# Schwinn hub cones, availability and cross compatibility



## tommygun (Jun 23, 2020)

I'm going to keep this somewhat Schwinn specific but it could apply to any other old bike.

One of my biggest challenges working on old Schwinn's is matching up replacement hub cones. Last night, I was cleaning parts from a Bendix 76 coaster brake hub and needed a new cone due to the original one having pitting on the bearing surface. Luckily, I still have a few NOS Bendix cones in my inventory but it got me thinking- what will we do when our own parts stash runs dry? From my experience, Schwinn hubs, bottom brackets and headsets hold up very well when compared to their competitors but when you need a critical part to complete a project having multiple options is always nice. A lot of the bikes I build end up being riders, so I have to ensure parts are up to riding.

Has anybody worked on cross compatibility with current production repair parts? It would be nice to know who has made what work and in what application. I would love to hear everyone's thoughts about this.


----------



## Roger Henning (Jun 23, 2020)

I think I have the right name but there is a site called Wheel Goods that has many axle parts.  Roger


----------



## Roger Henning (Jun 23, 2020)

I remember one other site I have had good luck with odd bike bike parts.  It is called "Loose Screws Bike Parts."  Roger


----------



## Gordon (Jun 23, 2020)

Seems like there are still lots of Wald replacement parts out there - including their replacements for Schwinn cones.


----------



## tommygun (Jun 23, 2020)

Gordon said:


> Seems like there are still lots of Wald replacement parts out there - including their replacements for Schwinn cones.




I haven't looked at Wald's product line since I worked at the shop years ago. I'll have to check them out again


----------



## cyclingday (Jun 23, 2020)

Interesting topic.
I recently started to prepare a Schwinn hub for service, and discovered that the cups were pretty rough.
So, I thought I’d put some new ones in the hubshell, but discovered that these particular cups were an odd size compared to all of the other Schwinn replacement cups that I had.




Typically, these replacement cups are 1” in diameter.



This hub is a 1940/41 Hi/Lo Flange Forebrake.
Apparently, it used an odd size 15/16ths diameter replacement cup. Uggh!
So, let me know, if any of you guys happen to have a couple of these to spare.


----------



## Autocycleplane (Jun 23, 2020)

cyclingday said:


> Interesting topic.
> I recently started to prepare a Schwinn hub for service, and discovered that the cups were pretty rough.
> So, I thought I’d put some new ones in the hubshell, but discovered that these particular cups were an odd size compared to all of the other Schwinn replacement cups that I had.
> View attachment 1217307
> ...




Same axle setup and cups as the prewar Schwinn script hub also introduced in 40 - potential source for your parts if you have/find one.


----------



## cyclingday (Jun 23, 2020)

Thanks!
I’ve got a crate of loose hubs.
I’ll check it out.
Thanks for the tip.


----------



## KevinsBikes (Jun 23, 2020)

I actually took out a Union axle and cone set and it fit this Schwinn script shell which had uncaged bearings that just weren’t riding well.


----------



## Lookn4bikes (Jun 23, 2020)

I'm going through the same thing with a high-low drum. There are two sizes of Schwinn script hubs. The one that has the cups will have #5 bearings. The later hubs have a larger cup and bearing.


----------



## Xlobsterman (Jun 24, 2020)

tommygun said:


> I'm going to keep this somewhat Schwinn specific but it could apply to any other old bike.
> 
> One of my biggest challenges working on old Schwinn's is matching up replacement hub cones. Last night, I was cleaning parts from a Bendix 76 coaster brake hub and needed a new cone due to the original one having pitting on the bearing surface. Luckily, I still have a few NOS Bendix cones in my inventory but it got me thinking- what will we do when our own parts stash runs dry? From my experience, Schwinn hubs, bottom brackets and headsets hold up very well when compared to their competitors but when you need a critical part to complete a project having multiple options is always nice. A lot of the bikes I build end up being riders, so I have to ensure parts are up to riding.
> 
> Has anybody worked on cross compatibility with current production repair parts? It would be nice to know who has made what work and in what application. I would love to hear everyone's thoughts about this.




Most of the hubs used by Schwinn were manufactured by another company like Union, ACS, Normandy and a few others. Some were branded with the Schwinn name in some applications, and some not. But yes, a cross reference would be nice to have for future repairs & replacements.


----------



## Xlobsterman (Jun 24, 2020)

KevinsBikes said:


> I actually took out a Union axle and cone set and it fit this Schwinn script shell which had uncaged bearings that just weren’t riding well.
> 
> View attachment 1217338




That Schwinn hub was most likely made by Union for Schwinn.

Schwinn used Union hubs in the late 70's Klunkers, Spitfires, and Heavy Duti's






.


----------



## 100bikes (Jun 24, 2020)

A bit of a stretch in this thread, but it does tie in.

Loose Screws, Boulder Bicycles, South Shore  and many other retailers of classic and vintage small 
parts(or more modern stuff), as well as the site I am working to build and stock are all experiencing 
the same issue.

We(collectively) may have the parts you are seeking, but beyond the cost of sourcing, storing, listing 
and managing the inventory and all the other costs affiliated with running a micro-business, there is 
shipping. 

Our inventory includes 30 or so small parts cabinets and hundreds of bins of "stuff" waiting to be 
listed. We have stored them for years, and pay rent on the current space where they are housed. 
Deciding which is most relevant and worth the investment of time and effort is the problem. 

Taking photographs, researching and describing applications, locating an item into inventory all 
the other aspects of inventory control add up into the retail price charged for an item, one which 
may yield only a few cents to perhaps couple dollars per item. An item which may see demand of 
one or two pieces over a given span of time is a dilemma.

Posting a part in a first class envelope is possible(about $0.55 today), but there is the danger of 
the piece going missing because of the letter handling equipment. We just experienced this shipping 
a small part to a fellow CABEr. Add tracking and perhaps insurance, and, well, it is just not financially viable.

Charging a flat rate, or even actual rate including the packaging, adds $4-$5 to the cost of a small part-a 
huge hurdle on a small replacement part. There is no such thing as "free shipping", and I have yet to see 
anyone who has a better way of shipping small parts at lower cost. 

Shipping a rim, wheel or tire is a great example of shipping $$ being a concern, to say nothing of a bicycle.

Many old school bicycle stores may have the small parts, but do not necessarily have someone who knows the 
inventory or application of the parts they have. The costs of buying new replacement parts, and carrying them 
on the books is prohibitive. They run into the time/profit dilemma as well. "we don't have anything like that" 
is easier than " give me 10 minutes to search the small parts bins for a 50 cent part". There are literally thousands
of different bicycle parts ( as with any mechanical device which has been around as long as the bicycle) needed at
some time and no one source can maintain an inventory of all of them(case in point - we have about 200 different 
retainer bearings in stock). 

Modern stores don't bother with replacement small parts at all - their mantra is to replace, not repair the component . 

Beyond that, most wholesale vendors don't have small parts in their inventory to resupply retailers anymore. Also, 
modern replacements from the orient might not satisfy the application(period correct, precision or durability). 

As a micro operation, we have made the business decision of generally focusing our listings on items with a bit 
higher retail, those where the shipping costs are a smaller percentage of the selling price.  

Not certain of an answer, but as time moves forward, we can all expect the prices of small parts, when you 
can find them, to creep up. This is not necessarily driven by business need for increased profit.

Anyone need a radius bushing for Mafac brake......................we have them, but they are not listed on our site.
Ask us, just don't expect free shipping.

rusty


----------



## Gordon (Jun 24, 2020)

tommygun said:


> I haven't looked at Wald's product line since I worked at the shop years ago. I'll have to check them out again



I'm not sure they are even in business anymore, I was just noting there still seems to be a large amount of their products still out there. I recently picked up a fairly decent selection when a local hardware store closed.


----------



## KevinsBikes (Jun 24, 2020)

100bikes said:


> Ask us, just don't expect free shipping.
> rusty



Hey Rusty - no doubt I agree, time is $.  In my wheel sets I build I probably get paid $2-3 an hour for the time I put in.  In between coordination, education on tire sizes, get packing material and box, clean hubs of old grease and paint, replace bearings and cones, scour eBay for cheap hubs in very good condition, buy bulk front ND axle nuts, spokes not at retail, shipping issues, etc.  But I do it anyway because it's a fun hobby.

With that said - I'll send you a PM, the best way to alleviate this issue in my situation is bulk buys in a flat rate box and i'll send you a PM to see if you have a larger amount of what I need.


----------



## tommygun (Jun 24, 2020)

100bikes said:


> A bit of a stretch in this thread, but it does tie in.
> 
> Loose Screws, Boulder Bicycles, South Shore  and many other retailers of classic and vintage small
> parts(or more modern stuff), as well as the site I am working to build and stock are all experiencing
> ...




This right here is the absolute truth. Short story- my wife and I both worked at shop in the Cleveland area- she worked at a shop that dealt in high end road a mountain bikes and I worked in the neighborhood, open since Dad was a kid bike shop. Her shop and most every other shop in the area didn't have the 60+ years of "stuff" we had- we were the referral for those repairs. Just the length of time we had been in business gave us an advantage in the repair department. My good friend still owns the shop and is still occasionally making money off repairs using 60+ years of "stuff" buildup. 

It's easier to find a solution when you have drawers of parts accumulated over many years. Shops like that are a dying breed.


----------



## Autocycleplane (Jun 24, 2020)

cyclingday said:


> Thanks!
> I’ve got a crate of loose hubs.
> I’ll check it out.
> Thanks for the tip.




Just to clarify - the prewar, pre-46 version of the small flange and script hub use the same axle/cones/smaller cups with loose 3/16" ball bearings.

The post-46 version of both the small flange and the script hub used caged bearings and the larger 1" cups.


----------



## tommygun (Jun 24, 2020)

I


Gordon said:


> I'm not sure they are even in business anymore, I was just noting there still seems to be a large amount of their products still out there. I recently picked up a fairly decent selection when a local hardware store closed.




I'm not sure they are either but their website is definitely lacking.


----------

