Spacers for 8 speed Campagnolo on a 9 speed plus hub

[KneesUp]

At the moment my “good” bike is on the turbo so I hardly ever ride it outdoors, so I’m putting together a ‘nice but cheap’ bike to live on the turbo, using the Peugeot frame my dad used to commute on in the 70s and 80s. It‘s been hanging in the cellar for years, so it will be nice to use it.

A wee rummage in the ”that’s a bargain and it might be useful one day” pile has unearthed, among other things, a pair of 8 speed Campy Mirage levers, a ropey looking but apparently functional Chorus 8 speed mech and a pair of Campy Proton wheels. We’re almost rolling. I even found a Chorus crankset (no chain wheels or bolts) and a Chorus bb which I‘ve never used as I don't own the tool to fit the thing …

Anyway - enough of my unhealthily large pile of parts - unfortunately the wheels have the current (9 speed plus) free hub, and all the 8 speed cassettes seem to fit the older Campy free hubs. A bit of research suggests you used to be able to buy a spacer kit for this purpose, but I can‘t find one for sale. What is less clear, and my actual question, is, can I use a 9 speed cassette with the spacers off an 8 speed? (I mean, I don’t have those spacers either, but they seem easier to come by!) Thanks.

 

[oldkingcoal]

At the moment my “good” bike is on the turbo so I hardly ever ride it outdoors, so I’m putting together a ‘nice but cheap’ bike to live on the turbo, using the Peugeot frame my dad used to commute on in the 70s and 80s. It‘s been hanging in the cellar for years, so it will be nice to use it.

A wee rummage in the ”that’s a bargain and it might be useful one day” pile has unearthed, among other things, a pair of 8 speed Campy Mirage levers, a ropey looking but apparently functional Chorus 8 speed mech and a pair of Campy Proton wheels. We’re almost rolling. I even found a Chorus crankset (no chain wheels or bolts) and a Chorus bb which I‘ve never used as I don't own the tool to fit the thing …

Anyway - enough of my unhealthily large pile of parts - unfortunately the wheels have the current (9 speed plus) free hub, and all the 8 speed cassettes seem to fit the older Campy free hubs. A bit of research suggests you used to be able to buy a spacer kit for this purpose, but I can‘t find one for sale. What is less clear, and my actual question, is, can I use a 9 speed cassette with the spacers off an 8 speed? (I mean, I don’t have those spacers either, but they seem easier to come by!) Thanks.

I got spacers from wheels manufacturing for this many years ago and am still using it. I'm searching for another set so I can use it for an elite trainer

 

[Ajax Bay]

Appreciate this is an old thread of @KneesUp so probably has this sorted.

unhealthily large pile of parts . . . .

can I use a 9 speed cassette with the spacers off an 8 speed?

But a hack (inexpensive/large pile) is to use a worn (9sp) sprocket as a spacer with an 8sp cassette. The difference in freehub length 8sp > 9sp is 1.3mm (38.2 - 36.9). A 9sp sprocket is 1.75mm thick. The lockring will still have plenty of thread to grip on securely (even for the road).
If you use 9sp sprockets (9 of them) with 8sp spacers the cassette will not fit on the 9sp freehub (too long).
If you use eight 9sp sprockets with seven 8sp spacers the cassette will be well short (about 1.2mm).
https://sheldonbrown.com/cribsheet-spacing.html