Originally Posted by Tommy Fennig .
Can anyone point me in the direction to upgrading the shifters and derailleurs for my impact. Dont know how old it is but just that it has a shimano shifter and derailleur 3x6 speed. Is it possible to add another speed to 9? or even 7? Im kind of new to all this and is my first serious bike. Thanks
You can change your bike to a 7-speed by simply buying the appropriate shifters + a
SunRace Freewheel (
presuming your bike's rear wheel does not use Cassettes). If you can't get one from your local bike shop, then source it via eBay. About $20 + shipping ... probably, $30+ from your LBS.
If you want to change to an 8-/9-/10-speed then you will EITHER need a new rear wheel which uses Cassettes OR relace the current wheel on a new hub (
again, I am presuming your bike's rear wheel uses Freewheels) ...
- you should be able to use an 8-speed shifter for a 6-/7-speed setup, BTW
You will ALSO need to replace the chain to
match the Cassette ... an 8-speed chain for an 8-speed Cassette, a 9-speed chain for a 9-speed Cassette, etc.
You CANNOT mismatch the chain because the
front derailleur expects (
is engineered to use) a certain width chain UNLESS you are only planning on shifting on two-out-of-the-three chainrings. People have tried & then lamented not being able to get their drivetrain to work properly or suggested that you need to be a magician to set up a front derailleur or require similar skills.
You MAY need to change the front derailleur if you opt for a 9-/10-speed configuration. You probably won't need to change the front derailleur if you only opt for an 8-speed drivetrain (
now or in-the-future)
You MAY NOT need to change the rear derailleur -- try your existing rear derailleur before you pony up for a new one UNLESS you are keen to go for a full blown upgrade.
