Bike
Shimano Deore FC-M532 22T Chainring 3×9 speed, 64mm BCD, M542, M590, M591
The Ultimate bicycle chain clean
Common Causes of Poor Shifting and How to Fix It
How to Change Shifter Cable on a Shimano Deore Shifter MTB
How To Set Up Cleats For Clipless Pedals
Shimano Groupsets | All You Need To Know
Rear Derailleur – Advanced Troubleshooting
How to Replace a Chain on a Bike – Sizing & Installation
Torque Specifications | BikeRide
https://www.bikeride.com/torque-specifications/
IG vs. HG chains
The main difference between IG and HG is the chain width. IG chain is 7.1 mm wide, HG 6.6 mm wide. (The old HG is 7.4 mm wide.)
Today, HG means 9 speed drivetrain. IG is pretty much for 8 speed drivetrains. As for the numbers that follow, the bigger the number, the better the chain (supposedly). For example, the HG-53 is Deore, HG-73 is LX and HG-93 is XT. The XTR chains are completely different. They start with CN-7700.
According to Shimano, you can run any IG chain with any HG cassette. But, as for the chainrings, ” The 9-speed chainring teeth are reprofiled for narrower chains, therefore you can not use an 8-speed chain [on Mega 9 chainrings]”.
Also something to consider: The mega 9 front derailler cage is narrower than an 8 speed cage. An 8-speed chain will not fit in a Mega 9 front derailler cage and a 9 speed chain is too narrow for an 8 speed front derailler, causing poor shifting between chainrings.
I will assume you are replacing your 8-speed cassette with another 8-speed cassette? If so, you will want to use an IG chain. If you go with a 9-speed cassette, of course you will need a 9-speed rear derailler and shifters if you want to use all nine. And then, to run a 9-speed chain, you will need 9-speed chainrings and a 9-speed front derailler. It’s pretty much all or nothing when upgrading to 9-speed.
Of course, this is all Shimano talk. There are other companies that make chains that work with Shimano parts and vice versa.
http://utahmountainbiking.com/Forum2017/viewtopic.php?t=18
Bicycle chain
Width
Chains come in 3⁄32 in (2.4 mm), 1⁄8 in (3.2 mm), 5⁄32 in (4.0 mm), or 3⁄16 in (4.8 mm) roller widths, the internal width between the inner plates. 1⁄8 in (3.2 mm) chains are typically used on bikes with a single rear sprocket: those with coaster brakes, hub gears, fixed gears such as track bicycles, or BMX bikes. Chains with 3⁄32 in (2.4 mm) wide rollers are generally used on bikes with derailleurs such as racing, touring, and mountain bikes.[17] Fixed sprockets and freewheels are also available in 3⁄32 in (2.4 mm) widths so fixed-gear and single-speed bikes can be set up to use the narrower and lighter 3⁄32 in (2.4 mm) chains. Finally, chains with 5⁄32 in (4.0 mm) wide rollers are used on freight bicycles and tricycles.
With derailleur equipped bicycles, the external width of the chain (measured at the connecting rivet) also matters, because chains must not be too wide for the cogset or they will rub on the next larger sprocket, or too narrow that they might fall between two sprockets. Chains can also be identified by the number of rear sprockets they can support, anywhere from 3 to 12, and the list below enables measuring a chain of unknown origin to determine its suitability.
- 6 speed – 7.3 mm (9⁄32 in) (Shimano HG), 7.1 mm (9⁄32 in) (SRAM, Shimano IG)
- 7 speed – 7.3 mm (9⁄32 in) (Shimano HG), 7.1 mm (9⁄32 in) (SRAM, Shimano IG)
- 8 speed – 7.3 mm (9⁄32 in) (Shimano HG), 7.1 mm (9⁄32 in) (SRAM, Shimano IG)
- 9 speed – 6.5 to 7.0 mm (1⁄4 to 9⁄32 in) (all brands)
- 10 speed – 6.0 to 7.0 mm (1⁄4 to 9⁄32 in) (Shimano, Campagnolo)
- 10 speed (Narrow) – 5.88 mm (7⁄32 in) (Campagnolo, KMC)
- 10 speed (Narrow, Direction) – 5.88 mm (7⁄32 in) (Shimano CN-5700, CN-6700, CN-7900)
- 11 speed – 5.5 to 5.62 mm (7⁄32 to 7⁄32 in) (Campagnolo, KMC, Shimano CN-9000)
- 12 speed – 5.3 mm (13⁄64 in) (SRAM)
The Wikibook, “Bicycle Maintenance and Repair”, has more details on this topic. Shimano uses the same chain types on 6, 7,and 8 speed designs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_chain