Chainring - Crank arm compatibility

[chengher87]

Does anyone have any experience mating Shimano 10 speed chain-rings (a Shimano 6600 53T and Shimano 5700 39T or 6600 39T) to the 9 speed crank arms (Shimano 5501 crank arms)?

BCDs of both are 130 (standard 53/39). I won an auction for a mini-group (brakes, FD and RD) and the chain rings (crank arms not included, apparently they are 167.5mm the guy moves from bike to bike) came with it and was wondering if it was possible. I'm still rocking octalink and would like to wear out all my octalink bottom brackets before I move to external bottom brackets.

Forgive my ignorance if the answer is an obvious no.

[cmbicycles]

You should have no problem using the chain rings. If i remember correctly, Shimano changed the offset of the inner ring's teeth slightly from 9-10s, but not the spider thickness. You will still see many chain rings sold as compatible with 8/9/10s, so you need not worry.

Throw them on and ride if you like how they look, or just keep your 9s rings on until they wear out, then put the new ones on.

[chengher87]

Thanks!

[oldpotatoe]

Does anyone have any experience mating Shimano 10 speed chain-rings (a Shimano 6600 53T and Shimano 5700 39T or 6600 39T) to the 9 speed crank arms (Shimano 5501 crank arms)?

BCDs of both are 130 (standard 53/39). I won an auction for a mini-group (brakes, FD and RD) and the chain rings (crank arms not included, apparently they are 167.5mm the guy moves from bike to bike) came with it and was wondering if it was possible. I'm still rocking octalink and would like to wear out all my octalink bottom brackets before I move to external bottom brackets.

Forgive my ignorance if the answer is an obvious no.

Yep, no problem but no problem using 9s rings with an otherwise 10s system either.

[Fivethumbs]

The spider thickness is the same. I have used 10 speed rings on 6 speed Shimano 600 cranks. It's the offset teeth of the chain rings that make them applicable to different speeds.

[oliver1850]

4550 34 tooth rings are even marked "9S/10S". Unusual for Shimano to acknowledge that parts compatibility exists between groups and model years.