# Need help please with schwinn brake cables



## rocket88 (Sep 28, 2020)

Hi, I Have a 70 mens and a 74 womens schwinn collegate that i want to change out both brake and shifter (both 5 speeds) cables on. I have seen many schwinn NOS brake cables on ebay can someone tell me which ones i will need to do this?  I would like to stay with the factory grey cables. Thanks in advance for any help

Greg


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## davek (Sep 28, 2020)

If you have good grey cable housing  just replace the cable inside the housing you can get that at any bike shop


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## rocket88 (Sep 28, 2020)

Thanks for the reply, but the housing on the cables is what is deteriorated badly so need all new

Thanks


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## GTs58 (Sep 28, 2020)

I can give you part numbers for the brake cables that are on the 1967 Collegiate spec sheets but can't say for sure if the 70's models are the same. The front is usually no problem but the rear is. You have split casing on the rear brake cables? If you are going to get the cables off eBay there are a few sellers that charge 3 times more for the same thing that others sell. I usually stock up when I see a Schwinn cable set for sale at 10 bucks and sometimes less.


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## Xlobsterman (Sep 29, 2020)

rocket88 said:


> Hi, I Have a 70 mens and a 74 womens schwinn collegate that i want to change out both brake and shifter (both 5 speeds) cables on. I have seen many schwinn NOS brake cables on ebay can someone tell me which ones i will need to do this?  I would like to stay with the factory grey cables. Thanks in advance for any help
> 
> Greg





Are you wanting to change just the cable? Or both the cable and housings?


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## rocket88 (Sep 29, 2020)

Wow thats a great chart! just have to figure out exactly what model i have now, Thanks much. How about the shifter cables any idea?

Thanks Greg


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## Xlobsterman (Sep 29, 2020)

rocket88 said:


> Wow thats a great chart! just have to figure out exactly what model i have now, Thanks much. How about the shifter cables any idea?
> 
> Thanks Greg




Pictures are worth a thousand words! Pics of your bike would help!


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## Gordon (Sep 29, 2020)

There were some Schwinn replacement cables sold as "Universal" that you cut to proper length. Don't know if I still have some here or not but I will look.


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## rocket88 (Sep 29, 2020)

Xlobsterman said:


> Pictures are worth a thousand words! Pics of your bike would help!




I will do that when I get home tonight


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## rocket88 (Sep 29, 2020)

GTs58 said:


> I can give you part numbers for the brake cables that are on the 1967 Collegiate spec sheets but can't say for sure if the 70's models are the same. The front is usually no problem but the rear is. You have split casing on the rear brake cables? If you are going to get the cables off eBay there are a few sellers that charge 3 times more for the same thing that others sell. I usually stock up when I see a Schwinn cable set for sale at 10 bucks and sometimes less.



Thanks for the heads up on the pricing


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## rocket88 (Sep 29, 2020)

Gordon said:


> There were some Schwinn replacement cables sold as "Universal" that you cut to proper length. Don't know if I still have some here or not but I will look.




Thanks I appreciate that

Greg


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## Gordon (Sep 29, 2020)

Sorry, I have either used or sold all the universal cables that I had.


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## rocket88 (Sep 29, 2020)

Thanks for checking

Greg


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## rocket88 (Sep 29, 2020)

Attached are the pics of the two bikes i'm getting road worthy


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## Xlobsterman (Sep 30, 2020)

rocket88 said:


> Attached are the pics of the two bikes i'm getting road worthy
> 
> View attachment 1275528
> 
> ...




IMO, all those cables & housings are salvageable, and usable if you just want to make the bikes roadworthy.

Just pull the cables out of the housings, clean up the housing, then feed the cables back in with some good lube, then adjust as needed.


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## AndyA (Oct 1, 2020)

Xlobsterman said:


> IMO, all those cables & housings are salvageable, and usable if you just want to make the bikes roadworthy.
> 
> Just pull the cables out of the housings, clean up the housing, then feed the cables back in with some good lube, then adjust as needed.



Like he says... I like to squirt some silicone lubricant thru the housing to get things sliding better. Also, sometimes you have to clip a bit off the end of a housing where it's bent or banged up.
Have fun!


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## AndyA (Oct 1, 2020)

Another thought: If it's hard to get gray housing, white housing is usually available. Those Schwinns would look cool with white housings. Here's an example of a Ross Compact with white housings.


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## rocket88 (Oct 1, 2020)

I appreciate all the input but the NOS stuff is out there i just need to know what numbers i need for sure so i don't keep buying wrong stuff. I would like to replace the grey stuff with new stuff cause it looks pretty crappy and you can find them for around $10 i'm just confused with is it a sport collegate or a plain one? serial numbers tell me year only.

Thanks Guys!


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## Xlobsterman (Oct 3, 2020)

rocket88 said:


> I appreciate all the input but the NOS stuff is out there i just need to know what numbers i need for sure so i don't keep buying wrong stuff. I would like to replace the grey stuff with new stuff cause it looks pretty crappy and you can find them for around $10 i'm just confused with is it a sport collegate or a plain one? serial numbers tell me year only.
> 
> Thanks Guys!




Just remember that once you swap out all the cables, the bike will no longer be factory original. 

And a "Sport Collegiate" will say that on the chain guard on the early models, and have the drop style of handle bars. The later models of the Sport will say nothing on the chain guard, and have the decals on the top bar.





__





						The Schwinn Collegiate | 1954 to 1987
					

This page provides year by year images and info quoted from Schwinn catalogs for the Collegiate from 1954 to 1987.



					bikehistory.org


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## rocket88 (Oct 3, 2020)

Thank you very much for that info!!


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## ABC Services (Oct 3, 2020)

If you figure it out let me know, I have a few cables.


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