You can run a 9 speed cassette on the Dual Drive hub, then it would work with a 9 spd X-7 shifter ,,. the 8spd X-7 shifter might have to come from someone's NOS parts bin ... if you wanted to keep the 8 spd cassette, you could also get the SRAM Attack 8 spd shifter but have to use a Shimano rear der (like an XT) as the cable pull is not the same as the SRAM X-7 rear der ... there are lots of different choices out there that will work, I just happen to like the SRAM 1:1 cable pull stuff..