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-   -   MTB 9-speed upgrade (https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-mechanics/414625-mtb-9-speed-upgrade.html)

Old School 05-04-08 07:01 PM

MTB 9-speed upgrade
 
I am replacing the stock OEM Shimano 8-speed rapid fire shifter/brake levers on my mountain bike with new 9-speed Shimano LX M580 shifter/brakes. Can I set these up for now with my 8-speed rear end until I upgrade the RD, cassette and chain to 9-speed?

sch 05-04-08 07:10 PM

Why not do the cassette at the same time and avoid 90% of the problem. Chain and RD
can be changed at leisure. 8spd chain and RD should work acceptably on the 9spd
provided the chain is not worn. For that matter, 9spd chains are inexpensive enough
to change if there is any question of wear. Sheldon Brown's site has some discussion
of 8-9spd compatibilities.

well biked 05-04-08 07:44 PM

There's no need to change the rear derailleur when you go to nine speed, your "8 speed" rear derailleur should work fine with the nine speed setup. The "speeds" are in the shifters and the cassette, not the derailleur. Nine speed requires a narrower chain than eight speed. So you will need a nine speed chain and nine speed cassette to go with your nine speed shifters.

Since you're looking for a temporary solution until you get the new cassette and chain, you might try the alternate cable routing technique shown on Sheldon's site. The alternate cable routing will (more or less) alter the amount of movement of the rear derailleur per click of the nine speed shifters so that the shifters will work work with the eight speed cassette. No guarantees it will work to your satisfaction, but it doesn't cost anything to try it.

Here's the link:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_aa-l.html#alternate

Old School 05-04-08 08:25 PM


Originally Posted by well biked (Post 6636415)
There's no need to change the rear derailleur when you go to nine speed, your "8 speed" rear derailleur should work fine with the nine speed setup. The "speeds" are in the shifters and the cassette, not the derailleur. Nine speed requires a narrower chain than eight speed. So you will need a nine speed chain and nine speed cassette to go with your nine speed shifters.

Since you're looking for a temporary solution until you get the new cassette and chain, you might try the alternate cable routing technique shown on Sheldon's site. The alternate cable routing will (more or less) alter the amount of movement of the rear derailleur per click of the nine speed shifters so that the shifters will work work with the eight speed cassette. No guarantees it will work to your satisfaction, but it doesn't cost anything to try it.

Here's the link:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_aa-l.html#alternate

Thanks for the great feedback! :rolleyes:

well biked 05-04-08 08:32 PM


Originally Posted by Old School (Post 6636678)
Thanks for the great feedback! :rolleyes:

No problem, but why the rolling eyes?

kramnnim 05-04-08 09:36 PM

That alternate cable route thing didn't work when I tried it...though it might still be worth a try, as it only takes a minute.

Old School 05-05-08 03:03 PM


Originally Posted by well biked (Post 6636721)
No problem, but why the rolling eyes?

Oops, looks like I am guilty of a "forum faux pas". I just realized that smiley is labeled "sarcastic". I guess I have been using it incorrectly to refer back to the line above it. Thanks for the correction! :)

well biked 05-05-08 03:20 PM


Originally Posted by Old School (Post 6641124)
Oops, looks like I am guilty of a "forum faux pas". I just realized that smiley is labeled "sarcastic". I guess I have been using it incorrectly to refer back to the line above it. Thanks for the correction! :)

:D I thought I gave you a pretty good summary of your upgrade, but you had me wondering if I said something offensive without knowing it-:)


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