Originally Posted by
FastJake
I'm not sure if I'm misunderstanding you but I think you have a slight error.
7S and 8S spacing is just a tiny bit different. 7S Shimano is 5mm and 8S Shimano is 4.8mm. So you can sometimes go back and forth with the 7/8 shifters/cassettes, but it does not always play well. It can be tricky to get it setup just right if you mismatch.
Hmm, I've never had an issue. I knew they were different, but in the name of minimal confusion, I left that detail out. In fact, those suntour XC pro 7/8 speed thumbies used to come OEM on kona MTBs in the 90s. Never had an issue there either.