Unusual "made in usa" hub on a 1962 American

[cruisin_on_my_schwinn]

Found this hub laced up to a center stamped S7 that was on a 1962 Deluxe American. I dont think its the correct hub or is it? Any thoughts @Schwinn Sales West

 

[Schwinn Sales West]

Found this hub laced up to a center stamped S7 that was on a 1962 Deluxe American. I dont think its the correct hub or is it? Any thoughts @Schwinn Sales West

View attachment 1792991

Your hub is cracking and needs replacement.

Kinda hard with the photo that close. Is that hub on, or from a Schwinn American? It looks like an Excel Hub. Kind of a cheap cheesy hub that Schwinn and other USA bike companies used during the 60's.

Schwinn had this idea that American's would like to buy "Something actually made in America". Along came The American model. Unfortunately, many of the bicycle parts supplies were dropping away from making any bicycle parts. Diamond Chain was gone from the bicycle industry, you had New Departure drop away in the late 1950's. Schwinn was forced (by pricing and availability) into using the Excel front hubs. It all came to an end when the Federal Trade Commission contacted Schwinn and told them they were in conflict with the Federal Truth in Advertising Laws since not every single part on the American bike was actually built in America. Never mind that not one chain company located in the U.S. was still making bicycle chains. Schwinn used the Union brand German made chain on the American models. The American went away as a result.

John

 

[GTs58]

Your hub is cracking and needs replacement.

Kinda hard with the photo that close. Is that hub on, or from a Schwinn American? It looks like an Excel Hub. Kind of a cheap cheesy hub that Schwinn and other USA bike companies used during the 60's.

Schwinn had this idea that American's would like to buy "Something actually made in America". Along came The American model. Unfortunately, many of the bicycle parts supplies were dropping away from making any bicycle parts. Diamond Chain was gone from the bicycle industry, you had New Departure drop away in the late 1950's. Schwinn was forced (by pricing and availability) into using the Excel front hubs. It all came to an end when the Federal Trade Commission contacted Schwinn and told them they were in conflict with the Federal Truth in Advertising Laws since not every single part on the American bike was actually built in America. Never mind that not one chain company located in the U.S. was still making bicycle chains. Schwinn used the Union brand German made chain on the American models. The American went away as a result.

John

In 1962 the Schwinn script front hubs were stamped approved, meaning Schwinn did not make their own front hubs anymore. I have to assume it was probably union that made their hubs since it’s not on a 62 American.

 

[Schwinn Sales West]

Sorry, I did not read that the original poster clearly stated that it was from an American model.

John

 

[cruisin_on_my_schwinn]

Hub was on a 1962 schwinn dlx american. I bought the bike off someone on offerup. When i bought it, son of owner actually turned the bike over to me since dad had an illness at the time so i can only assume it was original to bike but cannot say with certainty. The wheel is laced to a center stamped S7. I just bought a set of center stamped S7 and was going to replace original wheels on 1962 american and wanted to know what should my 62 dlx american should have.

 

[Schwinn Sales West]

Hub was on a 1962 schwinn dlx american. I bought the bike off someone on offerup. When i bought it, son of owner actually turned the bike over to me since dad had an illness at the time so i can only assume it was original to bike but cannot say with certainty. The wheel is laced to a center stamped S7. I just bought a set of center stamped S7 and was going to replace original wheels on 1962 american and wanted to know what should my 62 dlx american should have.

That is the correct hub, just in poor "bearing" condition if you're planning to respoke the wheel. Maybe just ride it until you find a better 36 hole Excel front hub. It's not a Schwinn specific part. If I remember correctly, it did not use the usual Schwinn metric threaded axle, but a normal 5/16" by 24 thread axle.

John

 

[GTs58]

Sorry, I did not read that the original poster clearly stated that it was from an American model.

John

This is the first time I've seen a hub like that on a Schwinn. So that's an Excel hub? The American had the Schwinn script front hub from day one. I've never found any Schwinn lit saying who was actually making their Script hubs starting sometime around 1962, so I'm assuming it was Union. They appear to be identical other than having Approved on them. The American Heavy Duty had the Bendix front hubs.

 

[Schwinn Sales West]

Hub was on a 1962 schwinn dlx american. I bought the bike off someone on offerup. When i bought it, son of owner actually turned the bike over to me since dad had an illness at the time so i can only assume it was original to bike but cannot say with certainty. The wheel is laced to a center stamped S7. I just bought a set of center stamped S7 and was going to replace original wheels on 1962 american and wanted to know what should my 62 dlx american should have.

That is the correct hub, just in poor "bearing" condition if you're planning to respoke the wheel. Maybe just ride it until you find a better 36 hole Excel front hub. It's not a Schwinn specific part. If I remember correctly, it did not use the usual Schwinn metric threaded axle, but a normal 5/16" by 24 thread axle.

This is the first time I've seen a hub like that on a Schwinn. So that's an Excel hub? The American had the Schwinn script front hub from day one. I've never found any Schwinn lit saying who was actually making their Script hubs starting sometime around 1962, so I'm assuming it was Union. They appear to be identical other than having Approved on them. The American Heavy Duty had the Bendix front hubs.

Your correct, Union made a ton of standard .080 spoke gauge Schwinn front hubs, and they were great quality. Most that I've seen are stamped Schwinn Approved. The Excel hubs were a step down in quality form the Union made hub. They were like a Wald Hub. I would assume that the change in sourcing was based on the "American Made" issue, and they really had no other option short of stamping out more of the very expensive to make Schwinn Deluxe hub with replaceable bearing cups.

The later Heavy Duty bikes used Union HD hubs, and finally you saw ACS HD hubs on Heavy Duty, BMX and Cruiser models.

John

 

[GTs58]

This is the Schwinn Script and Schwinn made front hub that was used prewar and postwar until someone was commissioned to duplicate them in 1962. Since the American had to be American made and the OP's 62 does not have the Approved Schwinn script hub, I have to believe it was not made by a US manufacturer.

Schwinn Script Front Hub Question | All Things Schwinn

Does anyone know when Schwinn outsourced their front hubs that had the Schwinn script in cursive and to what manufacturer? I usually don't collect any Schwinn middleweights later than 1963 so this hub strikes me as odd. The old style script on the Schwinn made hubs with the added APPROVED in...

thecabe.com

 

[Schwinn Sales West]

This is the Schwinn Script and Schwinn made front hub that was used prewar and postwar until someone was commissioned to duplicate them in 1962. Since the American had to be American made and the OP's 62 does not have the Approved Schwinn script hub, I have to believe it was not made by a US manufacturer.

Schwinn Script Front Hub Question | All Things Schwinn

Does anyone know when Schwinn outsourced their front hubs that had the Schwinn script in cursive and to what manufacturer? I usually don't collect any Schwinn middleweights later than 1963 so this hub strikes me as odd. The old style script on the Schwinn made hubs with the added APPROVED in...

thecabe.com

View attachment 1793039

The deluxe hub would be a good choice for an American model. When Schwinn still made the hub, it was American Made.

I'm confused, who was this company that was commissioned to reproduce this hub in 1962? It's news to me.

I've only known that as the Deluxe Schwinn front hub. It's stamped in two halves, electro welded together in the middle. It has pressed in replaceable hardened bearing cups. It would be a very expensive hub to make unless your making millions of them, plus Schwinn already owned the tooling. I've seen them in both the 36 hole, and 28 hole drillings. I don't believe I've seen the deluxe hub in the 24 hole drilling, they were Union made hubs. The Union (Schwinn Approved) front hub was a good standard hub, and much less expensive to make and spec on a low cost model. Everything changed by the Murray Ohio time period.

John