Yes c to c18in?
Yes, I'm still using the original 8 cogs that came with the hub when I had it built by Merlin back in 1994. Still work perfect. Recently changed all bearings (5 in the back!)If you are using 577 hubs does that mean you are stuck with using ultra rare Mavic cassettes from the "Mountain" group?
I got a pair of 8 speed micro shift cassettes last week. I may experiment with them.Fantastic hubs.I had 2 sets of the earlier(freewheel) Paris Gao Dakar hubs on M7CD rims.Easily the strongest(and one of the heaviest) wheelsets I have ever ridden.Could you put a Dremel to a cassette and get it to fit?