Shave Weight Off Your Shimano Groupset: The S-PARTS Titanium Bolt Compatibility Guide

Running a Shimano groupset and want to shed some weight and add a bit of flair — without touching your bike's performance or fit? Swapping in titanium hardware is one of the easiest, lowest-risk upgrades you can make.

S-PARTS was founded in 2010 (originally as STAN) and has focused ever since on developing, manufacturing, and selling titanium bolts and components. Today we work with over 200 professional bike shops, brands, pro teams, and racing events. This guide only covers the product lines in our catalogue that are explicitly labeled "compatible with SHIMANO," broken down by groupset and model number, so you can find exactly what fits your bike instead of a vague "titanium bolts fit everything."

1. Why You Can Drop These Straight In

Every S-PARTS standard fastener is made from S-grade Ti-6Al-4V titanium (ASTM Grade 5) — the same alloy widely used in aerospace and medical implants — produced through a combination of hot forging, precision CNC turning/milling, and PVD vacuum coating:

• Strength: tensile strength exceeds Grade 10.9 steel bolts
• Weight: roughly 55% the weight of an equivalent steel bolt
• Consistency: bolt heads are hot-forged at 650°C using custom stamping dies engraved with our own logo, and each die is retired after no more than 300 uses to keep the tool-drive precision consistent
• Drop-in fit: thread pitch, dimensions, and torque specs match OEM hardware exactly, so these are true replacements — not "close enough" substitutes

Two things worth keeping in mind during installation:

1. Follow the OEM torque spec. Every product note reminds installers to "torque to the value specified in the original component or manual." Titanium is stronger than steel, but that doesn't mean you should crank it down harder — always use the torque figure Shimano publishes for that part.
2. Use anti-seize or thread compound (general mechanic's best practice). Titanium threads can gall — essentially cold-weld — when in long-term contact with other metal parts. A thin coat of anti-seize or a small amount of threadlocker before installation goes a long way toward preventing that and keeps future removal from stripping the threads. This isn't lifted from S-PARTS documentation, but it's backed up by our own product notes: the pedal axle line specifically calls for "a small amount of low-strength threadlocker" or "a small amount of vulcanizing compound," which confirms that some titanium components genuinely need an assist to seat reliably.

2. Brakes: Shimano Hydraulic Disc Brake Bolt Kits

This is S-PARTS' most complete Shimano lineup — full system-level kits for both road and MTB. Development for each kit included material and safety evaluation plus precise 3D scanning and mapping, with strict adherence to the original installation spec and function, all while folding in S-PARTS' own design language for a more refined, stable, lightweight result.

Road Hydraulic Disc Brake Kits

If you'd rather not replace the whole kit, individual road disc brake bolts are also available on their own — M8 hose bolts, M9 flanged hose bolts, M7 bleed port bolts, M4 pad pins, M6 bleed screws, and caliper body bolts in three lengths (L17/L21/L22.5/L25) — all available in gold, rainbow, titanium, black, blue, green, purple, candy, and indigo finishes.

⚠️ Heads up: the bleed port bolt, bleed screw, and pad pin do not have a single documented hex/Torx size in our official materials — the exact tool size can vary slightly between lever/caliper generations. Before you install, check the drive type on the actual bolt head (hex socket vs. Torx) rather than assuming based on a similar-looking part. Reaching for the wrong size is the fastest way to strip a head.

MTB Hydraulic Disc Brake Kits

Individual bolts are also sold separately — the M5 L18 lever clamp bolt, banjo bolts in different lengths for M8000/M9020 vs. M8100, and caliper body bolts in M6/M8/M7 depending on model. A generic MTB disc brake bolt line covers lever clamp bolts, M5 bleed port bolts, reach adjust bolts, M8 hose bolts, caliper mount bolts, and caliper washers.

Buying tip: check your lever and caliper's exact model number first (M8100 and M9100 look almost identical but the kit contents differ), then order the matching kit. If you've only lost or stripped one bolt, just buy that single item — no need to replace the whole set.

📌 For the newest wireless MTB shifting/braking systems some riders are asking about (like the latest XTR generation), our current documentation doesn't yet include compatibility data for those models. Rather than guess, we're leaving that section out for now — we'll add it as soon as we have verified product data.

Traditional C-Brake (Dual-Pivot Rim Brake) Bolt Kit

Fits Shimano's traditional C-brake / dual-pivot rim brake systems. The full kit includes a cable clamp bolt, C-brake mounting nut, C-brake pad fixing bolt, pad stop bolt, quick-release lever bolt, and tension adjust bolt — 6 pieces total. Pad fixing bolts and pad stop bolts are also sold individually as replacements.

3. Drivetrain: Shifting and Crank Hardware

Full Drivetrain Bolt Kits (Front Derailleur + Rear Derailleur + Crank)

These are "one-stop" kits that bundle front derailleur mount bolts, rear derailleur mount bolt/axle, pulley bolts, limit/tension screws, and even crank bolts, crank caps, and chainring bolts into a single package:

Note that Di2 and mechanical kits aren't identical — the R7150 electronic kit drops the two mechanical front-derailleur "limit screw short/long" bolts in favor of a single electronic front derailleur adjust screw. Confirm whether you're running mechanical or electronic shifting, and how many speeds, before ordering.

Crank & Chainring Hardware

If you just want to upgrade your crank and chainring without touching the whole drivetrain kit:

⚠️ The pair riders mix up most often: the crank cap takes a hex key (10mm), while the crank lockring bolt takes a Torx (T30) — both live right around the bottom bracket area, so it's an easy mix-up the first time you're wrenching in there. Double-check against the table above before you grab a tool.

Rear Derailleur Pulley Axle Bolts

The pulley axle is one of the most wear-prone parts on a rear derailleur, and one of the first things to get damaged in a crash. S-PARTS offers standalone replacements:

⚠️ R8000/9100 uses a 6mm hex, while R6800 and M8100 use a 5mm hex — one size off is enough to round out the axle head. Double-check against your groupset before you order tools to match.

Front Derailleur Shim Kit

M5 L14, uses a T25 Torx key — designed for the shim/washer stack on direct-mount front derailleurs.

4. Cleat Bolts (Shimano Clipless Pedal Systems)

Cleat bolts take a beating — constant exposure to rain and mud is the main reason steel cleat hardware rusts and seizes. Titanium's corrosion and oxidation resistance largely solves that problem. S-PARTS offers:

Our documentation also notes these cleat bolts are fully CNC-machined (not stamped), which gives more reliable tolerances, a better fit, and longer service life.

5. Full MTB Drivetrain Upgrade Program

For mainstream Shimano MTB shifting systems like the M8000/M8100/M9100 families, S-PARTS has developed a full titanium upgrade program. Development included rigorous material and safety evaluation and precise 3D scanning and mapping, all strictly following the original installation spec and function while incorporating S-PARTS' own design philosophy — the goal being greater stability, lighter weight, and more customization for a more refined, comprehensive experience.

6. How to Choose the Right Kit: A Simple 3-Step Method

1. Find your exact model number first. Flip your brake lever, caliper, or rear derailleur over and locate the model label (R7170, R9270, M8100, M9120, etc.) — this is the single most important step, since visually similar models (M8000 vs. M9020, for example) don't share the same kit contents.
2. Decide: full kit or single-bolt replacement?
   • First-time upgrade, going for a consistent look: order the full kit that matches your exact model.
   • Just lost or stripped one bolt, or want to swap a single color: check the tables above and buy that one item — no need to replace the whole set.
3. Confirm your tools before you start. Cross-check hex vs. Torx and the exact size against the tables above, and always torque to the value published in Shimano's own manual.

7. Colors and Buying Tips

Most Shimano-compatible bolts come in gold, rainbow, titanium, black, blue, green, purple, candy, and indigo finishes — pick something that matches your frame or team livery. One more thing worth knowing: our own product notes state that "all specifications shown apply only to genuine S-PARTS® titanium products — any resemblance elsewhere is counterfeit." Buy through official channels to make sure you're getting real S-grade Ti-6Al-4V titanium and not a lower-grade lookalike.

Not Sure Which Kit You Need?

Not sure which crank cap or caliper bolt kit matches your Shimano groupset? Drop a comment with your exact model number (R8170, M8100, R9250 — whatever you're running) and we'll put together a complete bolt-by-bolt upgrade list for you, including the exact tool size for every fastener, so you don't end up buying — or installing — the wrong part.

All product models, specs, and compatibility details in this article are drawn from the S-PARTS Product Catalogue. Sections marked "general mechanic's best practice" reflect standard industry installation advice rather than official catalogue text. For purchasing information, please contact our customer service team.