8 speed shifter question

[mann1x]

Am not sure if somebody asked it before. But is it ok to install an 8-speed LX shifter on a 7-speed XC pro cassette? Is there a way to go with it? Thanks retro gurus!

 

[merckx]

shimano and suntour compatibilities aside, i don't think it will work very well, the shimano and suntour clusters have slightly different spacing between the sprockets.

font of all knowledge, sheldon brown has a great table describing the details, here:


http://sheldonbrown.com/cribsheet-spacing.html

 

[hamster]

Usually you can get 7 and 8 to interoperate - the float in the jockey wheel is enough to take up the difference - however it's typically more reliable to set indexing up on the middle cog rather than the smallest one or two. Also make sure that you set it so that 8 is the highest gear and not 7. Shimano typically pull a little extra cable on that first click which takes up slack in the system.

 

[mann1x]

Okay. Thanks everyone! I'll give those a try. If things go awry i'll get some thumbies and sell these instead.