# 20" Springer Fork ID help



## PLERR (Feb 18, 2021)

Hey everyone,

I just picked up this 20" springer fork. Lighting was poor and my phone is junk, it's ordinary chrome, not gold. I knew it wasn't vintage, but from the photos in the ad I was thinking it might be a modern Schwinn. Now that it's in my hands I'm thinking it may be an aftermarket piece. It's okay either way, I got a good price and it's for a rat build, but I would like to know the manufacturer.

I don't think it's a Sunlite, the ones I've seen have drain holes on the inside of the lower fork legs and this one doesn't. No markings on any bolt heads or anywhere else that I can see. It came with the headset which is marked NECO on the top nut, but that's not sold with the fork so it doesn't help.

Thanks


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## A.S.BOLTNUT (Feb 18, 2021)

Definitely aftermarket, Schwinn didn't gold plate any parts that I'm aware of.


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## mrg (Feb 18, 2021)

China, Low rider style.


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## nick tures (Feb 18, 2021)

repop


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## GTs58 (Feb 18, 2021)

Looks like it's off a 2007 BFK. At least to me it does. Although it does appear to have more curve to it. Probably the same manufacturer in China.


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## PLERR (Feb 18, 2021)

I failed to ask what the steer tube length was before buying it - my bad. It's about 5 1/2". All my 20" bikes, including my '78 Stingray, are 6 1/2". Now I can't decide if I have a cheap springer or an expensive door stop. =-(

If it was a 90s or so Schwinn would it have markings that would identify it as Schwinn?

BFK?


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Feb 19, 2021)

PLERR said:


> It's about 5 1/2". All my 20" bikes, including my '78 Stingray, are 6 1/2".




The steerer tube on a set of stingray forks is about 5 3/8 inches, are you talking about a Fairlady?


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Feb 19, 2021)

Were you measuring the head tube on the bike itself with head cups?


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## PLERR (Feb 19, 2021)

coasterbrakejunkie1969 said:


> The steerer tube on a set of stingray forks is about 5 3/8 inches, are you talking about a Fairlady?






coasterbrakejunkie1969 said:


> Were you measuring the head tube on the bike itself with head cups?




Ugh. Shame on me for not taking more accurate measurements. It makes it harder for the folks trying to help. Sorry. Okay, here are the HEAD TUBE lengths on each of my 20" bikes (NOT including the bearing cups) :
'78 Schwinn Stingray - 4"
Two '66 AMF Roadmaster Renegades and a '63 AMF Satellite - 4 7/8"
AMF Aerobee Renegade and '66 Foremost Swinger - 5 3/8"

The Foremost is disassembled, so I can measure the steerer tube. It's 6 11/16" measured from the top of the crown to end of tube (so including the integral lower bearing race).
The springer is 5 9/16" measured the same way.

Using the Foremost as an example, the difference in length between the head tube and steerer tube is roughly 1 1/4". Using that as a guide the springer would then fit a bike with a headtube measuring roughly 4 1/4". Again, my Stingray is 4". Nothing else I own is close to that.

So maybe this is (modern Chinese) Schwinn? The seller had other modern Stingray stuff for sale, but didn't know the source of any of it. Still wondering if the modern Schwinn springers have any markings.


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## sworley (Feb 19, 2021)

No, the modern Schwinn stuff does not have any "Schwinn" markings. I hope you didn't pay too much... 
Good luck and have fun!


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Feb 19, 2021)

I would think it would work on the Schwinn


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## PLERR (Feb 19, 2021)

coasterbrakejunkie1969 said:


> I would think it would work on the Schwinn




Yeah, but I wanted it for the Foremost. Or to try something crazy on a 26". I knew steer tubes came in different lengths, but I was kind of assuming most 20" muscle bikes were the same. Live and learn... It's off to the sell section with it now.


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