# Adding Front Brake to Middleweight Bike - Problem Solving Help?



## SpiceAndLemonade (Jun 14, 2022)

Greetings!

I have a late 1958-1961 Snyder/Rollaway/Firestone that I am getting into comfortable rideable condition and I'm wondering how I would go about adding a front brake? I realize that traditionally, this style of bicycle has coaster brakes (and they do work), but with my abilities/skill level as a rider I don't feel all that comfortable riding without any handbrakes at all, especially around in the hilly and busy neighborhood I live in.

I've taken it to two reputable bike shops in my area and both have essentially told me it's inadvisable to add a front brake by drilling into the frame. Reviewing the bike myself as I have taken it apart to clean it up, they are very correct - the front fork pivots inside the frame with some sort of bearing, plus the vintage badge is also right there... so that is a whole can of worms I don't think I want to deal with. (I am a novice bike mechanic at best, so I ask for your patience about bike mechanics and fixing/assembling bikes as we move forwards here.)

However, I've done some searching and found this part that I think would work on my front bicycle fork... if I can find it? I realize this is a Schwinn part (and hopefully this isn't going to cause any pain for the mix and match on brand and era here) and as I've scoured eBay for the past two days I can't find anything that's even close. I did find a few archived posts here at CABE for this request as well, and folks have pointed others towards this website (originally in Japanese) which offers replica parts for the same style of front fork. I've sent a message to the seller in hopes they may answer (here's hoping they're willing to answer messages in English!), but the last restock looks like it was in October 2020...

So I need some problem solving help... should I spend my time looking for this part? Or should I try something else? I've attached some images of the front fork of my bike. I'm not certain this would be the right answer since from my searching it looks as though on the Schwinn bicycles this part was designed for, there is a tapped hole underneath but not on my Firestone. However I think it's the right direction? Any thoughts?


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## J-wagon (Jun 14, 2022)

Hi, not sure if Caliper adapter or v-brake clamps will fit your fork. But another consideration is if your current front rim profile is suitable for brake pads.


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## SpiceAndLemonade (Jun 14, 2022)

Good point... There are fenders to consider reaching around as well within this design... Is it difficult to find large enough brake calipers for that? I suppose this will require some measuring with the wheel actually on... Being a novice, I'm not entirely versed in all of the brake options available out there.


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## Rivnut (Jun 14, 2022)

The Schwinn middleweights with front caliper brakes had a fork that accepted a long bolt the held the front fender via a 90 degree bracket and also was the axis for the front calipers.


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## 49autocycledeluxe (Jun 14, 2022)

"I've taken it to two reputable bike shops in my area and both have essentially told me it's inadvisable to add a front brake by drilling into the frame."

first, you need to drill the fork, not the frame. second, bike shops sell bikes and parts and tune up late models, they don't do much else that would require actual thinking. they advise against drilling because they don't want to be held liable on the off chance something happened (which will not be happening.) 

I'd drill a hole through the fork right where that little divot is and not give it a second thought. first gather up all your parts. put the fenders on if you have fenders. you will need to get the proper size brake calipers for the size tire and wheel you are running. I'd bet 90% of them will be for skinny tire bikes.


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## Robert Troub (Jun 14, 2022)

I'd buy a bike with a front brake......


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## J-wagon (Jun 14, 2022)

SpiceAndLemonade said:


> Being a novice, I'm not entirely versed in all of the brake options available out there.



The easiest route would be v-brake clamp-on post adapters but clamp may not fit your fork legs. Otherwise modifying to mount caliper is up to you, be prepared for "fun", I did sample mock to illustrate various considerations:
Select appropriate Caliper brake, different sizes such as left is shorter than the right in pic:




Quick mock up with sample forks not designed for calipers shows that Caliper mounting bolt too short, with spacer on place, no room for nut to thread 
















The thickness of fork mount area about 1.5". So the Caliper brake bolt has insufficient length to be bolted on in my example. 




This was just a quick and dirty mock up. Good luck!


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## SirMike1983 (Jun 15, 2022)

Adding a caliper to the bike shown in the original post is not going to be easy, though it may be doable. The fork is not a candidate for the 90-degree bracket to mount a caliper and it is not drilled across for direct mount of a caliper. Also, the area of the fork where the caliper would mount has a ridge running across it and is not flat.

To mount a caliper you would need to measure and drill a properly sized hole as shown in post #7. You would then need to custom make a braket or modify a brake ferrule to jigsaw against that ridge in the fork column so that the brake sits flush against the mount. The reason for this is you want the caliper to stay straight and not twist in position. You also don't want the arms to flex much when applying the brake.

As mentioned in post #7 you need an adequately long brake center bolt. Some calipers allow the use of a custom bolt or a hardware store bolt but some do not.

Your question about reach is a good one. You will need the caliper arms to reach around the fender and over the wheel down to the rim sides. Long reach calipers are available but the reach is limited by the fact that long reach tends to flex more when being applied.

Having said all this, I would think that a fork blade-mount brake system like an add-on cantilever would work. Frankly, I wouldn't want to mess with the fork crown or the steerer column on that bike in the original post. It seems like too much work to me and I'd go the v-brake/cantilever/fork blade route.

One other option is a British fork blade-mounted caliper akin to the old Philco brake.





The above fork is not drilled for a caliper, but a front brake can be mounted if the brake clamps to the fork blades. An original brake of this type will not be cheap but does add another option to all the work described above. You would need to look for a model with a little extra tire clearance width, but they do have generous vertical clearance for fenders.


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## SchwinnFinn63 (Jun 15, 2022)

Switch your current fork for one with the proper set up for a front brake. Keep the original and put back on when you show the machine.


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## Andrew Gorman (Jun 15, 2022)

"Fun" when adding caliper brakes is an understatement, especially working around fenders!   Schwinn made a clamp on set of cantilever brakes in the early 1950's that could work, or just use a hub drum brake- that will work right out of the gate.  Or, just be prepared to drag your feet when necessary.


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## AndyA (Jun 15, 2022)

Yes, you should add a front brake. A front brake works much better than a rear brake and adds redundancy. You can either drill your fork as recommended by 49autocycledeluxe or swap out the fork as recommended by SchwinnFinn63. I have used both approaches. In your photos, your fork looks quite drillable. The spot to drill would be where there is a small slot. First two photos below show a bike that I drilled. Third photo shows a couple of styles of forks that could be swapped in. Finding a donor bike shouldn't be hard, but remember that you have to match for wheel diameter, steering tube diameter, and steering tube length. Have fun!


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## SpiceAndLemonade (Jun 15, 2022)

Thanks for the bike knowledge. Knowing that I will need to accurately measure for the brake caliper travel over the fender and that I need to consider the fact I may need to modify a set of brake calipers is a good point as well as accounting for the flex factor and preventing the brake from twisting while stopping.

I have a contact locally who is a engineer/amateur machinist who is into problem solving and bicycles who I may try to bribe with pizza and beer to help me out. I think my main concern would be making sure that the hole is drilled accurately, so the use of a drill press would be helpful. I'm willing to drill the fork if necessary, but there is also a vertical hole drilled for the fender screw already and I'm not sure if that would interfere? I think a few posts pointed out there was a "divot" there already, that's where the hole for the original fender screw is - it probably doesn't show very well in the original photos I posted.

Good to know I've got some options to try out for a few different solutions, including both drilling and not drilling, as well as swapping in new parts. I appreciate the support of adding a front brake also - the safety insurance is worth it to me to spend the time to figure it out.


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## AndyA (Jun 15, 2022)

SpiceAndLemonade said:


> I may need to modify a set of brake calipers





SpiceAndLemonade said:


> I think my main concern would be making sure that the hole is drilled accurately, so the use of a drill press would be helpful.



There are two principal factors relative to caliper brakes: 1) the reach of the calipers, as shown in the photo posted by J-wagon. You have to be able to adjust the pads to contact the rim. And 2) the length of the central bolt. Front brakes typically have longer bolts than rear brakes, depending on how they are mounted. Also see J-wagon's discussion of bolt length. Note that calipers are easily disassembled and switched onto bolts of different lengths.

A drill press is always a nice thing to have or have access to, but for this purpose, simple measurement and eyeballing will get you well within tolerances. Oftentimes calipers must be bent a bit to get good alignment with the rim and some toe-in to prevent squealing.

Have fun!


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## Andrew Gorman (Jun 15, 2022)

There is a bike co-op in Minneapolis with a couple of locations.  They will be happy to help you sort out the brake installation AND have a lot of used parts available so you can find what will fit.  and guide you along as you do the work.  Just a suggestion!








						The Hub Bike Co-op
					

We are open for shopping with no appointment needed. To protect our community, face masks are required in The Hub at this time. Our online store is available to shop for bikes, parts, tools and more!




					www.thehubbikecoop.org


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## SpiceAndLemonade (Jun 16, 2022)

Andrew Gorman said:


> There is a bike co-op in Minneapolis with a couple of locations.  They will be happy to help you sort out the brake installation AND have a lot of used parts available so you can find what will fit.  and guide you along as you do the work.  Just a suggestion!
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Thanks Andrew! I will definitely check them out... I've heard good things from other friends in Minneapolis about The Hub. 👍


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## WillWork4Parts (Jul 3, 2022)

It was pointed out, but not sure if clarified, what rims are you running? I would expect to see drop center rims on a bike of this era....and as far as what I've tried before, they do not cooperate well at all with caliper brakes. 
Buying a drum brake wheel with cable and brake lever attached would be the simplest solution.


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## WES PINCHOT (Jul 3, 2022)

IF YOU WANT A GOOD FRONT WHEEL BRAKE, GET A SCHWINN "FOREWHEEL DRUM 
BRAKE".  THEY ARE NOT CHEAP, BUT I HAVE HAD THEM ON ALL MY RIDING SCHWINNS.  
YOU MAY HAVE TO GET OR MAKE A SIMPLE  BRACKET TO FIT THE FORK LEG THAT ANCHORS 
THE ARM OF THE PORK CHOP. THE FRONT WHEEL HUB WOULD MOSTLY BE FOUND ON A 
BALLOON TIRE FORK OR ON SOME OF THE SCHWINN TANDEMS.  I HAD A MIDDLEWEIGHT
SCHWINN AND WAS ABLE TO USE THE SCHWINN FORE WHEEL DRUM BRAKE WITH S-2 RIMS.


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## partsguy (Jul 5, 2022)

Dealing with rim profiles, fork drilling, and fender clearances is too much grief when there are caliper-optioned forks and fender available for swapping, or just upgrade the bike to something mid level.

That’s my two cents…swap the front end or swap the bike.


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## Oldbikeguy1960 (Jul 13, 2022)

Post a photo of your whole bike please, especially the wheels. It will help a lot with suggestions.
Coaster brakes are very dependable, especially on older bikes like yours. I do understand wanting extra braking, however
Don't be afraid of drilling the fork. No matter how complicated some try to make it, the job comes down to measuring and drilling ONE hole. No PhD involved. The hole you see is the machine target for drilling it for a caliper if needed.
Most forks other than flat blade solid steel Ashtabula style (old Schwinn) forks are the same fork whether they were drilled or not. That bracket you show is for one of those forks and probably wouldn't fit properly on the fork you have. The other manufacturers rarely made two forks to do one job, they made one fork to do two jobs. 
Same with fender bolts. One bolt for both jobs. Most of the fender mount bolts are vertical drilled as well. Unless the fender bolt has been changed for something longer due to loss of original bolt, the bolt will clear the caliper bolt. If it is long take it to a hardware store and buy one that matches with an Allen type (internal hex) or standard head, not a screwdriver type head. You will thank me later if the bolt gets rusty.
The measurement is already there. DO NOT try to hand drill both holes in one action as it is hard to hold the drill perfectly straight. If you drill the holes as I suggest you can run the drill bit through both holes together afterwards and align the holes within tolerances. Or use a drill press, your fork bearings might like a cleaning and some fresh grease anyway.
Modern BMX bike steel calipers properly installed, with good pads (more on that below) will work as well for your purpose as higher cost calipers some may suggest from race bikes or new from the local bike shop. They will also clear middleweight fenders fine. If you are into it (I am) you will find what you need on one of the millions of new bikes Americans discard every year because the tires went flat or the paint color is out of style. Just don’t use the pads, they are most likely made from rust and cow dung.
Like another member said, the caliper ends can be gently bent to align with the wheels, and on steel calipers this could be done to align them to drop center rims as well, although I never had to do so.
A lot of bikes came from the factory with drop center rims and caliper brakes. I don't like it either but they work after the pads wear in or you sand them on a belt sander to cut an angle horizontally on them. 
Buy good pads not the cheap things at Wal-Mart. Look for the RED ones, they are a better stopping coumpound in the old pads and are better wet than the black ones. Buy some nice ones from eBay, or I may have a spare set or two.
Another solution (not my favorite) is the bolt on caliper brake adapters. They bolt onto the fork legs at any point needed and are still available here and on eBay reasonably. Schwinn and Resilion both made them, the resilion version may cost less but it may take a week or two to get them from England. They use a cable similar to a GYRO cable on a bmx trick bike. I do not like them because they scratch up paint on the fork and if tightened too much or the set bolt tightend they can dent the fork a little.
Drum brakes are nice, I use them on some of my musclebike builds on frames that arent made for caliper mounting (ie: Schwinn) but the Schwinn Fore Brake, while an excellent choice is way too expensive to use on an old middleweight fun bike. It will also make the bike, wheel or even the hub (by cutting the spokes and brake cable) prone to theft. I would suggest a Sturmey Archer, Akai, GRI.ME.CA, or even the knockoff wheels with drums installed. There are cheaper ways than eBay if cost is a factor (it is for me).
Feel free to contact me or I am sure some other knowledgeable members who will be able to walk you through this, or check with the bike co-op. Someone there I bet spokes wheels and may build you a wheel for parts cost only (I would but too far away) or even a modest fee that would be worth it and still way less than a Fore Brake alone. If you like that enough buy a rear to match and put a single speed BMX sprocket on it, or if you use Sturmey Archer get an AB hub and have a 3 speed with minimal setup. 
Not a sales pitch, but I have a spare AB hub here to do a 3 speed rear and can get front brake hubs from England if you decide you like the idea. Nice shiny chrome, and everyone knows that while chrome may not (always) get you home, it may get you somewhere. And it is fun to polish!
I also have a GRI.ME.CA 36 hole rear here, but they aren't as shiny. What I did see of your bike says SHINY! 
Am I at 5 pages yet? Just checking.
Rob

My name is Rob, and I approve this instructional.


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## BFGforme (Aug 7, 2022)

I would try something like this…


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## Rivnut (Aug 8, 2022)

Schwinn made this but I have no idea when.  Bolts to flat blade forks.









						Sold - Schwinn Cantilever Fork Mount Front Rim Brakes $115 | Archive (sold)
					

Reduced Price to $115 Shipped! Complete fork mount front cantilever brake set for 1950's Schwinn American or others or cool on a Klunker build.  Please examine photos for condition. I have not tried to clean these up at all, figured the buyer can do it to their liking. Notice wear on the cable...




					thecabe.com


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## BFGforme (Aug 8, 2022)

Rivnut said:


> Schwinn made this but I have no idea when.  Bolts to flat blade forks.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



That’s what I showed him in the picture


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## Rivnut (Aug 8, 2022)

BFGforme said:


> That’s what I showed him in the picture



I read this post a long time ago when it was first posted. I ran across this picture looking for something else and remembered it. Just posted what I found without going back and rereading it. My post is to an entire link and might give the author a little more insight.  I wasn’t trying to upstage anyone in any way. Sorry if you felt slighted.


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## BFGforme (Aug 8, 2022)

Rivnut said:


> I read this post a long time ago when it was first posted. I ran across this picture looking for something else and remembered it. Just posted what I found without going back and rereading it. My post is to an entire link and might give the author a little more insight.  I wasn’t trying to upstage anyone in any way. Sorry if you felt slighted.



Not at all, just meant was showing those that could work for him!


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## piercer_99 (Aug 31, 2022)

SpiceAndLemonade said:


> Greetings!
> 
> I have a late 1958-1961 Snyder/Rollaway/Firestone that I am getting into comfortable rideable condition and I'm wondering how I would go about adding a front brake? I realize that traditionally, this style of bicycle has coaster brakes (and they do work), but with my abilities/skill level as a rider I don't feel all that comfortable riding without any handbrakes at all, especially around in the hilly and busy neighborhood I live in.
> 
> ...



If you really feel the need to a front brake, why not just get a disc brake conversion for the front?

There are a multitude of them available now.  Simple bolt on bracket to the fork leg, no permanent changes to the bicycle needed.


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## freddy (Oct 1, 2022)

on the mock up fork if u  use a regular washer n not the spacer  it should  work


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## mitchito (Oct 26, 2022)

How about just finding a beat up ridgid or even suspension fork mountain bike and switch the fork with the front wheel , brakes and everything? You could be all in for $25.


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## Metalbender (Oct 26, 2022)

Maybe I missed it...26" Worksman with drum brake...heavy duty rims and spokes to boot.  Just a thought.


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## Metalbender (Oct 26, 2022)

Metalbender said:


> Maybe I missed it...26" Worksman with drum brake...heavy duty rims and spokes to boot.  Just a thought.



On some of the worksman they just clamped the arm to the fork from the factory.


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## Axman88 (Oct 26, 2022)

I immediately thought of what was available back in the balloon tire days, a front drum brake.  Seems like some of the rims that I've found on middleweights did not have sidewalls compatible with rim braking.

Sturmey Archer offers front drum brakes in both 70mm and 90mm sizes and versions incorporating dynamos:
https://www.sturmey-archer.com/en/products/front-hubs-including-dynohubs

Or what about Shimano's Nexus roller brake system?  This hub is 100mm wide:
https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/nexus-inter3/HB-IM40.html
https://bike.shimano.com/en-US/product/component/nexus-c3000-int7/BR-C3000-F.html

If one retrofits hub braking, does this create problems with the spoke lacing being too fragile to handle the braking force?


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## Arnold Ziffel (Oct 26, 2022)

Have you looked to see what PORKCHOP BMX  has.  He has an ebay store and a website.
I cannot imagine that since you are trying to install a front brake to a 559mm (26") wheel that is as common as dirt, that he won't have exactly what you might need since all the early mountain bikes  used 559mm (26")wheels.

A decent caliper brake is not that difficult to adapt and fit.    You should have no problem whatsoever in finding one that would function well with the width of a middleweight wheel/tire.

There are ways to engineer a quality MacGyvered solution in certain circumstances, if you have to.
I think you might possibly look at  oem and replacement brake caliper components meant for 1980's and early 90's mountain bikes.
You might find just the ticket that also fits an early eighties era mountain bike.





						Home Made Drop Bolts
					

A drop bolt increases the reach of a bicycle brake caliper, so that it can work with a smaller wheel than would otherwise fit.



					www.sheldonbrown.com


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