Krate Springer Alignment

[Trumpeteer]

I am working on my 68 Apple Krate and the front wheel does not look to be aligned when looking down the fork. It looks like my fork may be out of alignment either side to side or tweaked front to back. Are there adjustments that can be made on the springer fork to fine tune the alignment? Are there any Schwinn instructions that would help in adjusting or do I simply have some bent part(s) in the assembly? Thank you in advance for your advice.

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

There are no adjustments on the fork, I'm thinking something is bent. Do you have pics?

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

I am working on my 68 Apple Krate and the front wheel does not look to be aligned when looking down the fork. It looks like my fork may be out of alignment either side to side or tweaked front to back. Are there adjustments that can be made on the springer fork to fine tune the alignment? Are there any Schwinn instructions that would help in adjusting or do I simply have some bent part(s) in the assembly? Thank you in advance for your advice.

Maybe you could adjust how the wheels sits in fork leg as the truss rod has an elongated hole at axle end. I'm not sure if I would be OK riding without axle seated completely in fork legs.

 

[Hoagie57]

Main truss rods 1 or maybe both are bent... very hard getting them both the same without marking or denting up the chrome. Also, if you don't get both just right meaning 99% the same then the smaller truss rods won't fit correctly either.
Ebay buy? << RETURN IT!!

 

[GTs58]

Sounds like you might have a bent fork leg. Possibly bent back at the weakest point which would be at the pivot hole.

 

[Hoagie57]

Sounds like you might have a bent fork leg. Possibly bent back at the weakest point which would be at the pivot hole.

Isn't that kinda what I already said? Bent fork leg / the main truss rods. One and the same 🤔

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

The best way to see if one is bent is too dis assemble and match the 2 up.

 

[GTs58]

Isn't that kinda what I already said? Bent fork leg / the main truss rods. One and the same 🤔

No that is not what you just said! A truss rod is not a fork leg. 🫤

Main truss rods 1 or maybe both are bent... very hard getting them both the same without marking or denting up the chrome. Also, if you don't get both just right meaning 99% the same then the smaller truss rods won't fit correctly either.
Ebay buy? << RETURN IT!!

 

[Trumpeteer]

Thanks to everyone for your guidance. I did find information in the Schwinn Service Manual Vol 2 on how to check the fork and straighten it. My local bike shop has a Schwinn frame and fork straightening tool I’m going to rent. I’ll let you know how it goes.

The forks are original to the bike. It is my first bike and I’m working on repairs so I can ride it again, but I am trying to perfect the alignment. This Apple Krate brings back a lot of memories. When I was a kid, my dad was too cheap to buy Schwinn matching touch up paint. So I touched it up with Testors model paint that I mixed to get the closest shade. Now that I’m detailing and servicing the bike, I find that my touch up paint was a little off. It made me laugh. I think I’m going to leave it as it is since it’s part of the history.

I’ll post pictures as soon as I figure out how to do so.

 

[GTs58]

Thanks to everyone for your guidance. I did find information in the Schwinn Service Manual Vol 2 on how to check the fork and straighten it. My local bike shop has a Schwinn frame and fork straightening tool I’m going to rent. I’ll let you know how it goes.

The forks are original to the bike. It is my first bike and I’m working on repairs so I can ride it again, but I am trying to perfect the alignment. This Apple Krate brings back a lot of memories. When I was a kid, my dad was too cheap to buy Schwinn matching touch up paint. So I touched it up with Testors model paint that I mixed to get the closest shade. Now that I’m detailing and servicing the bike, I find that my touch up paint was a little off. It made me laugh. I think I’m going to leave it as it is since it’s part of the history.

I’ll post pictures as soon as I figure out how to do so.

I would take the fork apart and set the legs next to each other and put bolts, rods threw the top holes and in the pivot holes. clamp it to a flat surface and see how far off the fork legs are at the axle point. Bending it back would not require that tool the bike shop has, just a pipe that will slide over the legs using it as a lever. I'm betting it's bent at the pivot point.