Shimano DuraAce/XT & XTR 8 speed compatibility

[Peachy!]

Evening.....

So, I'm going through my bits and bats and wondering what I want to use for a build and what I'm never going to use and should therefore sell and I came across some lovely early 8 speed sis DuraAce bar end shifters that I thought may well make a nice practical lever option for a 2 x 8 speed touring bike I'm planning that will be predominantly dressed in 600 Arabesque..

Now I've heard they are notoriously tricky to match with anything but the original group components but the DuraAce RD-7402 has a very short cage that will only cope with 26t... now to get my mass up and over the hills I need something a little more sympathetic to my knees such as 32t....

So the question is, has anyone either tried Dura Ace levers with 8sp XT or XTR rear mechs or tried shoe horning a longer cage on?

 

[legrandefromage]

They should be fine with any mech from about 2009 backwards (with the appropriate chain)

I've never had any real issues with DA shifters and non DA mechs though

You can take apart an older road mech and add an MTB cage if you feel like it, I made a champagne 105 long cage

Heres Dura-Ace 10spd shifters with DEore MT-60 mechs and a 10spd SRAM cassette - it all shifted fine

 

[legrandefromage]

9spd Da shifters and 1986 Deore mechs (pre MT-60)

 

[Peachy!]

Ok cheers LGF... I’ll give it a go with an XT mech first before I buy anything...

 

[legrandefromage]

9spd DA running Mountain LX

 

[legrandefromage]

Large chain ring for keeping the chain tensioned and not flapping around when speeding downhill or wind assisted flats

good brakes

And a small middle ring for plodding up the hills - 32t 32t?, then that longer cage will again keep the chain from trying to do its own thing.

 

[Jamiedyer]

The combination will work no problems. My blue KOMercia runs DA 8speed downtube shifters mated to XT 8 speed long cage rear derailleur and a XT triple front. No problems.
My other Mercian ran a short rear DA7400 to a set of DA down tube levers no problem.
My Surly Long Haul trucker runs 9 speed 7700 Dura Ace downtube levers to a XT rear derailleur and a Sora triple front. No problem there in a lot of heavy duty miles.
You'll be fine

Jamie

 

[Peachy!]

Thank you gentleman :xmas-big-grin:

 

[Rod_Saetan]

Yeah, I have a DA 8 speed shifter matched to an M735 mech and 8 speed Shimano 12-32 cassette that works flawlessly.

 

[jordic1968]

Hi, going through the same, but does anybody know why in Shimano tech specs they say old XT RDs like m735, m739 and even 9 speed 105 RD 1056 do not work with DA shifters ?? (here an example for 1056 but it says the same for old 8 speed XT RD (not for 9 speed ones like m750 and m770)