Sun-Tour components and ??
 

I have an older mtb as the title suggests. Most of the labeling for the component group is no longer visible - the only thing I can see is the crankset which says X -1 and the brakes say Dia-Comp X-1. It's a 7-speed. Friction shifting for the big rings, index shifting for the rear. The rear index shifter does not have the option to switch to friction.

About 8 years ago, the rear Sun-Tour derailler broke and I took it to the shop. They had no Sun-Tour deraillers to replace it with, only Shimano, which of course would lead to the replacement of all the other parts. Didn't have alot of money then so I said just throw the Shimano derailler on - I knew it wasn't right and didn't fit but I continued to ride it infrequently and put up with it as I didn't ride it as intensively as I used to (getting older).

I'm attached to this old crate and now I want to address it. Yes I know I can buy all new parts which might even lead to a new hub, then wheel. What could I do to make it work with minimal purchases? What would be compatible?

Keeping it a 7-speed, and keeping the rear Shimano derailler (STX), could I just get a Shimano 7-speed cassette? I'd like to keep the shifters..would they work? If not, can I just replace the index shifter with an old friction shifter if any of the indexing is not right?

If you have a freewheel, you could get hold of some 7speed Shimano shifters, a new freewheel and a Sram chain.

If you have a Suntour freehub, you will need to hunt down a Suntour cassette. NOT an SR Suntour cassette (important :))

The Sun Tour that made your components (Maeda Iron Works) no longer exists having gone out of business about 1995. The Sun Tour name was purchased by another business group and current components bearing that name have no relationship to the originals.

You will have to haunt older bike shops to find NOS stocks of original Sun Tour components or change everything to be Shimano or SRAM compatible.

You can buy a new Suntour X1 RD online:

http://www.yellowjersey.org/accu.html