# Early Odd Schwinn Springer, Questions



## bombollis (Sep 25, 2015)

Picked up this pre-war Springer and have never seen this truss rod configuration before.

The truss rods are solid not tubular, and riveted to the dropouts rather than captive over the axle.

At first i thought this was homemade modification, but with further inspection it is done so precisely it looks like its factory.  The spring also looks atypical to me.

Could this be a very early 1937 production detail?  Has anybody seen this before?


----------



## bobcycles (Sep 25, 2015)

*Some Clown Improvised that .......not stock, just a hack job from long ago.*


----------



## Jeff54 (Sep 25, 2015)

bobcycles said:


> *Some Clown Improvised that .......not stock, just a hack job from long ago.*




LOL, But I wouldn't call that a 'clown hack job'.. It's nice workmenship.. back in the day when we had more craftsmen, when, as they said: "You could fix any problem in a model T with bailing wire"

That's hammer forged very well, balanced on top and bottom and well placed too.. Ya don't see peps who'll do that these days. 

I'd wonder myself, because, it's made and fitted so nicely, if it was some extra heavy duty ensemble, but, it prob ain't. Just good 'hackmenship' [grin]


----------



## bricycle (Sep 25, 2015)

well it looks very well done.... BUT if you look closely, it seems that someone had taken the trusses off and didn't know how to put them back on. Think just up-side-down. at the top you can see the drain holes... so prob didn't know were on wrong, and had fixed the hard way. That's my guess.


----------



## Jeff54 (Sep 25, 2015)

bricycle said:


> well it looks very well done.... BUT if you look closely, it seems that someone had taken the trusses off and didn't know how to put them back on. Think just up-side-down. at the top you can see the drain holes... so prob didn't know were on wrong, and had fixed the hard way. That's my guess.




I noticed that too, OP says it's solid: "The truss rods are solid not tubular" so, must be a racing bike, drilled holes to lighten the load, [grin]


----------



## OldSkipTooth (Sep 25, 2015)

He said the trusses are SOLID, not tubular.


----------



## OldSkipTooth (Sep 25, 2015)

Schwinn should have done this! those idiots!


----------



## bricycle (Sep 25, 2015)

My prewar struts weren't solid (strong, yes. thick tubing, yes) solid? don't think so.


----------



## bombollis (Sep 25, 2015)

Thanks guys, that is correct they aren't solid they are tubular.


----------



## Jeff54 (Sep 25, 2015)

bombollis said:


> Thanks guys, that is correct they aren't solid they are tubular.




Ah, oh,, ya should-a stuck wit the first line:  "The truss rods are solid not tubular" Because, now all ya got is Some Clown's hack job. [grin].


----------



## rustjunkie (Sep 25, 2015)

Howsabout a pic of the rest of the find? Looks like it might make a cool rider with a fresh set of wheels. 
I'd leave the warts and appreciate them as history; the fork still looks functional, doesn't it?.


----------



## tripple3 (Sep 25, 2015)

Shelby headset...on the Schwinn forum?


----------



## fordmike65 (Sep 25, 2015)

tripple3 said:


> Shelby headset...on the Schwinn forum(frame)?




Good eye there


----------



## rustjunkie (Sep 25, 2015)

tripple3 said:


> Shelby headset...on the Schwinn forum?




One of those warts I was talking about


----------



## bombollis (Sep 25, 2015)

Well if it's not factory, someone went through a lot of work for no real benefit. Do most prewar truss rods have drain holes top and bottom, or just top? And are the holes in the pinch, or in the hollow tube?


----------



## bombollis (Sep 25, 2015)

rustjunkie said:


> Howsabout a pic of the rest of the find? Looks like it might make a cool rider with a fresh set of wheels.
> I'd leave the warts and appreciate them as history; the fork still looks functional, doesn't it?.




As you can see from this pick, it may need more than a set of wheels! Lol


----------



## rustjunkie (Sep 25, 2015)

bombollis said:


> As you can see from this pick, it may need more than a set of wheels! LolView attachment 239395




ha! Definitely can't squeeze much lemonade outta _that_!


----------



## buickmike (Sep 26, 2015)

Well; I have been looking for a pair of those AS bolts for a while.if you decide to part -send them over this way.


----------



## cyclingday (Sep 26, 2015)

Now, that's a clowns hack job.


----------



## spoker (Sep 26, 2015)

Rube Who? an yet another parrot that stutters!!


----------



## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Sep 26, 2015)

My 1941 did not have gas holes in the truss rods. This kinda looks like either a tall frame springer or a girls 1941 springer. Had a few different sizes. Notice the length of the crimp of the top springer leg before it reaches the yoke. Standard legs have a shorter crimp.  Can't tell, but it has what looks like a spacer below the crown nut indicating a,longer steering tube. So if that's the case, then this just has standard length prewar  rods on it and that's why they are shorter then the springer legs. This springer is,definitely 1941 though.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


----------



## Larmo63 (Sep 26, 2015)

What identifies it as 1941 in particular? I'd like to know for future reference.


----------



## bombollis (Sep 26, 2015)

Thanks for all the input guys! 
It would be great to know the variations of the springer throughout the years.

If this is a longer girl's version, how does the spring line up correctly with the perch? The perch would be lower than it was intended, but everything seems to line-up correctly.


----------



## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Sep 27, 2015)

bombollis said:


> Thanks for all the input guys!
> It would be great to know the variations of the springer throughout the years.
> 
> If this is a longer girl's version, how does the spring line up correctly with the perch? The perch would be lower than it was intended, but everything seems to line-up correctly.



I don't believe it to be a girls springer, but looking at the head tube length, it looks like it was a tall frame. Someone just added the wrong length rods 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


----------



## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Sep 27, 2015)

bombollis said:


> Thanks for all the input guys!
> It would be great to know the variations of the springer throughout the years.
> 
> If this is a longer girl's version, how does the spring line up correctly with the perch? The perch would be lower than it was intended, but everything seems to line-up correctly.



Honestly, the more I look at this the more I think someone cut the rods down for some reason. The hole that are riveted are way to small to have gone over the axle... dad just cut em and crimped them. Maybe the originals got sheared off at the bottom .. (ive had this happen). ..dad said here's what,we do..

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


----------



## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Sep 27, 2015)

bricycle said:


> well it looks very well done.... BUT if you look closely, it seems that someone had taken the trusses off and didn't know how to put them back on. Think just up-side-down. at the top you can see the drain holes... so prob didn't know were on wrong, and had fixed the hard way. That's my guess.



Naw...they are on right... the release hole(which I haven't seen on a 41) would not have been located on the flat crimped part as that would do nothing. They are located right where the crimp starts.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


----------



## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Sep 27, 2015)

Honestly, it looks like a tall c mod frame. 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


----------



## bombollis (Sep 27, 2015)

Thanks again for the info guys, I'm going to throw this up for sale on the classified section if anybody is interested. $97 shipped from Minnesota.


----------

