can't find the correct chain guard - schwinn

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max210

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I got this Schwinn from a member here and have been trying to find the correct chain guard for it. I tried a wasp/phantom style guard but the mounting holes on the guard 1/2" longer than the bike holes, same thing with a curved speedster/corvette guard. So i'm thinking it's the straight styled one but I'd like to confirm before I buy another one.

I actually have some other questions. Are these the original fenders? The front one seems to have a smaller radius curve than the wheel. Is that the correct stem for this bike? I'm assuming its not so I am wondering if it's the schwinn stem with threads in the stem or "pass-through" nut and bolt style?

Thanks for any help provided.
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I don't have many of your answers, but that front fender definitely is not correct. That looks like a fender for a 24" wheel.

I think most of the Scwhinn stems had a pass-through carriage bolt setup.
 
I've got a '58 Schwinn American that looks the same. Straight chainguard too. looks like the chainstays are bent??? :?
 
Is that a 26" bike? All the Schwinn frames from the 50's and 60's should be similar in regards to the chain guards. I've had 7 or 8 bikes, and easily swapped the guards between them, but they were all 26" frames. If that's a 24" frame, that would explain it.

Serial number indicates 1954.
 
Since it looks like a letter + 5 digit number, that would be sept. 1954 frame! If there's another number under the braces, it's a late 1959 frame. Either way, same frame, and a 54 would have the 'hockey stick' chain guard. A 59 would have a slight 'v' right before the chain ring. And it should have the 3" wide fenders used until 62 or so. There are great original catalog pics at trfindley, I forget the actual name, but someone will post it here hopefully! -Adam
 
Thanks for the responses. The bike has 26in wheels. So it looks like the stem and the fenders are wrong and I need that hockey stick style guard. I thought all the guards were interchangable but oh well. It's not my priority to restore it but at least I know what parts to look out for. I don't think the chain stays are bent.
 
The chain stays look like mine so I think they are right. But needing that chain guard, I would think it is an early middleweight.
From the 54 catalogs on the web by trfindley, shows the models, hard to say exactly what model you have, but the first middleweight was the Corvette in 54. It has the hockey stick chain guard, but wasn't shown in the price list in 1954. In fact, no middleweights were in that price list. They had plenty of middleweights listed in the 1955 catalog. Whether just the Corvette was introduced in 1954, or they brought them all out late in the year I don't know.

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Looks like a middleweight frame and the serial number indicates 1954. The frame piece at the upper rear fender attaching point is for a model that could come with or without caliper brakes. My guess would be 1954 Corvette? The front fender is obviously not original. Not sure on the rear, but the fender braces appear to be Schwinn as they attach to the frame dropouts and not the rear axle. Rear reflector position looks odd. Is there an extra hole for maybe attaching a teardrop reflector?

As for chain guards, they should be interchangeable on postwar 26" bikes I believe. 17 1/2" between front and rear mount. Same on my '52 Hornet guard (heavyweight), '57 and '58 Jags (middlewight), '62 Typhoons, etc. What does your bike measure between the mounts?
 
Wildcat said:
The chain stays look like mine so I think they are right. But needing that chain guard, I would think it is an early middleweight.
From the 54 catalogs on the web by trfindley, shows the models, hard to say exactly what model you have, but the first middleweight was the Corvette in 54. It has the hockey stick chain guard, but wasn't shown in the price list in 1954. In fact, no middleweights were in that price list. They had plenty of middleweights listed in the 1955 catalog. Whether just the Corvette was introduced in 1954, or they brought them all out late in the year I don't know.
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They were introduced in spring of 54, I have a couple of issues of American Bicyclist from that year, and they're introducing the line. I don't have 'em right in front of me, but I'll look for one, not sure if they all came out together. Fenders on this bike look like later 60s mw fenders, I believe they're 2 3/4" compared to 3 or 3 1/8" for the early ones. Stem was used on lower end models starting in the late 50s, upscale bikes used the threaded cast stem. -Adam
 
This is the chain guard I got thinking it would fit. As you can see it is off about 3/8" or so. The phantom guard also fits too long. :x
Anyone want to trade this guard for one of those "hockey stick" types ones? :D
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somethin's bent all those gaurds should be interchaingable.....
 
hmm. The tabs for the chain guards way too short to bend. THe only possible bending that I can think of would be the Chain Stays bending up (coming closer to the bottom bracket) but then the Seat Stays would also have to bend or balloon out. HOnestly it doesn't look bent. I'll try and take a better picture today.

I"m scratching my head.
 
Are you sure it's not a 24" frame? The front tab doesn't look bent. If that guard won't fit neither will the hockey stick one.
 
I'd say the front mounting tab is bent back. Grab it with an adjustable wrench and tweak it back towards the front.

Probably got crashed hard enough to bend that back. The tab is brazed onto the frame, so it should be able to take the straightening.

The reason I say it's bent is that the rear hole lines up, and as the guard sits over the chainring, it seems to be centered properly- meaning it's NOT a 24" frame and nothing about the frame structure is bent.

Worst case I guess you could redrill or grind the holes in the guard brackets a bit to get an exact fit. Kind of a weird problem but a lot can happen to a bike in 50+ years.

I agree with the other guys, you should be able to swap a number of different 26" Schwinn guards around from model to model and they should fit.

The screw for the rear hole is 10-32 thread by the way. Front bolt can be 12-24 or 1/4-20. Same screws used on a hundred different Schwinn models- anything made in USA should have the correct bolts if yours are missing.

--Rob
 

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