Originally Posted by
rbrides
visually, my hanger appear very slightly bent. I am considering removing it and testing with a straight edge but then I wondered;
1. are hangers always manufactured perfectly straight?
2. is ANY amount of bend acceptable?
3. is it acceptable to attempt to straighten it with a hammer on an anvil?
Hammer, yes, yes, always, and please post video.
A HAG is the right tool, but if you don't have one, an old school front wheel will work. You can take the hanger off, and check it on a flat surface, but its the combination of the hanger and the dropout when attached that is important, so make sure it's secured properly on the frame, and then align when mounted. An adjustable wrench will work also. If you aren't very experienced, (and even if you are) having a spare is never a bad idea. You want to determine where you want to end up, and make one adjustment there, you don't want to make a bunch of little adjustments.