Replacing your Derailleur HangerUpdated 7 months ago
The derailleur hanger is the bracket positioned between the frame and the derailleur and is the one part on your bike that in some circumstances is actually designed to break. Bit strange we know, but the idea is should the derailleur contact a rock or get a stick stuck in the cage and bend the derailleur out of line, the hanger is designed to be the weak point of the bend and will snap, thus saving your derailleur from braking or worse your frame!
Unfortunately, another potential cause of the hanger breaking may be in transit, as we need to send the bike with the hanger installed to prevent the derailleur from moving around inside the box and scratching your new frame.
Should either of the above occur, it’s relatively simple to replace it, but we’ve chosen to provide you with a guide in case this happens to you as shown below.
1. On our mountain bikes and most others now, the derailleur cage will have a button to lock the cage open to allow you to remove the wheel. To do this, push the cage forwards and press the button in at angle shown in the picture.
- Remove the wheel by unscrewing the bolt through axle on the opposite side of the frame, or by undoing the QR skewer handle on the other side of the bike.
3. Using a 5mm allen key, unscrew the derailleur from the broken part of the hanger, or if only bent and not snapped, removed it from that and the bike. Leave to hang below the frame.
- Undo the bolt retaining the hanger. This may be positioned on the outside of the frame as shown below, or the inside. There may also be multiple bolts holding it on depending on the frame you have. Different hangers also use different bolts to secure them, so confirm which size allen key you’ll need. It may also be a torx key instead, which is star shaped.
5. Fit new derailleur hanger and bolt.
- Ensure the tab is positioned up against the b-tension bolt on the derailleur. This needs to be done to allow you to properly adjust the position of the derailleur when put back onto the hanger.
7.-Refit the derailleur onto the new hanger, tighten snug with 5mm allen key. Make sure tab shown above it still positioned between the b tension bolt and derailleur hanger.
-Re-fit wheel and axle
-Pull derailleur cage forwards while depressing clutch button to allow cage to move back into place.