Suntour cassette compatibility.

[d_douglas]

Hello team:

I am thinking of buying this retro MTB that has a very nice Suntour XCPro group on it - just because. The frame is too small, but I would strip the parts and keep them and sell the frame off. The owner is apparently a skilled mechanic, and said that everything has been rebuilt and spins perfectly (it looks pretty awesome in the photos).

My worry is that the if the XCPro hubs die, I won't want to build up the wheels again with more of the same hubs. Is there a way to use 7/8spd Suntour thumbshifters in indexed mode on standard Shimano type wheels?

Is the spacing on a Suntour cassette matching to an equivalent Shimano one? Sheldon Brown's handy website says 'no', but maybe someone here says otherwise. I don't want a half-baked solution - I want it to shift perfectly.

Thanks for your thoughts...

Darren

[choke]

I used to have a MTB with Suntour XC Expert thumbshifters and a Shimano compatible (Action Tec) 9 speed cassette. It would index but not perfectly across the cassette. However, those had a friction setting as well and with it set in that mode then there was no problem....it was more like a light indexing rather than true friction.

Of course the other option is to buy a set of Shimano thumbshifters.

[d_douglas]

Nahh, the thrill is to own a bike with XCPro! I may still buy it and just enjoy the wheels as they are, then sell it off in a few years.

I think Suntour hubs were quite nice - like Campy quality?

[likebikes]

Is there a way to use 7/8spd Suntour thumbshifters in indexed mode on standard Shimano type wheels?

no.

the hubs won't die- they'll outlast you, or your interest in the bike, but the cassette will certainly wear out. and only suntour cassettes will fit on the hub.

there aren't any cross compatibility hacks with suntour indexed thumbies and shimano. do the xc pro thumbies have a friction option? just switch it over to friction if you have to run a shimano cassette.

[d_douglas]

I figured so. I recall people back when I got into cycling (early 90s) that would try and say, 'Ohhh, it's pretty close', but being pretty close is pretty annoying.

[gdw]

Suntour 8 speed thumb shifters are compatible with Shimano 8 speed derailleurs and cassettes. Kona used that setup on some of their bikes in the early 90's.
http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?year=1994&brand=Kona&model=Explosif

Suntour shifters and derailleurs should work with an 8 speed Shimano rear wheel as well although it might not be as crisp as the other setup.

[oliver1850]

No worries. You're not likely to kill the hubs but if you do I have hoarded several NOS spares. ST spacing was slightly different from Shimano, but I'm running a Shimano 8 cassette on a Helium with Superbe Pro and it works fine.

[acorn_user]

You could use a Shimano 8 speed cassette on a Shimano hub with the appropriate spacers iirc. I looked into this many years ago, and decided to go for Campag 9 instead.

[Gummee]

IIRC (and its been more'n a few years!) Suntour's spacing varied along the cassette. Smaller gaps on one end, bigger on the other. You *may* be able to file some spacers to make things work.

Alternatively, you may try making Shimano cassettes fit your FH body, by filing splines, but that's a definite maybe.

I miss the old Suntour stuff. The upper end was nicer than the equivalent Shimano stuff.

M

[Tandem Rider]

I remember the XCPro I had as being a freewheel with uneven spacing between cogs, not a cassette. I think mine was a 7spd though so there may be a difference with the 8spd.


Way nicer bearings and finish than the corresponding Shimano stuff.