Schwinn springer help needed

[silverbear]

Got a 51 cantilever Schwinn a couple of weeks ago and ordered a spring and truss rods for it which were missing. They came yesterday, I found a rubber bushing at Napa to sand to shape and put it together. It appears to me that the truss rods, which are for a 26" fork are too long. The bike had 26" wheels on it with enough room for a fender, but I'm sure this is a 26" fork and not 24" else the 26" wheels would be too snug. Have I assembled this wrong or is there a trick or something? Or do I shorten the the truss rods and drill new holes at the upper end?

Second question. I'm just starting on a build for a friend of mine on a 49 Schwinn straight bar to be much like my four stroke Motorbike build. He wants a springer fork and wants the Schwinn type since it will look more appropriate on an old Schwinn than a Monark type. The prices on ebay are all over the place from super cheap to ridiculous. Old ones generally go for big bucks. Can anyone recommend a seller of a new Schwinn springer fork? We don't want this thing collapsing or bringing harm to the rider and it needs to be stiff enough to dampen road bumps for an adult rider of maybe 180 pounds. Anybody have good luck with a new one?
SB

 

[RedB66]

Looks to me as if they're too long. Are the rods repops and the forks original? I know that the repop forks, as numerous as they are, are not all the same dimensions. I may have some different size rods. What is the length of the ones you have?

You may be able to cut and re-drill..... Not sure if I would.

 

[msrfan]

Hey, SB, looks like your legs may have too much curve in them. I just measured two of my springers and both are about 21 1/4" hole to hole centers. Could be just the way I'm looking at your photo, but check your strut measurements

 

[silverbear]

Yes, the forks are original and the rods are repops. I'll go do some measuring of both the struts and the hole to hole centers. The legs don't look bent anywhere. As the terminator said, "I'll be back!"
SB

 

[silverbear]

Measuring from the center of one hole to the center of the other hole the truss rods are 21 1/2". Measuring the same way on the fork legs from axle to springer is 20 1/4" or danged close. I did not remove them from the bike to do the measuring. What do you think doctors, can it be saved? Will surgery be required? I think I can shorten the truss rods by collapsing the tubing in a vice and then drilling. Nothing to lose trying.
SB

 

[msrfan]

If you shorten the rods and use it as is, the springer will be kicked way out front like a semi-low rider. You might have to slip a wheel assembly on both ends and see how it sits. Your kick stand may be too long also. You can bend the legs, but it's a pain.

 

[silverbear]

If you shorten the rods and use it as is, the springer will be kicked way out front like a semi-low rider. You might have to slip a wheel assembly on both ends and see how it sits. Your kick stand may be too long also. You can bend the legs, but it's a pain.

Surgery then is not the answer. More like extreme chiropractic. Tomorrow I'll put a leg in the vice with a section of pipe over it and see what I can do a little at a time and not doing the bend all in one place. If I get one right then I can trace it on cardboard and do the other the same. I hope. I'm guessing some hot dog kid beat the **** out of that bike and rode it with a missing spring and missing truss rods. I'd give that boy a good spanking except that he's probably about seventy years old now and might put up a fight. Dagnabit! Darned kids!
Thanks for the good advice. There goes my new paint job. I'll let you know how it turns out. I will make this work.
SB

 

[silverbear]

I found this photo on ebay. Some difference from mine. I have a better idea now of what I'm going to try to match tomorrow.
SB

 

[msrfan]

That's a later model, but a good reference photo. Good luck SB.

 

[Kevlarr]

From the looks of the 1st picture you shouldn't have to so anything but re-drill the holes about 1" further in. Looks to my eyes that they have plenty of flat area to make new holes on the bottom of the truss rods then just trim the excess. Remember that the only parts that actually move on a springer are the knuckle on the head tube and the pivot point at the spring yoke so the flat parts of the truss rods can have close clearance at the top or bottom.

 

[RedB66]

The rods I have are 21.5 also.

 

[silverbear]

Thank you guys. I think first I'm going to sit the bike out on the ground to see what it looks like. Then I can decide how much to shoot for in returning it to where it should be so that the truss rod holes line up. Maybe I'll just go half way and see what it looks like then...
I don't understand enough about the dynamics of the front wheel laying further out front from the bike and how it might effect handling. Might look kinda cool kicked out a bit, but I'm more interested in how it rides and how well the shock does what it's supposed to than it looking cool. Wish I knew more. With it kicked out wouldn't that make the front lower and the back in effect higher? It seems to me that would not be good. Is that why choppers often run a smaller tire in the back?
SB

 

[silverbear]

I set the bike out today to see how bad the springer forks look. I was tempted to just leave it and shorten up the struts, but then realized I couldn't attach the struts due to the angle the springer was sitting at. With no real choice I took it apart and used the vice and a section of pipe for leverage and started bending. I got it so that it will work, but it doesn't look so great up close. You can see where the vice bit into the forks and it just looks rough. At some point down the line I think I'll replace the springer with a new one. But this will work and will allow me to keep putting the bike together so that it's ready for the HF motor later this month and the transmission even later yet. I gave the forks several coats of paint to at least make it look good from ten feet away and while it was drying attended to other things. I upholstered the seat for it today, which is the subject of a new thread to be posted this evening called "Rebuilding A Vintage Seat".
SB

 

[silverbear]

I got the springer front fork back together today and declared it 'good enough'. When I was bending the forks yesterday I knew I didn't have it back to the original amount of bend, but figured I'd better not press my luck. As a compromise I lengthened the opening for the axle mount on the struts using first a cut off wheel and then a grinding attachment. Anyone who knows what these should look like knows it is off, but it is not as bad as it was. I may end up replacing it with a new one, but for now I can at least move ahead on the build. The center stand reaches the ground so that it works as it should. The front fender looks off somewhat, so tomorrow I'll open up the axle holes somewhat, lengthening them a half inch or so. That should draw it in closer to the tire. As far as I'm concerned I now have a springer front fork and the build can progress once I have the HF four stroke and later when funds permit, a transmission to make it all work. The rear wheel on there is from a middleweight. I have a cheap heavy duty rear wheel being shipped right now. I think I've figured out a way to mount a cantilever brake up front until the time I can afford a better arrangement.
I want to thank you guys again for your expertise and good advise.
SB