Bicycle Mechanics - Suntour/Shimano compatibility?

any comments on the compatibility between old(er) suntour freewheels and new(er) shimano hubs? I'm assuming they would not work together...?

I'm not sure about that question, I do know that Shimano freewheel worked with my Suntour Superbe rear hub.

For the most part yu can interchange any Suntour, shimaNO, or Sun Race freewheel with any freewheel compatible wheel as long as the spacing matches up.

any comments on the compatibility between old(er) suntour freewheels and new(er) shimano hubs? I'm assuming they would not work together...?

Hub compatability isn't an issue assuming that you're talking about a spin-on hub and not a cassette hub. Shimano shifters and derailleurs don't work well with Suntour freewheels and vice-versa.

Any freewheel will fit on any hub, excpet for older French threading. The compatiblity issues comes up with shifters. Shimano index shifting may not work with Suntour, but a friction shifter will.

Hub compatability isn't an issue assuming that you're talking about a spin-on hub and not a cassette hub. Shimano shifters and derailleurs don't work well with Suntour freewheels and vice-versa.

Actually, they do work OK. Spacing of Shimano and Suntour freewheels is close enough. I have Shimano 6-speed indexed drivetrain and the only Shimano FW I have is 13-21. When I need lower gears, I put on a Suntour 13-24 or Suntour 13-28. Shifting works great.

Mixing shifters and derailers is what doesn't work.

Actually, they do work OK. Spacing of Shimano and Suntour freewheels is close enough. I have Shimano 6-speed indexed drivetrain and the only Shimano FW I have is 13-21. When I need lower gears, I put on a Suntour 13-24 or Suntour 13-28. Shifting works great.

Mixing shifters and derailers is what doesn't work.

thanks a lot, everybody! shifters and derailleurs will both be suntour, so that's not an issue.

Mixing shifters and derailleurs is not an issue the indexing is in the shifter the derailleur only does what the shifter tells it to so I don't see where the logic is in the shifter/derailleur incompatibility. The spacing on shimano vs. suntour indexing is slightly different which is why if you have shifters from one company and cogs from the other they do not like to work together. There is not any indexing in the derailleur itself it just moves back and forth as far as the shifter tells it to with how much cable is moved by the shifter.

Mixing shifters and derailleurs is not an issue the indexing is in the shifter the derailleur only does what the shifter tells it to so I don't see where the logic is in the shifter/derailleur incompatibility. The spacing on shimano vs. suntour indexing is slightly different which is why if you have shifters from one company and cogs from the other they do not like to work together. There is not any indexing in the derailleur itself it just moves back and forth as far as the shifter tells it to with how much cable is moved by the shifter.
Some derailer shifter combos work on a 1:1 cable pull leverage some on a 1:2, I don't know the exact ratios but I was compairing sram gripshift to shimano rapid fire for a mtb a while back and the two weren't interchangeable although the cog spacing was the same if I recall right.

Old friction shifters are totally compatable with almost everything however and freewheel hub threads are too. freehubs are not compatible and must use the same brand of cassetts, usually.