8 to 9 speed upgrade
 

Hey,

I have looked around for the answer to this and have been unable to find it.
I have a Trek 8000 mtb, and am upgrading from 8 to 9 speed.
Here is my current 8 speed drivetrain:

Crank: Deore LX FC-M569(4 arm roughly 2000)
Chain: Original with bike - IG
FrontDer: XT (~2000)
RearDer: Deore LX RD-M567 (original with bike 97)
Cassette: 8-speed Hyperglide-C (original 97)
RearHub: LX FH-M565 (original)
Shifters: XT 9 speed

As you can see, I have already replaced my shifters because I found a good deal on them.

My question is what do I need to buy to have my bike working well with mega-9. I know I will need a cassette and chain, but what else?

Will a 9-speed cassette fit onto my LX rear hub? Should I go with an XT, or will a LX suffice?

Is a new rear der necessary, or should my LX work fine?

I am grateful for any suggestions as I am trying to sort through all of this, and somewhat tired of sloppy shifting due to my 9 speed XT's with my 8 speed drivetrain ;).

Thanks!

A mega nine rear deralieur has narrower pulleys. An 8 speed chain will work on a 9 speed der., but I don't think vice versa is true. The pickups are different on the crank, but that will just cause slower shifts, but should not be a real issue.

Oh yeah, a nine speed cassette will fit on the same freehub. The cog spacing is what is different, which is why nine speed chains are narrower.

thanks...I am glad to hear that I don't need to replace my hub!

As for the crank...would it be worth my while to buy new chainrings?

And for the cassette, what is going to be the difference between LX and XT, and what size should I get?

if that 8 speed drivetrain is just going to be sitting around, ill gladly take it off your hands. how much would you want for it?

sshock,

I would definitely be interested in selling it.
I would sell the rear der., chain, and cassette. I would also sell the LX shifter/lever(canti) combo, but I am not sure if the rear shifter works. It worked great before removing it from the bike, but somehow, it seems to be frozen and the index finger shifter will not move?? I am not sure what the deal is with that.
PM me if you are interested in any of that.

XT and LX cassettes are not that much different just weight. The sizing is up to you. I believe XT cogs are available in smaller sizes for more speed, but that is your call. As for the chainrings I would wait and see how the old ones shift with the new chain first.

Some people suggest chainging the whole drivetrain and not just pieces, but for a real budget only change it if you have to.

bbarend...
thanks for the response.

I will replace both the chain and cassette at the same time. Performance is offering an HG-93 chain free with purchase of XT cassette at the price of $45, so I think I will go with that, and a XT Rear Der.

Raiyn...I wouldn't buy a six year old chain either, but if it's worth something to someone...I would be happy to part with it. ;)

thanks again