Hi folks, my question is, has anyone mounted a Shimano 2x11 SLX(m7000) or Xt (m8000) outer chainring onto a Deore (m6000) 2x10 outer position. Are they swappable? Bcd matches. Wolftooth sells a 1x chainring that states it fits all three. I’d like to keep my m6000 2x10 crankset and have the availability to use other chainrings.

If the BCD is the same and the bolt holes are countersunk (newer stuff unlike most vintage chain rings) and it states that it's a 'narrow/wide' it should be fine.

Thank you for your response. The bcd is the same. The ring bolts are slightly different. The rings I would like to put onto my fc m6000-2 would be either Shimano (2x)SLX or XT stock and not narrow wide. Thank you.

Ringsets tend to be matched so that the chain will cleanly transfer from one ring to the other. This means the teeth of one ring will be clocked in relation to the other such that wherever the chain rises or falls the distance is a discreet integer number of links. Else wise it would be landing on a tooth tip or skip & drop violently. Shimano has various sets usually marked "AE", "AJ", or similar. As long as the letter pairing is the same, all rings of that set should shift appropriately with any other ring of that set..

There is one case where I had used a triple outer ring with a double inner ring on a mountain crankset. I thought all would be well on account of the above advice. It turns out that a 1.2mm spacer was needed to move the ring inboard so that the chain wouldn't drop between the rings & skate. That was a double/triple, 10/11 speed compatibility issue. Nevertheless, when that issue was addressed, shifting (AE, AJ or whatever it was) was flawless.

Match the 2 letter designation and clock both rings appropriately for best shifting performance.

I've never replaced the smaller chain ring on any bike I've owned as I so seldom use it. But I have replaced the larger chain rings with all kinds of different brands. So long as the BCD and number of teeth as well as the bolt hole style has been the same, they've worked fine and shifted fine. I haven't tried any of the really cheap Chinese ones yet, but I plan on trying one next time I need a CR just to see how they stack up. I'm expecting they'll be like their no-name chains and not last but a few hundred miles.

The OP clearly said these are 2x11 chainrings. Narrowwide cheinrings are 1x

All my bikes are 2x and I've been running narrow/wide with zero shifting problems up front. I didn't realize that narrow/wide were 1x. My bad.

The point of a narrow wide chainring, is to make it difficult for the chain to come off the chainring. In a 2X setup you want the chain to come off the chainring regularly. I can't imagine you have no problem shifting up front.

Wow, shifting on narrow wide chainrings, that’s pretty good. Just trying to reuse the perfectly good crank and there seems to be plenty of reasonably priced 6000/7000/8000 series rings. With their funky asym. pattern you’re locked into a small subset of options. On a side note, does anyone have thoughts on durability on stated outer rings (36t or 38t) particularly road miles. Are they just as durable as their aluminum road counterparts? Thank you everyone.

I so rarely use the small ring that I never really paid much attention, but you're absolutely correct. When that chain comes back up to the big ring I have to take it slow till it engages with the chain properly. I have always feathered my front DR when I shift because of growing up with friction shifters. I have 2 new 52t chain rings coming that are not narrow/wide. I can only imagine how much nicer the front DR is going to work.

It’s good to know that it actually functions, thus slowly. With new non narrow wide………be like butter. Have to name that bike “New Money”