schwinn frame help needed

Have you checked the year? You can do this by copying the serial# from the bottom bracket, and then googling it, I believe Sheldon Brown wrote a whole article on this, usually the letter, or first number denotes year, then mo.....
Point is, IS IT A CHICAGO SCHWINN, REAL STEEL OR CHINA BUNK?
EITHER WAY I WOULD SUGGEST GUSSETS AND OTHER STRUCTURAL SUPPORTS WELDED IN.

the stretching can be done cold with a piece of " 3/8" all thread" the appropriate nuts and a couple washers.
Put the nuts to the center of the all thread with the washers to the outside. Slip this into the rear dropouts, slide washers against dropouts, bring nuts to washers (he he) finger tight.
This is where I usually make up some cockamaimy scheme to measure and keep this all straight, HOWEVER, if you do an even amount of turns on either nut, it SHOULD keep spreading the frame evenly.
You will have to bend out aprox' 15-30* beyond your mark to account for "spring-back" or the "memory" of the steel.

...hope this helps, keep us posted, pm me if you have questions or contact one of the moderators....they're like Albert Bikestein's all knowing, and Yoda like.

Sandblasting before painting would help

Big Bill said:

I was thinking of removing alittle material from inside the head tube and
alittle off the Od of the headset do you think this will work?

Thanks Bill

Click to expand...

You do not want to weaken these areas!!! There are sources for 1inch stem forks if you need a smaller stem

Take a look at The Retor Ryder Headset by Genuine Bicycle Products. It allows you to use a 1 1/8” non-tapered fork in an older bike that uses a 1” threaded headset like the older Schwinn’s. You will have to check your head tube as it will only work if the inside diameter is 30mm. I ordered one and install a Suntour XCR suspension fork onto an old Schwinn Typhoon last week that I’m building.

hows this coming along

You can put a 1 1/8 th fork on a old schwinn. I did it mixing head sets and bearings and modifying the cups . Google your question and you will find some good info on it .

whats up bill, tom here from chicago. in my opinion, 1 yes that frame will hold up, especially if most of the china ones are, 2. anything is possible, but your looking at some serious modifcations to make a bigger fork work. id just go with a 1 " threaded, and 3 why do u need to spread the dropouts? im gueussing your running a geared wheel on a single speed, i wouldnt recomend spreading the frame that much. youll stress the frame and then it wont be holding up too long with a motor. if anything your better off cutting and rewelding. thats just my opinion, however listen to these guys cause i learn things i never knew all the time on here. have a great day by the way.....

The frame should be fine with that motor . I gusset all my frames and weld the two bars to the seat post tube top and bottom . I spread all my frames apart cold never had a issue doing it this way .My last Schwinn i built has a 5 horse briggs in it , that motor is a little bigger size wise then what you plan on putting in yours.