wrote:
I'm an experienced roadie, but new to Mtn bikes. I bought a well used
1999 Jamis Dakota LX. It seems to fit well, but some components need
replacing.

The shifters are very 'sticky'. The little finger levers get in each
others way - I think that the deraillers are fine. I see lots of
brake/shifter units on eBay that may work for me, but which one?

There are quite a few Shimano options, but I'm partial to SRAM Grip
Shift shifters. I find them easier to operate than trigger shifters.

I also have some 1988 brake levers from an old mtn bike that I used only
for paved commuting that I think I'd like to use - they allow a full 4
fingers on each side instead of just two - any reason to prefer the
shorter ones that bikes today have?

First off, the extra leverage generally isn't needed, especially with
V-brakes (sidepulls) and disc brakes. Secondly, you really don't want to
take all four fingers off the handlebars in situations where you need to
brake hard. If you like the levers, keep them, but don't use all four
fingers on them, unless it's unavoidable.

If I do use those brake levers, then I'm looking for shift levers that
are separate from the brakes. Is that easy to find? The bike is 8
speed on the back. I'm probably looking for XT level gear, tho I'm
open on that.

See above. Grip shifters are always separate from the brake levers.

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