Bicycle Mechanics - sram powerlink on shimano chain?

8 speed... Usually use sram chains, but had a new pulled shimano 8 speed that I'd thought I'd use rather than buy another chain.

Seems like the sram link is a tad too narrow for the shimano chain... thought this worked?

I use 9s SRAM links on Shimano 9s chains, and I am pretty sure I have an 8s SRAM link on an 8s Shimano chain on one bike.

I use Sram (and sometimes KMC, I think) 8sp quicklinkslinks on my 8speed Shimano chains, and I have for as long as I can remember. It works fine, and except for a few threads on bikeforums about chains lately, I havn't given the mismatch a second thought in years.

Interesting.. I've fiddled and fiddled, seems like the link is just a hair too short on the posts. (or the chain a touch wide) Link is definitely a SRAM silver for 8 speed, and the Chain a brand new Shimano HG-50 It just ain't happening.

From an OLD BF post:

" In the case of 8 speed, they're right. The 9 speed (gold) powerlink works fine with a Shimano 9 speed chains. The 8 speed (silver) powerlink doesn't work with the Shimano 8 speed chains - there's too much of a difference in width"

and:

"Of course the manufacturers say it won't work. In the case of 8 speed, they're right. The 9 speed (gold) powerlink works fine with a Shimano 9 speed chains. The 8 speed (silver) powerlink doesn't work with the Shimano 8 speed chains - there's too much of a difference in width.Your chance to learn something today.There are 2 shimano 8 speed chains.HG is 7.4mm and IG is 7.1mm. Sram 8 speed is 7.1.Therefore the sram link should work on a shaimano 8 speed IG chain"

Learn something new every day :). I'll just head to the LBS in the am and pick up a chain. I prefer sram anyway.

Your chance to learn something today.There are 2 shimano 8 speed chains.HG is 7.4mm and IG is 7.1mm. Sram 8 speed is 7.1.Therefore the sram link should work on a shaimano 8 speed IG chain"

Learn something new every day :)

I just went out and looked; I do indeed have an 8s (silver) SRAM link on a Shimano 8s chain. And yes, it is an *IG* chain.

Hey, I'm just glad I found out this way. Considering that I've been carrying these as spares if my chain broke. Rather find out this way. Thanks everyone for the sanity check!

-Roger

The IG chains were supposed to be for MTB use and the HG chains for road use. However, I've used the IG90 chains for years and thousands and thousands of miles on road bikes and they've always performed flawlessly and were very durable.

The IG90 was the sweet spot in Shimano's 8-speed chain range as it was nicely finished and I bought them for $12 to $15.

A link that fits properly will have .004-.008 inch of clearance between the inner and outer plates. If you have no feeler gages, that's about 1-2 thicknesses of paper, or pop can aluminum.

If you can't get a link to close, it's probably much too narrow.

Problem solved... SRAM 970 chain for $12 at my LBS this morning :)

Sram PC-48 retails for liek $10 with a powerlink. Screw shimano and their stupid chain joining systems. Time to embrace superior technology people.

Sigh. I just found out the hard way this doesn't work with an 8sp Powerlink and 8sp Shimano HG chain. I could have sworn I saw somewhere that it did, so I tried it on a chain I just cleaned.

Shimano chains are a PITA. Gonna go w/SRAM chains only, just much easier to deal with.