8-speed chainrings on earlier crank?
11-17-19, 02:53 PM
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8-speed chainrings on earlier crank?
I routinely use 8-speed chains on pre-indeed cranks (Campy Record, early Dura-Ace, Sugino Mighty, etc). I'd like to mess around with different chainrings on my first gen Dura-Ace crank. 8-speed 130BCD chainrings are thick as thieves and reasonably inexpensive. Will my 8-speed chain get jammed between the thinner (?) chainrings? So early DA crank arms+8-speed rings+8-speed chain, go or no go?
11-17-19, 06:24 PM
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I'd expect it to work! My main geared bike for the last few years has seen 6-speed cranks with a variety of chainrings, all shifting well with an 8-speed chain:
Shimano 1051 (~3.45mm spider tab thickness) with 48/38 plain Sugino rings
Same, with 50T 9-speed Shimano outer and 38 plain Sugino ring
Sugino GT (~3.65mm spider tabs) with 48/34 9-speed chainrings
I think the main concern with skating/jamming comes when you're using really narrow chain, like 9/10 speed and up, on early cranks and rings.
Shimano 1051 (~3.45mm spider tab thickness) with 48/38 plain Sugino rings
Same, with 50T 9-speed Shimano outer and 38 plain Sugino ring
Sugino GT (~3.65mm spider tabs) with 48/34 9-speed chainrings
I think the main concern with skating/jamming comes when you're using really narrow chain, like 9/10 speed and up, on early cranks and rings.
11-17-19, 06:45 PM
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It's happened to me exactly twice using an 8-speed chain. Once, with a cheaper Sugino dvp-130 crank (on an '87 Schwinn Le Tour) and again with an SR Apex crank. Both times, a 5-speed chain corrected the problem.
11-18-19, 06:06 AM
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I wouldn't consider it out of the question for 8/9/10 speed chains to be finicky on some cranks due to spider mounting width, regardless of the rings.
-Kurt
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11-18-19, 07:44 AM
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Narrow note of caution.
monitor the length of the chain ring nut and bolt assembly. You want the bolt to contact the chainring first- not the nut end. the nut Being too short is ok- too long is not.
monitor the length of the chain ring nut and bolt assembly. You want the bolt to contact the chainring first- not the nut end. the nut Being too short is ok- too long is not.
