1998 Giant Yukon Dilemma

[yo vanilla]

In my basement lives a 26" 1998 Giant Yukon MTB...

...that I am not sure what to do with. I purchased it second hand several years ago for $110 and replaced some necessities like brakes and tires. Got a couple summers out of it and it's been hiding in the basement ever since. Thought I would do a budget build with modern parts, and then I found a 1995 Cannondale MTB and built that instead!

So what to do. Something catches/resists once per crank rotation. I removed the crank once, had to pount it off with a mallet as it was seized. I found some metal chunks in the bearings which I thought was the culprit, but after re-assembly it returned after a short time. I think removing the crank once more will junk it so any build-up is going to involve a crank and BB. Any ideas on this issue btw?

I really like it and would be pressed to part with it, but a build would leave me more or less with a duplicate of my Cannondale so it's hard to see the value. It's a unique bike, as I gathered the only year with aluminium frame and rigid fork. Someone make up my mind for me!!

 

[roadrash]

sort the crank issue , change tyres to something like schwalbe city jets, maybe a rack and you have a great tarmac terrorist / utility do it all bike.

 

[yo vanilla]

I've started tinkering...

Swapped the quill with a stem adapter and a 25.4 Cannondale stem I had laying around, and replaced the hadlebars with the Ritchy bars on my '95 Cannondale. Got a pair of Microshift 3x7 shifters and all new cabling:

(which means the Cannondale got some new Race Face 'bars and a Williams stem I found on Ebay). Here they are together:

 

[yo vanilla]

Still have to sort out the crank issue (probably the BB really). The crank is pretty seized on and the threads are stripped out, so it's not coming off conventionally. I figured it's a lost cause and so I tried whacking it off with the rubber mallet once again, which did not work with reasonable force at least. However, after a round of hammering the crank feels like it is spinning more freely... I don't want to spend a ton of money on it, so I'm still debating what to do with that. I found a decent looking Shimano Hyperglide-C triple crankset on Ebay (same as on this Cannondale) which I might scoop up. Unless anyone has a fool-proof idea to get this crank off. Youtube is full of ideas but...

 

[figbat]

A ball-joint separator might get the cranks off, depending on size and available clearance.

 

[Reynard]

sort the crank issue , change tyres to something like schwalbe city jets, maybe a rack and you have a great tarmac terrorist / utility do it all bike.

That's my thought too... Or maybe something slick and slightly narrower, like Schwalbe Duranos.

 

[yo vanilla]

Public Service Announcement: Suntour cranks are really frickin' strong. If you are ever in worry of breaking a crank, get a Suntour.

A bearing puller didn't work; couldn't get the feet seated. So, out came the sawsall. Then, some crowbars, a hammer, and some PB Blaster. And finally, I got the drive side off and just unthreaded the other side with the arm attached.

I have a replacement SR 42/34/24 new stock crankset coming which I found on Ebay for $40 shipped, basically a modern version of the stock one. And next I'll hunt down a new BB, chain, and rear sprocket.

 

[yo vanilla]

Right after I bought the previously mentioned new SR crankset, an ebay seller sent me an offer on this lovely vintage one, and I could not resist Around $51 shipped. One good polishing in my future I think, but the teeth look great! I'll try the first crankset on another bike that has a cheap Shimano square-taper set and I had wanted to change up the gearing on it anyway. So no loss.

I can get these installed in a jiffy, adjust the cables and it should be ride able if not quite finished:

 

[yo vanilla]

I've got it put together and adjusted. I did get it on a quick test ride the other day. Initial thoughts are I'm not in love with the Microshift shifters; they are a little tight and I am used to the Shimano layout (with Microshift you upshift/downshift with your thumb, vs, Shimano's thumb one way and index finger the other).

But the bike feels really good! It's a lot more agile with the taller and wider 'bars, and the cranks is so smooth compared to the old. I still have to sort out a brake squeal in the front. In years past I tried all the usual methods (toe-in, cleaning rims, sanding pads) and I couldn't get rid of it. I vaguely recall years ago swapping the front wheel to test and I think that helped, so it might be in the wheel vs. the brake. Any ideas there? The wheel is true and smooth(ish).

 

[T4tomo]

not sure whether its pre or post bar swap but on pic 1 of post #3 your rear brake cable looks too short - the outer run from seat post to noodle is virtually straight

 

[yo vanilla]

I see what you mean... it is post-swap. It's a visual trick of the camera angle. It does have a bend, though more outward than upward.

 

[digital domestique]

If you want to truly change the bike into a stormer, put on some Rene Herse 26 x 2.3 "Rat Trap Pass" tires. It will set you back twice the price of the bike, but it will entirely change your mind about bicycles. These are smooth tires that I use on gravel, dirt, rocks as well as pavement.

Several years ago I put those tires on a 1990s stumpjumper hardtail and it suddenly became my absolutely favorite bike. I've taken it on metric centuries with the fast roadies, I've taken it on MTB trails, I've taken it for 90 mile/10K ft gravel epics. The Stumpy was a great bike in its day, but the tires changed everything.

Unfortunately, these tires are an expensive habit and I have put them onto every bike build that I care about.

 

[roadrash]

how much £95 each.....

 

[yo vanilla]

95 each!!! they sound awesome, but i think mrs. vanilla will put a stop to that

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

95 each!!! they sound awesome, but i think mrs. vanilla will put a stop to that

That depends whether you tell her or not doesn't it?