Originally Posted by
krushgroove
'eyeball mk 1', I like it
It's only a 7-speed cassette so hopefully bending it back won't affect the adjustments too much. Getting to the shop is hard but I will try later this week if giving it some muscle doesn't seem to work.
The more rear cogs you have the more particular you have to be about derailleur hanger alignment. Assuming you have average mechanical ability, you can eyeball a 7-speed adequately.
DO NOT try to align it by sticking a slip joing plier arm into the threaded derailleur hole. You are liable to ovalize the hole and cause real trouble. Leave the derailleur threaded into the hanger. If you are unable to bend it back with your hand, clamp a big Crescent wrench onto the derailleur and bend it back. You can probably buy a 15" Crescent wrench for what a shop will charge you to align the hanger. It'll come in handy for removing freewheels too.