# Schwinn canti-tank shape differences



## tacochris (Sep 27, 2021)

Ok so this is eating at my soul and I have been pouring over the net and thecabe and still cant find a solid answer:

Did a full garage rearranging over the weekend and had all my bikes lined up and noticed the front tank differences in these 3 phantoms.  I have poured over thecabe in all of the schwinn threads, phantom threads etc etc and its never touched on or mentioned as to why this is like it is. 
The bike on the far left is an early 55 model red phantom (bolt behind the fork leg), the bike in the middle is an early 54 model and the one to the far right is a 51 model.  All tanks are originals not repros and original to the bikes themselves.
The 54 and 51 both have rounded lower front corners but the late 54 (55) has a sharper more flat front profile.

Here is the kicker, I assumed it was a 54/55 switch up in tank design when they also moved to the clover sprocket, but I have poured over 100's of pictures from late 40's tankers, B6's, phantoms etc and I have seen both tank profiles in all spectrum of years so now I dont know what to believe.  I have seen the flat profile in pre 52's, the rounded profile in post 52's and vice versa.  haha

Anyone?


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## tacochris (Sep 27, 2021)

@GTs58 Maybe something you might know or have come across before?


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## schwinnbikebobb (Sep 27, 2021)

Not really my area but is it possible that they all started the same and the springer rods crushed them into the  pressed in shape as they hit it?  See if it lines up.


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## phantom (Sep 27, 2021)

Are those waiting in line to be cleaned up ?


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## tacochris (Sep 27, 2021)

phantom said:


> Are those waiting in line to be cleaned up ?



Lol nah....those are my regular riders.  Nice and sweaty like I like em.


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## tacochris (Sep 27, 2021)

schwinnbikebobb said:


> Not really my area but is it possible that they all started the same and the springer rods crushed them into the  pressed in shape as they hit it?  See if it lines up.



Ive already come across a nice stack of pictures of bikes with both styles of tank contours, some original survivors and some restored.  
I found it pretty strange its never really been talked about as glaring as a difference as it is.


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## Freqman1 (Sep 27, 2021)

Like Bob said two of these are dented from the truss rods hitting them. V/r Shawn


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## Rivnut (Sep 27, 2021)

Are you talking about the profile of the tank as stamped - the line from the fork to the cantilever bars - curved vs straight?  Not the dents in the tanks from the truss rods?


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## tacochris (Sep 27, 2021)

Rivnut said:


> Are you talking about the profile of the tank as stamped - the line from the fork to the cantilever bars - curved vs straight?  Not the dents in the tanks from the truss rods?



Yes, the first front leading edge profile.  On the late 54 red phantom, the front of the tank goes straight down and makes an almost sharp turn downward.  On the early 54 and 51, the front leading edge goes downward and makes a soft curve into the downtube.


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## tacochris (Sep 27, 2021)

I see the confusion in what area Im referring to due to the size of my circles but here is a better, more accurate pic with arrows.  Maybe its lazy stamping or whatever but the late 54 at the leading edge has a much more crisp angle at the front of the tank where the leading edge of the early 54 and 51 tanks have a more relaxed curvature into the downtube.
Probably splitting hairs but its worth mentioning or clarifying...


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## Rivnut (Sep 27, 2021)

I found these tanks on some site when I googled Schwinn Cantilever tank.

One is called a B107 tank, the other is just called a cantilever tank.  One also has a ridge molded into it along the bottom of the front.  Do these kind of parallel what you have on your bikes?


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## tacochris (Sep 28, 2021)

Ok so I thought I would make it easier.  I found 9+ different examples of this difference across the internet and thecabe but I will use two examples here just to show it more clearly. 
These are both original survivor bikes, neither tank is beat up or bashed in and both have very different leading edges.  The green one has a very relaxed curvature in the front and the other one has almost a distinct angle at the front edge.
There are alot more examples but this would be most efficient to show two:


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## 49autocycledeluxe (Sep 28, 2021)

take the tanks off your bike. take them out in the sun. take 15 photos of each then post the best ones.

bad photos and odd drawings are not showing what you want us to see.


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## tacochris (Sep 28, 2021)

49autocycledeluxe said:


> take the tanks off your bike. take them out in the sun. take 15 photos of each then post the best ones.
> 
> bad photos and odd drawings are not showing what you want us to see.



Its really hard to be much more clear than im being already....
The pictures above are the two most obviously different ones I could find and I even lightened the pictures up alot.


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## biker (Sep 28, 2021)

I think he is talking about the radius on the front corner. One is small almost to a point and one is generous.


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## tacochris (Sep 28, 2021)

biker said:


> I think he is talking about the radius on the front corner. One is small almost to a point and one is generous.



100% yes!  That very front tip of the tank on some is almost a sharp angle and on some its a really soft curve, almost rounded.


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## Handle Bar Hoarder (Sep 28, 2021)

i see what you talking about... i see it.... just don't know the answer to your question sorry


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## tacochris (Sep 28, 2021)

Handle Bar Hoarder said:


> i see what you talking about... i see it.... just don't know the answer to your question sorry



Thats ok and kinda what I expected because I have gone down the rabbit hole on this site and its seemingly never been mentioned or touched on in any of the schwinn year-differences or identity threads.

I can only imagine it has to do with lazy or off stampings at the factory and just never really mattered to anyone.


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## Handle Bar Hoarder (Sep 28, 2021)

tacochris said:


> Thats ok and kinda what I expected because I have gone down the rabbit hole on this site and its seemingly never been mentioned or touched on in any of the schwinn year-differences or identity threads.
> 
> I can only imagine it has to do with lazy or off stampings at the factory and just never really mattered to anyone.



i think it's interesting.. i've never noticed it... good eye


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## tacochris (Sep 28, 2021)

Handle Bar Hoarder said:


> i think it's interesting.. i've never noticed it... good eye




What's funny is, I assumed when I saw it, it was a year difference thing and changed in 55 but when I started doing searches online to confirm that, it was all over the board!  Some had points in the late 40's while some had rounded fronts in the late 50's and vise-versa.....It was so much non-consistency that i had to start this thread to see if I was crazy or not.  
May not be that noticeable in the pictures but in person its very obviously different.


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## BFGforme (Sep 28, 2021)

Rivnut said:


> I found these tanks on some site when I googled Schwinn Cantilever tank.
> 
> One is called a B107 tank, the other is just called a cantilever tank.  One also has a ridge molded into it along the bottom of the front.  Do these kind of parallel what you have on your bikes?
> 
> ...



These look the same, different angle....


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## tacochris (Sep 28, 2021)

BFGforme said:


> These look the same, different angle....



I agree.  These don't have the characteristic Im referring to.


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## Handle Bar Hoarder (Sep 28, 2021)

tacochris said:


> What's funny is, I assumed when I saw it, it was a year difference thing and changed in 55 but when I started doing searches online to confirm that, it was all over the board!  Some had points in the late 40's while some had rounded fronts in the late 50's and vise-versa.....It was so much non-consistency that i had to start this thread to see if I was crazy or not.
> May not be that noticeable in the pictures but in person its very obviously differ



thank you for pointing it out........


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## SJ_BIKER (Sep 28, 2021)

I know exactly what you are talking about. I noticed this little feature long ago and have argued with the Schwinn prewar teacher about this. I was under the impression that he didn't believe the pinched tanks were different from the more ballooned other type.  If you notice on some original bikes with Springer front ends with the pinched type were better equipped to not ding up your tank ....so no bump stops had to be used on postwar bikes. It is a fine tweak to keep your tank from getting dinged up. If the non pinch type is on board with the springer set up then your tank is at risk of some damage from the fork bumping into it when the kickstand is used the fork naturally swings over the the left leaving tank open to  big punch from the upper part of the fork, but some Springer bikes did have the non pinch type just not sure if the tanks were added on by accident from the factory or there were certain years that they used this feature...should make for fine conversation either which way.  At the end of the day Schwinn did weird stuff....but this idea made a lot of sense.


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## tacochris (Sep 28, 2021)

SJ_BIKER said:


> I know exactly what you are talking about. I noticed this little feature long ago and have argued with the Schwinn prewar teacher about this. I was under the impression that he didn't believe the pinched tanks were different from the more ballooned other type.  If you notice on some original bikes with Springer front ends with the pinched type were better equipped to not ding up your tank ....so no bump stops had to be used on postwar bikes. It is a fine tweak to keep your tank from getting dinged up. If the non pinch type is on board with the springer set up then your tank is at risk of some damage from the fork bumping into it when the kickstand is used the fork naturally swings over the the left leaving tank open to  big punch from the upper part of the fork, but some Springer bikes did have the non pinch type just not sure if the tanks were added on by accident from the factory or there were certain years that they used this feature...should make for fine conversation either which way.  At the end end of the day Schwinn did weird stuff....but this idea made a lot of sense.



Ok so NOW we're getting somewhere!  Thanks for chiming in as I was starting to think I was just splitting hairs...
That actually makes sense too because the "pinched-style" tanks seem a bit more strong with the more pronounced raised rib where the fork naturally hits.  That same spot on the "balloon'd-style" tanks is more of a dent-magnet since its rounded a bit more.  
I knew there had to be something to it because worn out stamping dies would not have made this shape difference in such a wide variety of year models and would have been a time when it was changed out.  

I think the only reason someone would even notice this would be having a row of phantoms or tankers all together like I did.  If you saw them day to day like we normally do it would never really register to you.  

Now a new Schwinn detail for us to obsess about...haha


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## cyclingday (Sep 28, 2021)

Maybe the difference between a McCauley Products stamping and a Wald mfg. stamping.
Both companies made the fenders and racks.
Maybe they stamped the tanks too.
My guess would be, that they did.🤔


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## tacochris (Sep 28, 2021)

cyclingday said:


> Maybe the difference between a McCauley Products stamping and a Wald mfg. stamping.
> Both companies made the fenders and racks.
> Maybe they stamped the tanks too.
> My guess would be, that they did.🤔



Another interesting and totally plausible theory there!


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## Rivnut (Sep 28, 2021)

When I got into restoring old Riviera’s, it became obvious that more than one supplier was tasked with making parts. Wheel covers look the same, but have different heights And bolt together differently. Seat belts have the same logos but one supplier put the logo on the lift handle, the other supplier put the logo on the fixed part.


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## SJ_BIKER (Sep 29, 2021)

Tank I recently sold... Pinched type


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