tomhvy15

Hi everyone.

I知 not sure if this something anyone will know but I知 after a bit of advice. I have an old Specialized bike (~18 years old) and wanted to replace the derailleur. The hanger the bike uses is hanger 13, I can't post a link on here but it pops up on Google.

The rims I have are new so no compatibility issues there but I was wondering if I will have derailleur issues with such an old hanger.

I have no idea what I'm doing and just want to make sure I don't buy something that doesn't even fit.

Thanks so much for anyone that can help!

I知 looking to buy a 10/11 speed derailleur.

Any help is appreciated!

Thanks

Tom

rm -rf

All derailleurs use the same size threaded mounting hole. Derailleur hangers are soft aluminum and replaceable, designed to break before the frame is damaged in a crash.
I googled your "hanger 13" and found a website! https://derailleurhanger.com/product...eur-hanger-13/

Cable pull compatibility
To move the chain the correct distance to the next cog, the shifter moves the cable a specific distance that works with the same family of derailleurs.
An 11 speed derailleur doesn't shift correctly with a 10 speed shifter, for instance. (there's a few non-standard workarounds sometimes, though.)

What do you have? An 8 speed, 9 speed or 10 speed cassette?

Koyote

Why do you want to replace the derailleur hanger? Is there some problem with the one you've got?

njkayaker

Derailleur hangers (*) link the derailleur to the bike (obviously).

Hangers are specific to the bike. Not the derailleur.

That is, the derailleur side of the hanger is standard (it fits all derailleurs).

You only need to replace the hanger if it is bent or broken.

——————————-

* Derailleur hangers used to not be replaceable. They were a permanent part of the drop out.

VegasTriker

rm -rf is correct in that the biggest problem you face is having to change both the derailleur and whichever type of actuating system you have (bar end, brifter, or twist grip). That can get expensive. When I changed the 10 speed RD on my trike from SRAM to Shimano I had to buy the only bar end shifter compatible with the Shimano RD and that was $100 just for the bar end shifters. Is it worth going from an 8 or 9 speed to 10 or 11? Do a calculation on gear range to see exactly how big a difference it makes https://www.sheldonbrown.com/gear-calc.html.


Since you already know exactly which hanger you need, you can save a few bucks by buying them on eBay from any of the China based sellers where they sell for well under $10 including shipping. https://www.ebay.com/itm/395179997846 Shipping time is around 10 days when shipped by SpeedPak from China. The comparable cost for a #45 hanger used on my trike is a ridiculous $40 plus shipping. I bought one as a spare from China and the quality is equal to what my dealer sells.

tomhvy15

Thanks everyone who has replied, I really appreciate it!

So the full story is that I was given a brand new 10 speed cassette. This is what made me think about fixing up my bike in the first place.

I currently have:
Deore CS-M4100-10 cassette
Deore 10 speed chain
Deore SL-M4100 shifters

The hanger is visibly bent on my bike so just wondered if I replace it will all this work on such an old frame (and hanger). I'm thinking this would be the right derailleur to get:
Deore RD-M5120 long

Thanks for helping!

Koyote

After you get the new parts on the bike, take it to a shop and have them align the derailleur hanger. They'll have a special tool and the know-how, and it'll cost about the same as a new hanger. (So why not just buy a new hanger? Two reasons: first, because even new ones are sometimes not perfect and need alignment...and second, because you seem a bit new to this, and the shop can easily index your gears to get them running as well as possible -- which is not rocket science, but it's easier for someone who's done it before.)

rm -rf

This is the best advice.

Some riders I know don't want to do their own maintenance. Let the bike shop do it.
For others, like me, it's often an interesting process, and I can quickly fine tune adjustments as needed.

Some bike maintenance items are not obvious, and turning bolts at random or skipping a step can cause big problems. For example, these common maintenance items: 1--replacing or adjusting the stem. 2--shifting adjustments, including limit screws. 3--crankset bearing adjustments. 4--cabling routed through the frame. All these can go way wrong! But they aren't difficult with the proper methods.

Park Tool Repair Help
This is the first place I go. ( There are various mechanics doing youtube videos, but the videos can be either good or quite useless.)
Repair Help Articles the main page.

Your derailleur replacement:
It sounds like your shifters, chain, and cassette aren't on the bike yet, and will replace your current ones. I'm guessing the front derailleur might be okay, but I don't know for sure.

You probably don't have internally routed cabling, inside the frame. That can get quite complicated, since there's usually no guide tube inside the frame, so pulling cabling through a frame really requires the correct techniques!

You should get new shift cables and shift cable housing, and probably new brake cables and housing. Cutting the housing: it needs to be cut off square, and I need a grinder to smooth off the end and get rid of any crushed housing metal.

See these Park Tool sections:
Cassette and freewheel service.
Chain repair and service
Derailleur systems

Tools:
To do this whole drivetrain upgrade, you'll want to have a repair stand. You have to be able to shift gears while turning the crank by hand, with the wheel off the ground. I suppose a helper could hold the bike? But if you get this far into doing maintenance, you'll want a repair stand anyway. (I've had my repair stand for more than 25 years!)
A cable cutter.
Hex wrenches. I use the 4,5,6mm "Y" wrench the most, and also have a set of "L" wrenches, including the small 2mm and 3mm ones -- you'll need one of them for the derailleur adjustments.
grease.
A cassette lockring tool and a wrench for the tool.
A "chain whip" to hold the cassette while the lockring is unscrewed.

Derailleur alignment tools are expensive, and you won't need one again unless you drop the bike on the drive side and bend the hangar. Take it to a shop, it's a quick alignment for any mechanic that's done a few of them. (My first try went quite slowly, but it worked fine.)

tomhvy15

Thanks, for the advice! You're right, I am new to this, how can you tell?

I know I could get someone to do this and save the headache but I want to learn more about bikes so willing to go through the pain of it all! I already followed someone else's advice and bought a replacement hanger so I guess all there is to do now is to wish me luck!

mpetry912 

the tool is helpful but for most derailleur hanger alignment problems I have found you can eyeball it. you want to be sure that the derailleur pulleys are in the same plane as the cogs.

you can put an allen key in the derailleur bolt and use that to (very judiciously) bend it as you view the pulleys and chain. DON'T bend the derailleur itself.

and then test the shifting. if they bike shifts smoothly and the chain runs quietly, you are in the ballpark on alignment.

/markp

icemilkcoffee 

Good thing about Shimano is their extensive documentation. If you want to check if this component is compatible with that component, you can consult Shimano's compatibility docs:
https://productinfo.shimano.com/en/compatibility/C-433

Scroll down to the 10 speed section. You'll see your SLM4100 listed there along with dozens of other 10 speed shifters. And it is compatible with the RD-M5120

alcjphil

I am going to say that one of the most common mistakes new members make is to not include the model/type of bike you are asking about. From the parts you propose, it is reasonable to assume that it is some sort of mountain bike. It is very frustrating to have to ask question after question to find out what we are dealing with. It is a Specialized bike, but there are hundreds of different models of Specialized bikes, many with very different specifications

squirtdad

Separate from the derailler.....how many speeds on on the new rear wheel? (assuming you mean new wheel when you say new rims) this could make a difference as to whether you can put the 10 speed cassette on that wheel/hub or not. "old specialized bike" and neew rims is not too specific

is this a mountain bike or a road bike?

are the new wheels mountain or road?

difference is road bike distance between the rear dropouts for an 18 year old bike is likely to be 130mm for road and 135 for mountain and the wheel should match

tomhvy15

Apologies for not clarifying, I assumed the key part was the hanger and not the bike itself. It's a hybrid mountain bike, no suspension on front or back. I'm unsure of the exact model, I'm afraid. I suppose my initial question was agnostic of the type of bike. I wasn't sure if all frames and hangers would work with all derailleurs or if I should expect things to not fit together correctly.

alcjphil

Hybrids and mountain bikes are different creatures although they overlap a bit. Knowing what you have can help greatly to help you. Focusing on one specific part that might have been used on many models isn't all that useful. You own the bike. Are there decals that indicate the model? Knowing the model and the approximate year it was built is very useful
Clarify further

terrymorse 

fify

You can do a somewhat adequate job straightening a derailleur hanger without a task-specific tool. But to get it right in two axes, the tool is essential.

This is my opinion, of course. Which is also true.

dedhed

Buy 2 hangers. You never know when they'll stop making that particular one.

Camilo

A new hanger needs to be checked for alignment. So that's something you should do anyway. With a tool, it's an easy DIY to learn, as is derailleur adjustment, indexing, etc.

I've been using an inexpensive hanger alignment tool I got from EBay a few years ago. I'm sure it's not as sturdy or easy to use as one that costs twice as much, like a Park, but it's accurate enough for the 10 and 12 speed bikes I have.

VegasTriker

Shimano Deore is the mid level in the Shimano MTBgroupset. You have a rapidfire shifter. I was surprised that it is not all that expensive compared to the bar end shifter I had to buy which was the Ultegra group at $109 a set. Most people change the chain when they change the cassette because they wear together and if you need to replace one, you also probably need to change the other. A Shimano 10 speed Deore chain is just $17 from one eBay seller https://www.ebay.com/itm/395300806370. I don't believe you will have to do anything but install the new hanger. It is just a piece of flat metal and the likelihood of getting a new one that would require adjusting should be nil. As to re-bending the existing hanger if it is bent enough to see it just by eyeballing it, bending it back may weaken it enough it might break in the future. It is made of aluminum and bending aluminum will weaken it. Becoming unavailable in the future? It is not like the other components that get upgrades from time to time so the older parts become unavailable.

MilhouseJ

Also handy is using a quick-release rear wheel if available, skewer removed. The hub axle is the same thread pitch and diameter as the bolt hole in the hanger, and a larger reference mechanism makes for an easier and more accurate tweaking session if necessary. Just leave the current wheel in place, and use a spare wheel threaded into the hangar to compare it against. If the hanger is out of alignment it will be obvious and easily adjusted, just be careful with the increased leverage offered.
Of course, all of that is meaningless if you don't have a spare QR rear wheel. 😅