# Continental Front Fender Brace Wzup?



## momo608 (May 12, 2016)

So putting on a new front fender and not liking the big holes for axles in the fender brace. Is this right for fork drop out mounted fenders?

Gotta pic the way Schwinn dealers did it?

Thanks!


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## Metacortex (May 12, 2016)

A slightly longer brace with big holes was used for the axle mounted front fenders on bikes with forged forks like the Varsity. Bikes with tubular forks used slightly shorter braces with smaller holes for the fender mount on the fork dropout.

EDIT: found some pics...


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## momo608 (May 12, 2016)

Need a part number


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## Metacortex (May 12, 2016)

27" wheel Lightweight fender braces as listed in the 1975 Dealer parts catalog:

Front:
52 927 (5510) Cadmium plated, use with fork having fender brace lug
52 928 (5511) Cadmium plated, use with forged fork

Rear:
52 924 (5548) Cadmium plated (also used on 26") [I believe two of these are used on EF bikes]
52 930 (5570) Cadmium plated Sports Tourer and Super Sport Upper
52 931 (5571) Cadmium plated Sports Tourer and Super Sport Lower

Note that these braces were listed under the same part numbers as being chrome plated in catalogs prior to '69, and the Ladies' Super Sport came standard with chrome braced fenders from 1966 through '71.


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## momo608 (May 12, 2016)

Thanks a lot!

This is what I need?
52 927 Cadmium plated, use with fork having fender brace lug

The numbers stamped on the parts does not seem to have anything to do with the part #.

I'm looking at these.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Schwinn...121615?hash=item1c4f18fb8f:g:G0sAAOSweW5U6j4I


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## Metacortex (May 12, 2016)

Sorry, my bad. I edited the above list to include the mfr. part numbers. As you can see the 5548 brace in the eBay listing is a rear fender brace.

Unfortunately I don't see any listings for the one you want, which is:
52 927 (5510) Cadmium plated, use with fork having fender brace lug

The following two listings are for #5511 (forged fork version) in chrome and cad respectively. Schwinn typically tacked an "F" on the mfr. part number for chrome versions of parts that would otherwise be cad plated:

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5335809022&icep_item=201392651338
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5335809022&icep_item=131561610029








Strangely these were listed in the catalog under the same Schwinn part number, if you ordered one in '69 or later you got cad, before that you got chrome.


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## momo608 (May 12, 2016)

There are Suburban fenders with that brace. Trying to work something out. Thanks for the help!


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## Eric Amlie (May 12, 2016)

What's with the Opaque Blue Suburban in the first pic?
I thought Suburbans all had tubular forks. That looks to have a flat blade fork. That's a new one on me.


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## Metacortex (May 12, 2016)

Eric Amlie said:


> What's with the Opaque Blue Suburban in the first pic?
> I thought Suburbans all had tubular forks. That looks to have a flat blade fork. That's a new one on me.




I was hoping somebody would ask. In fact just to beg the question I specifically searched for '74 Suburban pics of both types and luckily found them from the same eBay seller, even taken in the same position.  So this is what's up - from the 1974 Schwinn Dealer News Flash #10  dated 3/28/74:

SUBURBAN FRONT FORKS - Our supply of tubular front forks has not been received from our suppliers in the quantities needed and beginning April 1 we will substitute forged forks on Suburban models for a period of about two weeks. Based on the latest information from the manufacturers of these forks, we feel that there should be no further substitutions beyond these two weeks.​
For further reference note that the frame serial on the Opaque Blue one with the forged fork was DKxxxxxx (April '74). Of course since the headtube serial numbers were stamped before the frames were even built, you can often see these with serial numbers dated several months earlier.


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## Schwinn499 (May 13, 2016)

Interesting, ive only ever seen Lime '74 Suburbans with the flat blade fork.

Ive also noticed the fender brace tab on some tubular forks is off set and some are completely flat with the fork end. Was always curious as to the differences. Its almost like bikes that were factory equipped with tubular forks and fenders had the offset fork, and all others were just flat and there for the convenience if fenders were desired?


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## momo608 (May 13, 2016)

Metacortex said:


> I was hoping somebody would ask. In fact just to beg the question I specifically searched for '74 Suburban pics of both types and luckily found them from the same eBay seller, even taken in the same position.  So this is what's up - from the 1974 Schwinn Dealer News Flash #10  dated 3/28/74:




I'm a believer of not waiting for people to ask, just throw it out there and we'll talk about. I think it's OK to ask and answer your own questions online.  Anything to get the conversation going. You never know where it might lead. You mentioned to me about year appropriate reflectors, I'd like to read about that.


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## Metacortex (May 13, 2016)

Schwinn499 said:


> Interesting, ive only ever seen Lime '74 Suburbans with the flat blade fork.




Suburbans were available in Opaque Blue, Chestnut and Lime that year and I've seen forged fork versions in all of those colors.



> Ive also noticed the fender brace tab on some tubular forks is off set and some are completely flat with the fork end. Was always curious as to the differences. Its almost like bikes that were factory equipped with tubular forks and fenders had the offset fork, and all others were just flat and there for the convenience if fenders were desired?




The tubular forks were supplied by several external companies, One that was popular in the '70s was Tange and so far I've been unable to identify the others. I've seen several minor variations in the fork ends (dropouts) but from what I've seen that had more to do with the mfr. and/or the time they were produced.


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