Shimano hub with 8 speed campagnolo spacing

[garygkn]

I am searching for an 8 speed Campagnolo hub but they seem scarce.
Is there a work round?
I have some Ultegra wheels I think they are 9/10 speed hubs.

I found this whilst searching for info:

http://forum.bikerag.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=12256

This is possible, but you need a couple things:
1. New Shimano 8 speed cassette (recommend the Ultegra)
2. New 8 speed chain (SRAM 8 speed with masterlink is good)
3. Cassette spacer conversion from Quality Bike Parts (your LBS should have this in their catalog) for the Shimano to Campy conversion.

Once you have all this stuff you just install the new spacers, put on the new chain, lube and adjust, and ride into the sunset.

I know that this works well because I used to race a similar setup on a pair of Mavic Classic Pros that came with a Shimano only compatible spline for the 8 speed. It worked great, and continues to up until the present day.

As an aside, you may want to stock up on these parts because 8 speed stuff is getting pretty tough to find. I had to source a Campy cassette last spring when the drivetrain got all and skippy and it was a tough thing to do. Ultimately Nashbar had it but it was a pain.

Good luck!

[mattsccm]

I might have a 32 hole Campag Avanti hub. ie bottom of the range and got to be 10 years old but with maybe 100 miles.

[CREPELLO]

You may have some success altering the cable clamp on the rear mech for the correct amount of pull. Highpath engineering have a useful page on pull ratios and clamp modding HERE. Modern Shimano freehubs (except Dura Ace) will still accept Shimano 8 speed cassettes. So with the Ultegra hub a little re-alignment at the clamp of your mech should do it.

[garygkn]

Golly looks like a Shimano 7 speed is the same space as a Campag 8 speed.

[MartinC]

Gary, yes this is right. Campag 7 and 8 and Shimano 7 were all 5mm spacing. So you could run a 7 speed Shimano hub and cassette on your Campag transmission (with 1 less gear of course).

[garygkn]

Cheers I will keep looking for a suitable hub but if it looks impossible I will do the work round.
Recycling is not a word I would now associate with drive train compatibility.
When will the powers that be upgrade equipment every 6 months?

[hamster]

You can also make a Campag 8 speed cassette from a 9 speed one provided you have the spacers from an old Campag 8 speed cassette. These will then fit onto the later 9/10 speed hubs.

[fenderbender]

Hi! May I resurrect this thread as I have a similar Q and in dire straits:

Have a set of Campa 8-speed Avanti Ergopower brifters I'd like to use with a 9-speed hub and a re-spaced 9-sp cassett. I have tried to respace the cassett by loosing the inner cog and fitting a Shimano inner spacer in it's place. I've placed extra cut out beer can aluminium spacers between each cog. So it's shifting fairly well now but still skipping a cog on each run up and down the gears.

- Anyone have a clue how to get it to shift better?
- Should I ad or redistribute the beer can spacers?
- Does it matter that I'm using a Shimano RD-1050 7-sp short rear derailleur?

Much obliged! /Pete

[CREPELLO]

Beer can spacers - blimey Not come across that one before. You could try sourcing thinner beer cans, as you say it's skipping a gear, which implies the spacing is too wide.

May I suggest that you put a request out for an expired 8 speed cassette for doner spacers (in the Wanted forum)

[MartinC]

Your post doesn't make it clear what type (Campag or Shimano) of 9 speed cassette you're trying to respace, nor what sort of hub you're trying to use (Campag 8 speed, Campag 9/10/11 speed or Shimano). Without knowing this it's hard to know what choices you have.

[fenderbender]

Sorry, I'm using a 9sp Campa cassette and hub.
As it's over shifting isn't it more likely that an extra alu-spacer is needed?
Would try it if I had more beer at home to empty..
Reason for all this is that a friend have asked me to put together a cheep 'commutour' from what's left in my parts bin as his got nicked recently. Have been trying loads of different set ups and except a 7sp Shimano hub/cassette, this is what's working best so far.

Edit: I have read the articles by Sheldon Brown and Chris Juden but it's of little help as I don't have a accurate tool to measure thickness and distance to a 1/10 mm.

[CJ]

Does it matter that I'm using a Shimano RD-1050 7-sp short rear derailleur?

Matter? It's crucial!

When you shift a Shimano mech with Campag shifters, the mech shifts further than the Campag mech those Campag the shifters are designed to work with. There are a few lucky combinations, like if you have 10-speed Ergopowers the Shimano mech nicely shifts a Shimano 8-speed cassette. But if you shift it with 8-speed Ergos, I'm afraid it will go even further per click than the 5.5mm spacing between old 6-speed sprockets.

[MartinC]

Fenderbender, the only sprockets that will fit on the hub are Campag 9/10/11 speed ones. As Chris says - spacing these to work with 8 speed ergos and a Shimano mech will be quite a challenge - there's no commercially available solution to this that I know of. You'll need to custom build a set of spacers or see if there's some weird combination of spacers and shift ratio adjustment (Shiftmate or Hubbub) that will do the trick. Not easy.

It's not a fruitful mix to improve either. Replacing the Ergos with friction shifters would be the cheapest way. Otherwise you need to change at least 2 of the shifter, mech, hub and cassette equation.

[fenderbender]

Chris & Martin, thanks for the tip!
Any possible diy treatment you recommend?
Should I try adding a couple more spacers?
Come to far to back down now!

[fenderbender]

Chris, would a Dura Ace / Hubbub wire rout modification lessen the travel of the rear mech?