Schwinn kickstand not working right

[Schwinn Sales West]

Here is a Factory Schwinn kickstand installation page...
Assuming from pics that you have a Schwinn middleweight tandem, the kickstand part number, which should be stamped on part is #8337 / #337

View attachment 1839789

This posting from Koolbikes has VERY important information.

If you look closely at the photos from the Schwinn Service Manual, they show what the Schwinn Kickstand Repair Kit (one 1/4 by 20 screw, one threaded flanged washer) looks like and how to position it correctly. I'm certain many of you have seen frames with the kit installed and never knew what it was or why it was installed. It's to prevent the triangle shaped kickstand cam from rotating in a frame with a worn housing. IT WORKS, and many a frame has been saved. Don't toss them away, they are very useful when needed.

John

 

[GTs58]

The cam pin sure looks like it was replaced with one that is not the right diameter! Smaller than the hole and being held in place by the spring tension.

Any updates @Cpshockl ?

 

[Schwinn Sales West]

The cam pin sure looks like it was replaced with one that is not the right diameter! Smaller than the hole and being held in place by the spring tension.

View attachment 1842945

I agree, but the cam pins only came in one diameter from Schwinn. Maybe someone fabricated one from some undersized drill rod? I think what we are both seeing is the hole in the sprag has worn to an oval shaped hole. The hole and the pin should be snug, "no slop".
If they still have a problem after resolving the cam pin issue, then they need to look at the back side of the kickstand when "under pressure" and determine if the kickstand cam is rotating in the frame. The repair kit will fix a rotating cam issue.

John

 

[AS-1]

I think the cam was out of alignment.

 

[GTs58]

I think the cam was out of alignment.

Possibly installed rotated. Sprag doesn't go up and it's way to far forward when it's down. Wrong size pin and chewed up pin notches in the cam. What more could be wrong. It just needs more grease.

 

[AS-1]

Possibly installed rotated

Agreed!

 

[Schwinn Sales West]

Keep in mind what we are looking at. It's a tandem, it's the heaviest Schwinn model in the line, the "worse case" model for a kickstand. It is the longest sprag, it has the most leverage. It obviously has given a lot of service, shown by the worn out sprag cam hole. The kickstand cams (before wear) were a press fit into the housing due to the tapers preventing rotation. When the taper in the "welded on" housing wears, the cam is loose to slip back and forth inside the housing. In an extreme abuse case the kickstand can rotate forward under the weight of the heavy bike and the two riders sitting on the bike with the kickstand down. Could it have rotated, absolutely. It's easy to check, just look at the back side of the kickstand with some weight against it. The bike needs a new kick stand, cam, AND a repair kit installed. I have even heated the kickstand housing to cherry red and beat the housing back into the triangle end shape to prevent the cam from rotating. Worse case, I have MIG welded the cam on the back side into the kickstand housing to make a kickstand in a wornout frame useable. Tandems and Newsboy Specials were the worst with kickstand problems.

John