Hi there-
So I inherited a GT Zaskar from friends Dad, am building it up and about to put a new rear derailleur on, but I'm kind of sketched by what was there before, and unsure how I should approach a new hanger. See before pic (weird piece + spring) and now cleaned pic. It might be hard to see without zooming in but the frame where the derailleur would attach (not sure the name for that, behind the drop out) is kinda thin and scratched up. I'm not totally clear on what type of derailleur hanger to buy for this Zaskar and how to attach a new derailleur hanger as I don't have a reference from what was there before.
Anyone have experience with this set up? Would love some thoughts as I'm new to working on most components.
by waterouzelle
4 Comments
That hanger cannot be replaced, unfortunately, it’s part of the frame.
The weird piece was a helper spring that was meant to increase tension on the lower chain run in an attempt to eliminate a variety of issues (chain slap, chain suck, dropping chain off chainring).
This is a ’91 or ’92 Zaskar before GT used replaceable derailleur hangers. Just about any derailleur you’ll want to buy will bolt right into the integrated hanger.
FWIW, you shouldn’t clamp the downtube. You’re clamping on either the thinnest part of any frame tube or the 2nd-thinnest. The seat tube will have a thicker wall and less likely to get damaged until you have a seatpost to install and then clamp onto.
ETA: Idk if you are aware but you’ll also need to find a U-brake for the rear (which uses a short-pull cantilever brake lever). And, there is a black plastic crossover cable guide that’s missing from the seat tube.
https://preview.redd.it/cy41iwlv785f1.png?width=404&format=png&auto=webp&s=b42fb0783f88aff1513890da779c02574fae2b3d
Oooof the old knowledge is gone and it hasn’t been replaced 😐. That’s an accessory that supplemented the RD spring tension, similar but not the same as current clutch RDs. It’s very cool accessory and sadly unrecognized in the 1x billy bonkers zone.
That’s a classic 90s accessory!