# Schwinn Stingray Boys Fork vs Fair Lady Fork Size Difference?



## Rayray (Sep 18, 2021)

I've been on the hunt for a 1976 boys stingray Fork and I've been striking out for months now. I've came across one from a Fair Lady but to my understanding, they tube is taller than the boys stingray.

Q #1 - Is it worth cutting to fit stingray?
Q #2 - How much do I need to cut ignorer for it to fit stingray properly?
Q #3 - Is rethreading involved? And will the tube hardware fit properly?


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Sep 18, 2021)

#1 Yes if you want correct dated parts
#2 The length of a boys Stingray is 5 3/8  inches from the shoulder where bearing race sits to top of tube.
#3 Yes,and yes if properly done. The key way will have to be lengthened as well


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## GTs58 (Sep 18, 2021)

I thought Schwinn standardized all the parts after the war? Same size boys & girls use the same parts and head tubes were also the same size. There was a steerer tube change for 1966 and the stems diameter changed along with the headset's top nut ID.


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## Robert Troub (Sep 18, 2021)

In answer to the age old question....size does matter....


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Sep 18, 2021)

GTs58 said:


> I thought Schwinn standardized all the parts after the war? Same size boys & girls use the same parts and head tubes were also the same size. There was a steerer tube change for 1966 and the stems diameter changed along with the headset's top nut ID.



The middleweights had same size Fairlady and Stingray were different


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## GTs58 (Sep 18, 2021)

coasterbrakejunkie1969 said:


> The middleweights had same size Fairlady and Stingray were different




Interesting.


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Sep 18, 2021)

GTs58 said:


> Interesting.



I think on the Stingray the head tube was just too short to accept the double bar of the girls bike. It would have made the 2 tubes only an inch or so apart and probably was not as strong as longer head tube and didn't look as pleasing to the eye.


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## Rayray (Sep 18, 2021)

coasterbrakejunkie1969 said:


> The middleweights had same size Fairlady and Stingray were different



interesting. And the junior forks are completely different as well?


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Sep 18, 2021)

No the junior 20 inch has same forks as Stingray the only difference between reg and Jr. frame is it is 1 inch shorter seat tube and 2 inches in the rear seat stays makes a slightly smaller frame. The Jr is the same size as the early '631/2 and early '64 Stingray mid '64 they made it longer.


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## GTs58 (Sep 18, 2021)

Rayray said:


> interesting. And the junior forks are completely different as well?




It appears that the head tubes varied on the 20" models so the fork tubes will vary. I've never really paid any attention to these smaller models.


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## Rayray (Sep 18, 2021)

coasterbrakejunkie1969 said:


> No the junior 20 inch has same forks as Stingray the only difference between reg and Jr. frame is it is 1 inch shorter seat tube and 2 inches in the rear seat stays makes a slightly smaller frame. The Jr is the same size as the early '631/2 and early '64 Stingray mid '64 they made it longer.



okay, so that is really good to know as well


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## ADKBIKES (Oct 17, 2021)

coasterbrakejunkie1969 said:


> No the junior 20 inch has same forks as Stingray the only difference between reg and Jr. frame is it is 1 inch shorter seat tube and 2 inches in the rear seat stays makes a slightly smaller frame. The Jr is the same size as the early '631/2 and early '64 Stingray mid '64 they made it longer.



frames changed in 65


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## fatbike (Oct 18, 2021)

I'm pretty certain that not only the steer tube is different and the fork itself is also longer on a girls.


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Oct 18, 2021)

fatbike said:


> I'm pretty certain that not only the steer tube is different and the fork itself is also longer on a girls.



Yes just the steerer tube is longer forks the same


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## Livmojoe (Oct 18, 2021)

The other thing to be aware of when cutting down a girl's Sting Ray fork (Fair Lady) is that the ID of the steer tube is tapered towards the bottom (tubing wall gets thicker, ID gets smaller).  Once you cut the steer tube down to match the boy's length, the handlebar stem doesn't fit all the way down.... it will sit a little higher.


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Oct 18, 2021)

Livmojoe said:


> The other thing to be aware of when cutting down a girl's Sting Ray fork (Fair Lady) is that the ID of the steer tube is tapered towards the bottom (tubing wall gets thicker, ID gets smaller).  Once you cut the steer tube down to match the boy's length, the handlebar stem doesn't fit all the way down.... it will sit a little higher.



Thank you for that good to know.


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## mrg (Oct 18, 2021)

Livmojoe said:


> The other thing to be aware of when cutting down a girl's Sting Ray fork (Fair Lady) is that the ID of the steer tube is tapered towards the bottom (tubing wall gets thicker, ID gets smaller).  Once you cut the steer tube down to match the boy's length, the handlebar stem doesn't fit all the way down.... it will sit a little higher.



Does that apply to both early & late ( thin & thick wall ) girls StingRay forks?, I need to cut down a 64 thin wall.


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## Livmojoe (Oct 19, 2021)

> Does that apply to both early & late ( thin & thick wall ) girls StingRay forks?, I need to cut down a 64 thin wall.



Not sure on the pre-66 steer tubes.  The one I cut down was 70s-ish.  I was picky (OCD, lol?) about the stem sitting high so I used a 13/16" drill bit to give it a little more depth.


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## Rayray (Oct 19, 2021)

Livmojoe said:


> Not sure on the pre-66 steer tubes.  The one I cut down was 70s-ish.  I was picky (OCD, lol?) about the stem sitting high so I used a 13/16" drill bit to give it a little more depth.



How much higher did the stem sit than its normal height?


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