Bicycle Mechanics - Flat spotted my rear wheel, unfortunately it's Suntour

I have a mtb equipped with Suntour X-1 and Xpress 7sp shifters from 1990. The bike works as well as Suntour ever does (read: not great) but I have flat spotted my rear rim. The bike shops in my area don't have rear wheels with a suntour freewheel hub. What should I do? I don't want to invest much money into this bike for obvious reasons, but it is a good bike for the city/trail use. I have always hated the Xpress shifters so with this in mind, what are my options? Are there any decent Suntour rear wheels around anymore? Am I going to have to have a new rim laced up on this wheel?

Thank you,
Justin

flat spotted your rim? :D
I only hear that term used in automotive tires, due to wheel lock-ups when braking very hard. ;)

Anyway, if your rim is badly damaged, you should replace it. You don't have to replace the hub. I don't think Suntour released any wheelsets and <32h hubs, so any 32h or 36h rim would fit.

But if you want to go 8/9spd. You will have to replace the rear hub, since 8/9 cassettes are wider..

Yep, I flat spotted the rear rim on an ugly pothole. While riding you feel a "thump thump thump" as the flat spot hits pavement. Can't feel it offroad though. :) There's no way to true it.

I should clarify that since it's from 1990 it is a freewheel, not a cassette.

AFAIK, Suntour only makes the drive components, and possibly the hub. you damaged the rim, an entirely separate component. The fix would be to rebuild the wheel with a new rim, which needs to be the right diameter, width and number of spokes. But it doesn't matter what brand of hub you have.

Here's one "hail mary" possibility, that might take the dip out of the rim (at least partly):

De-tension the spokes in the general vicinity of the dip. Don't be afraid to "go wide", maybe a total of 1/4 the circumference of the rim (90 degrees)
Slide a 2x4 or similarly strong piece of wood between the spokes at the center of the dip. Mount that 2x4 to something firm. You might be able to do this with a sawhorse, for example.
Grab the wheel with both hands, one on either side of the dip, and "whack" the inside of the rim against the 2x4 as hard as you can. Do this two or three times.
Retension the spokes, even if part way, and see if the dip manifests itself again. If it does, repeat the process.

I've pulled back rims via this method to the point where you see the dip in a truing stand, and just barely feel it on a super-smooth, freshly paved blacktop road, but it's otherwise negligible. I also consider this a "freebie" extension of the life of the rim, giving me a chance to shop for a replacement on sale rather than getting one under duress. YMMV.

Just replace the rim. The rim is generic.

When it comes to gear compatibility, the significant dimension is the cog-cog spacing. Im not sure, but Suntour is probably 5mm. Most 7speed systems are. You can probably replace the Suntour freewheel with a shimano, and it should still work.
Whether to rebuild the hub, or get a new wheel is just a matter of $$$.

What I'm wrestling with is whether to just have the rim replaced ($75 at least in the DC area) or try to find a replacement rear wheel. That is where my comments on it being a suntour hub comes in... very hard to find.

I would rather not put money into having the rim replaced and still have the crap suntour shifting system. But this bike has served me better than all the other high-end bikes I've had combined. I guess it's the sentimental value that I just realized I have for this piece of crap.

Shima-NO Suntour YES! :D

I have always liked SunTour derailleurs, but I am not familiar with your specific model. You should be able to find a suitable replacement wheel from, say, sheldonbrown.com / Harris cyclery. If your shifter will work in friction mode, you do not need to worry about brand compatability, although if you do replace the freewheel, as with a freehub, you may also need to replace the chain for best operation and drivetrain longevity.

how abou buying a 50 dollar freewheel rear wheel, then taking the old freewheel off, and putting it on the new wheel?

There is a rear MTB wheel in the Nashbar catolouge that has a freewheel hub.