Can you mix the sprockets from SRAM and Shimano cassettes?

FrankGrimes

I have a Shimano 12-27 cassette and an 11-28 SRAM cassette (unused - to be used for the Alps). Both are 10 speed.

Can I mix and match the sprockets from each cassettes to any configuration of 10 sprockets or are the sizings and/or spacing incompatible? At a glance, the holes to slip it onto the freehub look the same on both cassettes.

For the moment I'd like to take the SRAM 11t sprocket and put it on the Shimano cassette in place of the 12t to give me 11-27. For the Alps I'd like to be able to have 28-27-25-23......-11 with the intention of using mainly the 27T or 25T with the 28T there to fall back on if needed.

Is this doable? I'll be due to put a new chain (will go for SRAM as I believe they're easier to remove/replace) in a few weeks which will give it a coupe of weeks to break in with the new configuration.

Caroline_ie

It depends on the freehub body. afaik, they're not compatible ( the bigger sprokets won't fit the freehub body ) .. I could be very wrong.

This has a bit about custom cassettes building. ( about 3/4 down the page )

kenmc

I *think* it'd probably work. You can run the same chain on shimano and sram, so the spacing is the same. You can put sram and shimano on the same freewheels, so the splines are the same. The only thing I can think of which might cause a bit of a problem is how the teeth line up relative to each other on the 2 different cogs beside each other, and if there'd be a problem with the gear shift, but somehow I think it'd be ok.

penexpers

I'm fairly sure that SRAM sprockets fit a Shimano freehub body.

kenmc

penexpers wrote: »

I'm fairly sure that SRAM sprockets fit a Shimano freehub body.

definitely do.

niceonetom

Sram and shimano deffinitely fit the same freehub - it's whether the horizontal spacing is divided evenly between each cog that'll be the issue.

I tried to use the 11t off a 11-25 sram cassette instead of the 12t on a 12- 25 sram cassette and it didn't work for me.

Caroline_ie

penexpers wrote: »

I'm fairly sure that SRAM sprockets fit a Shimano freehub body.

Sram Cassette don't fit the DuraAce Freehub body ... that's all I know, maybe the others do. Sorry for the confusion if I caused any.

FrankGrimes

niceonetom wrote: »

Sram and shimano deffinitely fit the same freehub - it's whether the horizontal spacing is divided evenly between each cog that'll be the issue.

I tried to use the 11t off a 11-25 sram cassette instead of the 12t on a 12- 25 sram cassette and it didn't work for me.

Yeh I'd say that's likely to be a problem alright. I doubt there's much harm in trying it out and just changing the gears while the bike is in a stand so there's not much pressure on them?

blorg

The shifting ramps would not line up so it would probably work but your shifting quality would be reduced.

Why don't you just stick the SRAM 11-28 on and be done with it? That is certainly what I would do. You will need a 28 on the Marmotte course more than you need an 11.

I am not sure about SRAM cassettes but the 27-24-21 on a Shimano 10 speed 12-27 cassette are all joined together on a spider and are not seperable. So you couldn't stick anything in between those ratios. There might be issues also with the end cogs in each case being special in terms of the spacing, I think they are on the small cog (11 or 12T) anyway.

FrankGrimes

blorg wrote: »

Why don't you just stick the SRAM 11-28 on and be done with it?

That's what I'll end up doing, was just checking if mixing and matching was possible cos I'd have loaded it up with plenty of big cogs to give lots of options on the climbs. No biggie. Now that it looks unlikely I'll just work away with the 12-27 for a while and then stick the 11-28 on it.