hey I have one that has been recently converted into a SS.
here is a pic


I am assuming that the bike has alivio hubs if they are the same as what mine had... if they are they are cup and cone type hubs and you can adjust the cones in a bit tighter and taht should take the play out of the fron hub

do you have any pictures of the bike?

they still make quill stems like what would be on that bike and I'm sure you could find one you like for fairly cheap online. other than that the frame is nice I've had mine since 95 I think and have beaten and abused it for all its worth and its still going strong. I just recently stripped and repainted it to be a beater/bar/cargo bike although its still a work in progress.