I’ve been one of the more vocal sufferers of the XT back-pedal issue and I’ve now solved it with a SunRace cassette. I’m a happy camper again back-pedalling as much as I like or not at all, it just works now. Same chain line (49 ish), same chain ring, same Cinch crank… same make chain, same bike.
So for me XT M8000 shifter, medium mech, RaceFace Crank + OneUp 30T Oval and SunRace 11-46 and you’ve got an 11-40T range in ten gears as normal (as I’ve lived with since April) with a 46T bail out gear that’s way more useful than I would have ever imagined. Everything is nice and cheap to replace.
The 46T is astonishing on muddy / rocky / technical climbs. It’s like having a new motor. You can control the power delivery that much better and prevent spin outs. I’ve been loving the more difficult climbs on mine so far.
The shift to the 46T on SunRace is absolutely seamless. Plus it’s a much more sensible 40 to 46T jump.
If anything at all it’s shifting back down that’s not 100% on it but I suspect my 3 year old cable housing is probably in dire need of replacement.