Krate shock clamp frame bolt for stepped nut

[Grey Ghost]

I am ordering a set of these stepped nuts for the sissy bar shock clamp on my krate.
The vendor doesn’t sell the bolt though.

I’m not sure if the bolts that came with my bike are stock and will thread into these or not.

Does anyone know if hardware store bolts thread into these Schwinn nuts?

Or, if they need the special Schwinn bolt thread, are these available anywhere?

 

[Drosentreter]

My only concern with fitment of these would be if the supplier created them in metric rather than standard. We run into this all of the time with foreign made products on corvettes. If your Schwinn hardware doesn’t fit I’m sure your local ace will have the correct bolt.

 

[rfeagleye]

What you are looking for to use with those nuts is these bolts:

Original Schwinn S-bolts 1960s-1970s Stingray, Fastback, Krate ....more | #3886828364

Original Schwinn S-bolts 1960s-1970s Stingray, Fastback, Krate ....more Correct for rear mounting fender and/or sissy bar clamp to frame.Used, good conditionAs-is, as picturedShipped USPS economy

www.worthpoint.com

You'll see them on eBay called Schwinn S Bolts, or Krate Sissy Bar Bolts. The bolts that were used originally had a little S in the middle. They made two styles of these bolts, one was used with a Stingray, with shorter "dashes" on the head, and one with longer dashes that was used with a Krate.

This is the Stingray style for comparision purposes:

Original Schwinn S-bolts 1960s-1970s Stingray, Fastback, Krate ....more | #3886441724

Original Schwinn S-bolts 1960s-1970s Stingray, Fastback, Krate ....more Correct for rear mounting fender and/or sissy bar clamp to frame.Used, good conditionAs-is, as picturedShipped USPS economy

www.worthpoint.com

The same seller was selling both sets, so they sort of look like the same bolts, but they are different.

I believe the length of the dashes was the temper of the steel for the bolt.

 

[Grey Ghost]

Wow!
Some of you guys are so knowledgeable!

I looked at my bolts and they are the long dash “S” version. (Yeah!)

Looks like the bolts I ordered will work.

What a great resource this forum has been.

 

[rfeagleye]

That's great! Always nice when the original parts are with the bike.

 

[Grey Ghost]

Yes it is.
I am finding a few things that were tinkered with, mostly bolts and washers that probably fell off at one time and were never replaced.

Slowly but surely I am getting this thing put back together as it was meant to be.

I didn’t even know that the shock clamp used this hardware, especially the stepped nut. Mine didn’t have have them anymore.

I have been working on the frame paint while the parts, which I didn’t know I needed, get ordered.

It’s looking a whole lot better now than when I got it and I’m ready to start putting it back together.
The paint had a lot of chips and oxidization when I got it.

It even shines a little bit now.

Before and after pics;

 

[Grey Ghost]

What you are looking for to use with those nuts is these bolts:

Original Schwinn S-bolts 1960s-1970s Stingray, Fastback, Krate ....more | #3886828364

Original Schwinn S-bolts 1960s-1970s Stingray, Fastback, Krate ....more Correct for rear mounting fender and/or sissy bar clamp to frame.Used, good conditionAs-is, as picturedShipped USPS economy

www.worthpoint.com

You'll see them on eBay called Schwinn S Bolts, or Krate Sissy Bar Bolts. The bolts that were used originally had a little S in the middle. They made two styles of these bolts, one was used with a Stingray, with shorter "dashes" on the head, and one with longer dashes that was used with a Krate.

This is the Stingray style for comparision purposes:

Original Schwinn S-bolts 1960s-1970s Stingray, Fastback, Krate ....more | #3886441724

Original Schwinn S-bolts 1960s-1970s Stingray, Fastback, Krate ....more Correct for rear mounting fender and/or sissy bar clamp to frame.Used, good conditionAs-is, as picturedShipped USPS economy

www.worthpoint.com

The same seller was selling both sets, so they sort of look like the same bolts, but they are different.

I believe the length of the dashes was the temper of the steel for the bolt.

rfeagleye,
Do you know the correct washers, type and installation order?

(From the inside of the frame dropout, going right to left in the picture)
I set mine up like this; s-bolt, external tooth lock washer, frame dropout, nylon washer, fender stay, mylon washer, shock clamp.

Is this right or do I have it completely wrong?

Should this whole assembly be tight to the dropout?

The stepped nuts seem to be attached to the clamp rather securely, almost one piece. I thought maybe they were designed to rotate.

Maybe they haven’t loosened up yet?

I can’t find a schematic, or info, on the bolt washer setup anywhere.

Any help is most appreciated.
Anybody can chime in.

 

[rfeagleye]

That's how it is for the clamps with the exception of the flat washer you have under the clamp against the frame. Let me see if I can find a picture of it.

 

[rfeagleye]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/363676640322?campid=5335809022

Here's a link, this is the set up and somr pictures from eBay.

 

[Grey Ghost]

Thanks, I saw that

My question is whether that schematic is accurate for 1969, and on, clamps. It looks a 1968 setup, what with the seatpost pogo and all.
I know Schwinn made changes, at least on the seatpost, that year. I wonder if they did a partial redesign on the clamps as well?

It looks like there isn’t a lock washer between the s-bolt and the frame dropout in that picture.

It kind of looks like what was on my bike when I got it. The outer nut wasn’t stepped though, it was just a regular nut with a spring style lock washer.

A few parts on this bike looked like it had been put back together by the young man who owned it, or a “bicycle mechanic” hack. Everything has corrosion and patina so I don’t think anything was added in the last few decades.

I could bolt it back together like I found it, I have the parts.
But, will it be correct?

Not having a stepped nut makes me wonder if I had the correct setup in the first place.

Any Krate owners out there with original clamp setups on their bikes?