High-spin states in 1 9 7 Pb and 1 9 8 Pb were populated in the 1 8 6 W( 1 8 O,xn) reactions. In-beam γ-ray coincidences were measured in two experiments using the Gammasphere and the Eurogam II spectrometer arrays, respectively. In both nuclei new bands of enhanced magnetic dipole transitions were found and the known cascades were partly reordered and extended to higher spins. In most cases, γ-ray transitions connecting the magnetic rotational bands to lower-lying states have been identified. Configuration assignments are suggested for the bands. The systematic behavior confirms the shears mechanism. An effective interaction between the main high-spin proton and neutron orbitals is derived.