Repair derailleur hangar

[Kelpie3]

Hey All,

I have a 1972 PX10 where someone cut off the derailleur hangar and replaced it with a claw presumably because the hangar was not threaded. I am looking for someone who can low temp braze a new hangar onto the dropout. I was up in Wisconsin at Yellow Jersey bikes and he said he has been doing it for years. Anyone know of anybody that can do this in the Indianapolis area? I've had the bike since 1983 and rode it for 35 years. Decided to do more work on it and just finished putting on period campy components since all the french ones were gone (except for the headset and BB) when I bought the frame.

 

[Schwinn Sales West]

Hey All,

I have a 1972 PX10 where someone cut off the derailleur hangar and replaced it with a claw presumably because the hangar was not threaded. I am looking for someone who can low temp braze a new hangar onto the dropout. I was up in Wisconsin at Yellow Jersey bikes and he said he has been doing it for years. Anyone know of anybody that can do this in the Indianapolis area? I've had the bike since 1983 and rode it for 35 years. Decided to do more work on it and just finished putting on period campy components since all the french ones were gone (except for the headset and BB) when I bought the frame.

View attachment 2055514

I agree that it was likely cut off because it was a Simplex "non threaded" drop out. Had they left the original non threaded tab on, it could have had threads installed by using a "cut down" Thread-Sert.

It would seem to me that brazing the new threaded tab onto the existing drop out would not be very strong (limited surface area). Replacing the entire drop out is a much larger job, and would not be necessary, IMO. I would TIG weld the new "cut down threaded tab" onto what remains of the original drop out. With TIG welding, you can control the heat area better than brazing, save the chrome. They also have a product that works as a "heat dam" that you place around the steel tube to localize the heat transfer. Make sure you remove the axle adjusters first.

If you cannot find a "bicycle guy" that TIG's, find a "weldor that TIG's", let him do the welding, then take the frame to your "bicycle guy" that has the proper fork end alignment tools to align the fork ends and the derailer drop out tab.

John

 

[fat tire trader]

I have a Mercier from about the same time. That also has the hanger cut off. It was common at the time for people to modify the Simplex drop out by cutting it off and adding the bolt on hanger. There was even a magazine article back then showing how to do it. I am leaving it that way on my bike as a period mod and part of the bike's interesting history.

 

[Kelpie3]

Thanks for the replies. Below is a link to the Yellow Jersey website where the braize on a new hangar. Spoke to the owner and hes done many of those.

Doreen Goniu's Eddy Merckx Page at Yellow Jersey

www.yellowjersey.org

Might have this done and might not.....

 

[RustyJames]

I know a guy in Bloomington that could help you out. PM me

 

[bulgie]

Sometimes it goes the other way! My circa-1958 Follis, though French, came with Campy dropouts. Someone, maybe when the bike was new, cut the Campy hanger off and bolted on a Huret Allvit with a claw.

I can't complain though, because I got the bike for $200, and sold just the rear derailleur for that. It was the first year ('58) of the Allvit, when it was a very different design from the one we all know. A fella in Japan bought it.

I brazed on a Campy hanger, and the bike now has a period-correct Gran Sport mech.

Didja know, Campy used to sell just the braze-on hanger? Their part # 80/1. Here's mine before I brazed it on:

Note that's the rare early one with the little spring hole for a Sport (not Gran Sport) mech.

Brazing it on is definitely strong enough, if done properly. I used to do it now and then, such as on my first and second MTBs that I made in '81 and '84, both which had track ends (rear-facing slots) with a brazed-on hanger. Those bikes got raced and crashed plenty. The '81 was used to compete in Observed Trials, and I bashed that thing on rocks and logs all the time, probably around 20 times per Trials meet, let alone all my Trials-type riding on my own. I broke at least two derailers that I can recall, maybe more, but never hurt the hanger or the braze. The '81 was intact when I sold it in about 1990, and I still have the '84

(Those raised faces are stainless steel plates that I silver-brazed onto the Zeus dropouts, but I forgot to tell the painter to mask them off. I should scrape that paint off some day...)

I also made a number of timetrial "funny bikes" that were intended to be used on the track for Kilo and Pursuit, but also on the road by adding a derailer.