Is there a difference of spacing between cogs on a 7 speed cassette vs a 8 speed cassette?

Asked by: Lisa Stokes

Are 7 and 8 speed cassettes interchangeable?

There are a very few exceptions: 7-speed hubs won’t normally accept 8-, 9- or 10 speed cassettes without modification. Click here for details. 7-speed cassettes fit fine on 8- and 9-speed (and most 10-speed) hubs if you put a 4.5 mm spacer onto the body before the cassette.

Are cassette cogs interchangeable?

Unfortunately, the choices for changing the large cogs on cassettes are limited by the fact that some of the cogs are riveted together and working as one piece. You can only replace that “group” of cogs with another made by the company that made your cassette.

Will a 9 speed chain work on a 7 speed cassette?

Yeah! The difference between the 7 and 9sp chains is the thickness of the outerplates, which are thinner on the 9sp to permit closer placement of the cogs on the cassette. You will have no problems with the cassette, but if you use a front end designed for 7sp, the chain can get stuck between the rings.

Can I put a 8 speed freewheel on a 7 speed bike?

One of the issues is the freewheel axle spacer is sized for the 7speed. You will probably hit the frame if you put an 8 speed freewheel on. I add 2 thin 2-3mm axle nuts, one on either side of the hub, to give the chain just the little vit of extra spacing it needs to fit with the extra gear.

Can an 8-speed derailleur work on a 7-speed cassette?

6-, 7- and 8-speed gear is all cross-compatible in terms of chain width. The only time you’d hit a problem is if the shifter and the cassette weren’t made for the same number of gears, for example you could imagine a scenario (e.g. 7-speed cassette, 8-speed shifter) where you might click past the edge of the cassette.

How do you put a 8-speed cassette on a 7-speed hub?

Quote from video: So this would be tightened down with a little lock ring let's see how there's a big spacer in there this is just not as wide as an eight or nine speed cassette.

Are Shimano cogs interchangeable?

According to the late great Sheldon Brown, yes you can change an individual sprocket in a cassette, at least for Shimano. Some cassettes have small bolts or rivets holding the gears together, but this is for convenience.

Does the number of teeth on a cassette matter?

A higher amount of teeth makes it easier to pedal than a low number and vice versa. Most road bikes come supplied with a 12–25T cassette, where the smallest sprocket has 12 teeth and the largest sprocked has 25 teeth.

Which cassette ratio is best for climbing?

For hill climbing and mountainous terrain, we recommend a road cassette such as the 11-32T SRAM Red 22 XG1190 11 Speed Cassette (A2), or the 11-34T Shimano Ultegra R8000 11 Speed Cassette.

Will a 10 speed chain work on a 7 speed cassette?

10-speed derailleurs are not compatible with 7-speed cassettes and should not be combined on your bike. You however may be able to make it work if you change the shifters and chains on your bike to 10-speed too, but it’s not advisable to match components of different speeds.

Will a 10 speed chain work on a 7 speed chainring?

7 speed systems use slightly wider chains, and the teeth on the chainring are slightly wider too. You might run into an issue with a ten speed chain not fitting over the teeth, or at least not fitting well. This is not a maybe. Shimano 6/7/8 speed chainrings will not fit a 10 speed chain.

Can I use a 9 speed derailleur on a 7 speed cassette?

Can I use a 9-speed derailleur on a 7-speed cassette? The answer is yes because the rear shift ratio of 9-speed and 7-speed derailleurs is the same if you stay within the same brand.

Can I put a bigger cassette on my bike?

Yes, almost any bike is compatible with bigger cassettes, bike drivetrain is groupset of components that works in perfect harmony, any miss reconfiguring can break the perfect functionality of the system, parts that need to be changed and reconfigured when putting bigger cassette which is long-chain, wide cage

Are 7 speed derailleurs interchangeable?

Shimano derailleurs marketed as 7, 8, 9 speed (and in addition, 10 speed road), can be interchanged in any of those speed drivetrains.

How can I tell what speed my cassette is?

Quote from video:

Are all 8 speed cassettes interchangeable?

Most Shimano-compatible freewheel bodies accept 8-speed cassettes.. Note the following exceptions: Aluminum 10-speed freehub bodies with taller splines work only with 10-speed sprockets. The wider 8-speed cassette does not fit on the narrower 7-speed body.

Can I put a 10 speed cassette on a 7 speed hub?

Condensed answer: If you have a 7-speed specific hub, you won’t be able to install a 10-speed cassette on it because the hub will be too short. If the hub isn’t 7-speed specific, and actually designed for more speeds, you will be able to install a 10-speed cassette on it.

Are bike cassettes interchangeable?

In some cases, it is possible to run a cassette from a different brand than the rest of your drivetrain. SRAM and Shimano cassettes, on either road or mountain bike, are interchangeable with each other as the spacing is the same between the sprockets.

Are 6 7 8 speed chains the same?

Chains for 6-, 7-, or 8-speed cassettes are generally universally compatible across brands and speeds. That means if a chain says “8-speed Shimano” you can use it in your old 6-speed, too.

Can I use a 9 speed derailleur on a 7 speed cassette?

Can I use a 9-speed derailleur on a 7-speed cassette? The answer is yes because the rear shift ratio of 9-speed and 7-speed derailleurs is the same if you stay within the same brand.

Are Shimano chains directional?

The Shimano CN-HG900 Chain is directional and 11-speed specific.