1940 Schwinn 26"straight bar headset bearings.

[ski1]

I'm greasing up my old Schwinn which I never did back in this thread. https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/taking-schwinn-out-of-mothballs.140145/ Does anyone know of a vendor who sells head set bearings for this bike. The top one was toasted when I took it apart. It has 17 caged balls the size of a BB. I searched on the cabe and onther places online and couldn't come up with anything.

 

[buickmike]

Not good. Might have to adapt a different type of Schwinn headset. A more commonly found . Lots of wear to try and get by with just replacing top bearing.

 

[buickmike]

How are the bearings in bottom bracket? You probably gonna be looking for items. Maybe reach out to some guys that stockpile the prewar hardware and get a combo including headset cups and chain wheel hardware.. Nice bike tho. I myself an thinking about the frame cushion adjacent to springer fork. But I don't have a loose springer to check for lower race compatibility for fork. Just know that prewar cups I think are smaller diameter wise than 50"s hardware

 

[ski1]

Bottom bearings look good. Forks turned smoothly. I almost didn't take them apart.

 

[ozzie]

If you aren’t concerned with originality grab a Tange MX-2 headset. Will fit pre and postwar Schwinn frames.

 

[Schwinn Sales West]

The top bearing is a #73 and the bottom is a #2557. They are common repair parts. Looks to me like the bottom bearing was installed upside down at some point in it's previous life. It's common to see the bearings installed incorrectly in the deluxe headsets by DIY mechanic's. It does not matter how much excess grease you use, if it's not installed in the correct direction.

John

 

[ski1]

Thank you, I'll search using those numbers. I took pictures of how the bearing were installed before I removed them. Can't find them right now but I checked anyway and will install like in the picture with balls rotating on race and cup. I see what you mean about the bottom bearing. Looks like the cage was rotating on the cup.

 

[Schwinn Sales West]

Thank you, I'll search using those numbers. I took pictures of how the bearing were installed before I removed them. Can't find them right now but I checked anyway and will install like in the picture with balls rotating on race and cup. I see what you mean about the bottom bearing. Looks like the cage was rotating on the cup.

View attachment 1992337

Thats not a #2557 retainer. If you put it back together the same way you took it apart, it's going to be a problem. Just guess, but that looks like a #49 or #52 retainer to me. In your photo, the back side of the retainer cage is dragging on the fork race.

John

 

[ski1]

I ordered those bearings (73 & 2557). I think the bearings that were in this bike were the wrong ones that someone put in. The ones I took out were identical and had 17 balls each which I measured as a "worn" 5/32. I could find no sets with 17 balls anywhere. The ones John recomended were 16 and 15 ball but the dimensions are correct and are the same as all the others I've found to fit this application.. The bottom bearing has a larger ball probably because it has a cup. There are several clues that it was running the wrong bearings which I'll post after I get the new ones to confirm.

 

[ski1]

Thats not a #2557 retainer. If you put it back together the same way you took it apart, it's going to be a problem. Just guess, but that looks like a #49 or #52 retainer to me. In your photo, the back side of the retainer cage is dragging on the fork race.

John

agreed John, I was posting just now.