Classic & Vintage - Derailer claw

Hey there, so I have a derailer adapter on my Raleigh Record. Am I the only one with the adapter side flush on the gear side but with some gaps on the opposite side of the skewer? What should I do? Can I put an adapter on the other side or just make sure the skewer is on tight.. the tire wobbles when I pedal because both sides are not flush

Not totally sure I follow what you're saying. Post a photo?

theres a gap on the non derailer side... the adapter claw limits how far back the wheel can sit in the dropouts... leaving a space on the non derailer side. when I put the wheel in, I have to manually adjust the wheel until its completely straight.. maybe im being picky

It's supposed to do that. Just put the skewer in the non-drive-side dropout wherever makes the wheel straight.

That's quite normal.

k that makes sense.. I have seen other bikes with it clamped where the wheel is aligned.. is there something I can put on that side to make it easier to align in a hurry? I realize I won't be taking the rear wheel on and off as much as my front wheel, but for ease of mind, id like the wheel to be as secure as possible 240 rider here

I have a Miyata 310 with an integrated gear hanger on the dropout that has such spacers on both sides to align the axle. You might be able to find something like that on a junk frame, or make your own. Make a spacer that fills the rear of the dropout so it aligns the axle where you want it the drill a hole through it at the rear and secure it in place with a nut and bolt and a washer on each side.

That sounds like a great idea! I was getting frustrated with aligning the wheel up only to have it shift as soon as i stood up to pedal... Thanks for the info!

The lowly Peugeot AO-8/UO-8 used to come from the factory with a bolt-on left-side axle stop which was supposed to be aligned with the right-side derailleur hanging claw to simplify wheel remove-and-replace operations. The device was essentially a pair of washers flattened on one side and connected by a screw and nut.

Excellent! I think I can whip something up like that... But first I'll stop by my LBS so see if they have an "official" part for it. If not I'm going to my LHD (local home depot). Thanks again for the advice! Its more of a piece of mind adjustment more than anything... Just thought I'd ask first and be on the safe side

That sounds like a great idea! I was getting frustrated with aligning the wheel up only to have it shift as soon as i stood up to pedal... Thanks for the info!

If the wheel is shifting your skewer is too loose or has a problem such as worn out teeth. Skewers with the enclosed cam such as Shimano, Campy and most older design ones have greater mechanical advantage than the newer external cam designs and are what is recommended for front opening semi horizontal dropouts.

Photos of the frame and wheel would help.

Adding that spacer behind the axle is not going to keep your wheel from shifting when you you pedal. You either need a better skewer or you need to learn how to use the one you've got.

The skewer is 3 days old.. New wheelset and skewers.. I'll go check out the how to ride a bike thread in a little bit.. I was just asking if they made a claw for the non drive side

The skewer is 3 days old.. New wheelset and skewers.. I'll go check out the how to ride a bike thread in a little bit.. I was just asking if they made a claw for the non drive side


New skewer? Since modern bikes have vertical dropouts it makes the job of the skewer easier. So, many are made that really do not give too much clamp force. What kind is it?

jim

If your rear triangle has been spread to accommodate a wider O.L.D. hub, the dropouts may not be parallel to each other. That could prevent the skewer from getting tight enough to prevent slipping.

They are aluminum weinnmans that came with my wheelset... Makes sense about the horizontal dropout comment... I'm doing fine on them... They've been holding up well, just that assurance that if they do slip they'll at least be in place against something

They won't be up against anything because the axle will slip forward.

Yeah, I thought the OP just wanted to be able to quickly align the rear wheel by "feel" without eyeballing it each time. There is no way to prevent the wheel from pulling out of line with standard road dropouts if you don't tighten the axle sufficiently.