Schwinn Del Mar Brakes??

GoldenMotor.com

SD moto man

New Member
Aug 27, 2011
101
0
0
San Diego
I have a rear coaster brake and added on some side pull brakes to the front of my bike, but it still isn't sufficient stopping power if I'm riding over 30mph. What are my options for converting to a front disc brake or adding another rear brake? My frame doesn't have brackets for rear brakes, and I can't weld anything so I'm not sure if I can put a side pull brake on the back. I was doing some research on the front disc brake, and I think I will need another wheel since the basic ones are not meant for a disc set up. Is this true? Has anyone put a disc on a Schwinn cruiser? I'm willing to invest in some good brakes, but don't want to get too carried away with the costs, I know some are very expensive. What are your thoughts? Any help is appreciated.
 

Attachments

The_Aleman

Active Member
Jul 31, 2008
2,653
4
38
el People's Republik de Kalifornistan
If you want front discs, you'd need a fork with disc mounts, a front wheel with a disc brake hub, and a disc brake rotor+caliper.

An easier solution might be to use a fork with V-brake, like one off a mountain bike. V-brakes are much much more powerful than side-pull calipers.

The easiest solution might be to put on some decent pads on that front brake and just keep it under 30MPH.
 

SD moto man

New Member
Aug 27, 2011
101
0
0
San Diego
I don't think I can put V brakes on my front fork. There is nothing on the forks for them to mount to, all I have is a bolt that goes through the top center of the fork. Wouldn't I need to side mounts on my forks to install V brakes?
 

Greg58

Well-Known Member
May 1, 2011
5,353
2,575
113
65
Newnan,Georgia
I have a o/p cruiser with coaster brake and front side pulls that stops well, like was said earlier the type of pad compound will affect the stoping power. If you look at your rear fender at the mounting screw the fender has insets where the rear side pull will mount. Which brake lever are you using? Side pull brake handles have a mechanical advantage over v-brake handles because more force is needed with side pulls.
 
Last edited:

wheelbender6

Well-Known Member
Sep 4, 2008
4,059
221
63
TX
A used suspension fork with v-brakes would be an improvement for not a lot of money. Riders sell them when they convert to front disk brakes.
You could look for a used drum brake front wheel. A drum brake wheel will fit any fork. I bought a drum brake wheel on craigslist for $30 (got very lucky), but you could probably expect to spend around $100.
As you can see, there are many options to improve your front brakes.