Originally Posted by
Gonzo Bob
The cable pull of Shimano 9-speed shifters and Dura-Ace 8-speed shifters is the same.
No, the cable pull is not the same but the combination of the 9-speed Shimano shifters (2.5mm) with the 8-speed Dura-Ace rear derailleur (1.9 ratio) just happens to result in very nearly correct pitch (2.75) for an 8-speed Shimano cassette. I've learned something. Here is a chart presented by the UK cyclist organization that helps explain how this works:
http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault...D=3946#Shimano
Bottom line is the OP should try using 9-speed Shimano shifters combined with the 8-speed D-A RD. It should work well, like Bob Barker and Gonzo Bob have said. But this would not work with a standard Shimano rear derailleur.