# question on 1955 schwinn phantom



## ski (May 16, 2010)

hello.  i am putting a 1955 schwinn phantom back together. i have found pictures of the spring fork with the legs behind, and also bikes with the newer style all claiming to be all original. also i have seen the 4 hole sprockets and the earlier types. i am just lookijg to find out what would be correct for my bicycle. thank you for any input. ski


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## dopehead (May 16, 2010)

ski.
  Its an easy difference to see  the phantom forks connect to the bottom to the bike through a bracket that the bolt goes through and it has a place for a cyclelock .the repop ones connect through a whole directly through the center of the the fork.  now as far as the chainring goes i believe that was different on the different colors red had the sweetheart,   I do believe the 59 came out with the four hole  here is a px of a 56 green all original  it might help   william


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## dopehead (May 16, 2010)

sorry  here  http://www.nostalgic.net/pictures/3860.htm


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## ski (May 16, 2010)

thanks for the info and picture. that helps. i know how to tell the repop springers from the original schwinn, but schwinn also made the style of spring fork where the bolt goes directly through the legs. i was not sure when they changed to the new style, and if it was on all models. but, if that green phantom is a 56 and still has the old style, that is what ill put on my 55. another quick question...did all phantoms have the locking fork, or was that an option? thanks again for your help.


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## dopehead (May 17, 2010)

all the phantoms had the option for a lock built into the fork. some cheaper models did not include the cylinder but did have the slot for the install of one.....I believe the schwinn forks through bolt models came out when the stingray era hit,,I believe all springer bikes prior to 59 had the original cycle lock forks.which came on the market in the late 30's and lasted through the balloon era..


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## chriscokid (May 17, 2010)

In the mid 1956 early 1957 the standard springer fork pivot bolt goes through the curved part of the fork. On Earlier models the pivot bolt was behind the curved part of the fork by about 3/4 of an inch away from the fork. The more expensive earlier springer forks had a locking mechanism springer fork with a key. They stop making the springer forks with keys at the end of 1955 or early 1956.


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## ski (May 17, 2010)

great. thanks for the information. i really appreciate the help.


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## cyclonecoaster.com (May 18, 2010)

*This is correct on the Phantom forks -- it is also when they changed the chainring*



chriscokid said:


> In the mid 1956 early 1957 the standard springer fork pivot bolt goes through the curved part of the fork. On Earlier models the pivot bolt was behind the curved part of the fork by about 3/4 of an inch away from the fork. The more expensive earlier springer forks had a locking mechanism springer fork with a key. They stop making the springer forks with keys at the end of 1955 or early 1956.




Late 1954 when the metallic Phantoms ( Red & Green ) as well as the classic standard Black Phantoms came out that year they still had the early style springers with the pivot bolt behind the legs with the locking head tube as an option on them & they still had the earlier large 52 tooth Phantom sprockets on them -- in 1955 they changed the front springer forks over to the newer style with the pivot bolt going right through the legs themselves & the introduction of the standard 46 tooth "clover" or 4 hole sprocket on the bicycles after they went through whatever stock they had left over -- they left them like that until the last year for the 1959 Phantom -- hope that helps


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## Freqman1 (May 18, 2010)

I don't believe that's entirely correct. I asked this question more than a few times on the Schwinn forum and never got any resolution. I have four original Phantoms--three green, one black. My '56 green Phantom has the cyclelock even though literature from the first of the year indicates the cyclelock as being discontinued but shows up again for '57 and '58. My '59 does not have a cyclelock and I have never seen a '59 with one. Regarding the chainring my '56 also has the 52 tooth "big boy" sprocket and also has the four hole rack with tailight (as does my '54 Black Phantom). One thing I've noticed is that if the bike is equipped with the cyclelock, in most cases (through '56), it will have the big sprocket and tailight except for the girls model which I believe all had the small sprocket regardless of other equipment. You are correct about the cyclelock becoming an option sometime in '54 probably about the time of the introduction of the metallic colors. So based on my observations if I were restoring a '55 bike with the cyclelock I would go with the big sprocket, four hole rack, and tailight. Ohterwise go with the six hole rack and small chainring. v/r Shawn







cyclonecoaster.com said:


> Late 1954 when the metallic Phantoms ( Red & Green ) as well as the classic standard Black Phantoms came out that year they still had the early style springers with the pivot bolt behind the legs with the locking head tube as an option on them & they still had the earlier large 52 tooth Phantom sprockets on them -- in 1955 they changed the front springer forks over to the newer style with the pivot bolt going right through the legs themselves & the introduction of the standard 46 tooth "clover" or 4 hole sprocket on the bicycles after they went through whatever stock they had left over -- they left them like that until the last year for the 1959 Phantom -- hope that helps


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## wave1960 (May 21, 2010)

*55 Phantom*

I have owned two 55's. One with old style Forks and one w/ newer style. this seems to support the changeover during 55. The newer springer was standard and the older style is locking. They both featured 48T cloverleaf Chain rings. The one that had a rack was with single reflector (6 hole) and not a light (4hole).I prefer the 6 hole as it seems a bit more unusual and the 48T gives a nice ride matched w/ 18T Bendix. Hope this all helps.


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## ski (May 21, 2010)

thanks again to everyone for the pictures and information. it sounds like 55 was a transition year and there are quite a few different directions i can go and still make it "correct".


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## DonChristie (May 21, 2010)

ski said:


> transition year and there are quite a few different directions i can go and still make it "correct".




yup, sounds like a Schwinn


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## silvercreek (Dec 14, 2012)

Here is a picture of my '54 Phantom. It should be the same as a 1955.


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## bobcycles (Dec 14, 2012)

*55*

Phantoms in 55 could come either way.  Later style non locking thru-arm pivot, or early locking fork.  I've also seen them with standard sprockets as well as the early Autocycle one.  Transition year to "Cheapness" for Schwinn and lower end on the quality spectrum...  the down hill slide for Phantoms.  By 56 most had Vinyl seats


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## schwinnderella (Dec 14, 2012)

bobcycles said:


> By 56 most had Vinyl seats




Is this true? perhaps a typo?


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## Champy (Dec 14, 2012)

*my 56*




My 1956 with 4 hole and springer bolt through the fork leg.


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## GTs58 (Dec 14, 2012)

Here is the 55 catalog page. http://waterfordbikes.com/SchwinnCat/flschwinn_1951_1960/1955_10.html
The locking fork was an option and more than likely a Phantom was equipped with the earlier style fork for that reason. No lock, new style fork. The early Phantoms were loaded and as the years past many things were deleted and made an option at extra cost like the rear light.


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