotating end. It shouldn’t be a problem, all you need to do is swing it until the er, probe for want of a better word, is at it’s closest point to the rim and that is all you need to see. I was told you only need to get it to within a couple of mm diference anyway so It doesn’t need to be super accurate.

Thinking again about the rotating end. It shouldn’t be a problem,

It’s not a massive problem but does make the tool more of a faff to use. It’s easily fixed though.

Ah found the grub screw ta.

What’s the verdict- is it scrap or good???

I’m not gonna chuck mine out cos it works fine. Haven’t used others to compare it to though.

It’s a fiddlier job than I expected.

IMO they’re ok – certainly managed to straighten my hanger with one to make the shifting work again.

I recently bought the copy of the park tools one,pleasantly surprised at how good it is just as good as the park ones I have used in the past

Even if there is say, 5mm of play at the rim, that’s a very small deviation at the hanger and I imagine it would make no difference to the shifting. All the bikes I’ve tried it on, the first check has been around 15mm difference at the rim, even a brand new hanger was a fair way off and we would always assume those to be straight when fitted.

Hmm it’s OK now, got my hanger straight.

But I wouldn’t buy another.

The park or the imitation looks better.

Can someone link the park imitation one please?

https://m.aliexpress.com/item/4001011193865.html

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stainless-Steel-Bicycle-Derailleur-Hanger-Alignment-Gauge-Bike-Repair-Tool-New/154009405494?hash=item23dbad0836:g:2eQAAOSwy-FfEBUt

I need one quickly so I think it’s Park Tools for me.

You can make something that does the job with a piece of box section and an old metric hub axle, its nuts, a few 10mm washers and a steel rule. I forget whether it’s bits from the front (9mm) of rear (10mm).

Mine isn’t pretty but cost nothing other and I didn’t have to wait for it to come from China.

I used a Park one lots in an old job, it definitely had play, this caused no issue as the difference between taking up the slack and adjusting the hanger are easily distinguishable.

Some people are happy with Unior tools
https://uniortools.com/eng/product/1602-5-hanger-genie

https://biketoday.news/article/team-ineos-will-use-red-unior-bike-tools

https://www.teamineos.com/sponsors/unior-tools

^^ They should be happy with it at that price.😳

Anyone want the ZTTO job in my first post for a fiver delivered before I chuck it?

Yes please @wzzzz !

This is an ok tool for money.

https://www.merlincycles.com/cyclus-gear-hanger-alignment-tool-92156.html

If you want to spend then the Cyclo tools option is good as it is stiffer
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Cyclo-Gear-Hanger-Alignment-Tool_206059.htm

One thing to remember with these tools… Rotate the rim with the tool, i.e always measure at the valve. This removes the chance of a slightly buckled wheel from upsetting the alignment.

Yep what spooky said.
I use the x tools/lifeline one and although there is a little play once u have screwed it in the mech hanger, it’s easy to use and counter act it.

OP the origanal on looks naff to me tbh.

I recently bought one. Sent it back after 24 hr. Too much lateral play to be of any use. Little rubber o rings to keep the gauge in place were not fit for purpose. Lastly, the grub screw on mine had no slot or Allen key recess.

I bought that tool. It’s Its got play. My experience of the park one and others is that they also have play.

It works perfectly well and I’ve successfully wanged some hangers with it too.

Just looking at one that was delivered today.

Why would you not pop a grub screw in the rim end to secure the ‘prong’? They’ve put one at the hangar end to locate the pivot, so they have the machine to do it! The pivot end one wants some loctite mind and dremmel-ing off flush. Some odd design choices.

It’s easy to drill n tap the end then put a little bolt in to secure the rod, I’ve found replacing the grub screw on the shaft with a longer bolt can help reduce play just by hand tightening the bolt, a bit of lacquer sprayed on the rod with the measurements on can remove play as well. Mine is reliable after a bit of diy improvement.

spooky (& granny_ring) beat me to it.. you move the rim to check alignment using the same point on the rim in the different locations, is my understanding of how your use them

My park tool doesn’t have any play in it, which was the reason I bought it over the cheaper options