Originally Posted by
autonoz
The only other thing I found off was the rear derailer is bent just a touch on the gear bracket, so the gears are off just a little. Would it be ok to try and straighten this or should I leave it alone as it really does not hinder the function of the derailer?
If the derailleur is bent you need a new derailleur. If the mounting tab that holds the derailleur is bent it can probably be bent back. Your LBS should have a special tool to bend this back and make sure it's straight. If you want, you can probably get away with doing it yourself with something like a large adjustable (Crescent) wrench. The derailleur cage should be in a parallel plane with the freewheel cogs at all positions.