gearing question
 

anybody in here know off hand iff my rear derailleur shimano RD-M737, will work with a 9 speed cassette? it says 8 SIS on the pulley cage, but i did throw some extra 9 speed deore shifters on the bike. just would like to know for sure before i take apart some stuff. thanks.

Yes, as long as you have 9 speed shifters.

Won't work.

What? Why not?

Doesn't have the range of movement.

i have an old 7 speed derail on a 9 speed bike, works fine, technically they are not compatible (range issue) but i've never had a problem, most of the time you can get away with it but its not "right" it was my understanding that 8speed cassettes are slightly narrower (distance from big cog to little cog) than 9 speed ones but i've been told by people on this forum that that is not true, regardless it seems to work just fine most of the time (but you can't be 100% sure w/o trying

yea so i just went ahead and did it, no probs, just have to do a few rear derailleur adjustments, but shifts onto each cog ok, the problem now is having it stay on the cog while pedaling =.:thumb: thanks.

staying on cog while pedaling is one (or more) of 3 probs, 1 improper cable tension, 2 bent derail hanger, 3 worn chain/cassette

the most likely is #1

i think i need a newer 9 speed chain because the one still on there is for an 8

you'll want a 9speed chain. mostly, the shifter must match the cassette, but there's as much "swing" in a 8speed cassette as there is in a 9.

good luck

yeah i assumed when you switched to 9 speed that you switched to chain cassette and shifters, cause the 8 speed chain is wider than the 9 speed one (10speed is even thinner) so the xtra wide chain catches on the ramps of the next size up ring since the gears on a 9 speed cassette are closer together and it jumps around,