jimbossa

I have a Shimano Dura Ace 8-speed groupset paired with 7700 9-speed shifters that worked for over a decade. A month or two ago, my right shifter started having problems shifting into the smallest cog. Fearing the fate that befell the original 8-speed STI shifters, I took my bike to the LBS who told me the shifters were cooked.

I sourced a replacement set of used 7700 shifters and the LBS have told me that they also don't work. I wanted to consult the forum to see if there were things I should check with my rear derailleur as it seems odd that two shifters would both have the same issues or if I just had really bad luck.

Also curious if anyone had a set of Dura Ace 8-speed downtube shifters and/or Dura Ace aero levers from the same period as I'm beginning to lean toward going back to downtube shifters as they are probably more bomb-proof and less finicky.

ctak

I've used 7700 and 7900 downtube shifters extensively. Highly recommended when matched with the appropriate cassette.

The Golden Boy 

It shouldn't work- 8 speed DA is a different pull ratio from 9 speed DA.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/dura-ace.html

jimbossa

Funnily enough, I used Sheldon Brown's site back in 2009 when I first had to source replacements for the 8-speed STI shifters. If you see from the table, any 9-speed shifter works with the 8-speed cassette. I also had a working setup for over a decade, just unsure if I got hit by a series of bad luck recently.

The Golden Boy 

What derailleur are you using?

jimbossa

Shimano Dura Ace 7402 8-speed rear derailleur

Dylansbob 

90% chance your shifters just need flushed.

When I worked at a shop, it wasn't encouraged to do because they'd rather I upsell a set of brifters.

I was taught to use Boeshield T9 in the aerosol. Spray the crap out of the mechanism while you run through the clicks each way. T9, as told to me at least, works well becaues it has a solvent to soften up the old dried grease and leaves a teflon residue. Other people I've heard do a degreaser flush, then T9 or another spray lube.

rjhammett

I have 7700 STIs working really well with a 7402 rear derailleur on one of my Merckx bikes. It has an 8 speed cassette and chain.

Soody

I bought some new Dura Ace 9spd downtube shifters off wiggle about 5 years ago. I think they have been discontinued but should be still available somewhere at an inflated price. Those will last for ever. That would be my pick. Sunrace makes 9spd DT shifters too for cheap option.

The Golden Boy 

It shouldn't work, 8 speed DA derailleurs have a different pull ratio from 9 speed shifters- regardless of cassette.


I didn't notice when you posted it before- but the chart shows that 9 speed shifters will not work with an 8 speed cassette, nor an 8 speed derailleur. That's why the "9 speed shifter" box is white instead of yellow.

As to how it was working before... maybe you had the cable routed improperly, maybe there was just enough slop in the system that the Centeron pulley corrected enough for you...

(the only reason I pay any attention to this stuff was trying to figure out why Suntour Accushift stuff works with some Shimano components and not others)

blamester

Check shimano tech docs. They are listed sl-7700 9 speed or sl-7400 8 speed same part.
Interchangeable.
They where designed that way.

jimbossa

I tried flushing out the first set of 7700 shifters but unfortunately no luck. Will try with the second set too but unfortunately not too confident.

I'm leaning towards going downtube shifters too but figured if I'm going downtube, might as well go period correct and try for Dura Ace 8-speed ones. Irrespective, downtube shifters and aero levers appear harder and harder to procure/find. Will give the SunRace ones a look.

BradH

Any Shimano SIS 9 speed shifter will work with an 8 speed 740X rear derailleur when used with an 8 speed cassette. The shifter doesn't even need to be dura ace. 9 speed SIS and 8 speed DA pull the same amount of cable.

blamester

I have been using them for a decade. The right shifter is starting to go at 30000 miles. Mine would still work good if I chose to use the index function. But for me the friction mode is better.
Dura ace brake levers are hard to get. 105 and 6400 are o.k.
If you have 7400 single pivots I recommend 105 non aero levers. Best quality Shimano component I ever bought and v brake power.
A long pull but 1 finger from any speed.
​​​​​​

canklecat

Shimano bar-end shifters are still pretty easy to find, mostly catering to tri-folk before electronic shifting, and should work, if you don't mind that setup vs brifters or downtube shifters.

I have an 8-speed Ultegra bar-end setup on one hybrid with Nitto albatross swept bars, and a 10-speed Dura Ace set cannibalized from an old time trial bike with cracked frame. That DA bar-end set will soon go on a newish carbon fiber road bike as a compromise road/TT bike, since I'm not gonna spend money on a dedicated TT/tri-bike. It'll be fine for the occasional use of aero bars for as long as my cranky old neck can tolerate it -- about a minute at a time before neck spasms set in. The Shimano bar-end shifters can be used in index or friction mode (RD only, I think the left/front derailleur shifters are all friction only), and I've used 'em both ways, no problems. Very simple setup compared with Shimano STI brifters, should outlast me.

MicroShift brifters are an economical alternative. Not as elegant as Shimano but functional. I've used a set of older MicroShift R7 brifters on a couple of bikes for the past two years, no problems with 7-speed Deore LX RD and 8-speed 600 Tricolor Ultegra (on a 7-speed cassette). The MicroShift technically aren't "brifters" (and at least one BF mechanic hates that term anyway), because the brake and shift levers are completely separate. But they work fine, if a bit plasticky and clunky sounding.

grizzly59

My ultegra right brifter was acting up, replaced the cable, flushed out a tiny piece of cable strand w ATF and an air gun, works like new. Don’t try to take it apart.

Soody

by the way the new 9 speed DA i mentioned aren't DA pull they're just regular 9spd pull so should work if you find them. MFG until recently so should be available new. I know DT shifters are bombproof but they also kind of aren't, the indent rings do lose crispness. New ones are nice.