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us56456712

us56456712

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Is it possible to put a one and one eights fork tube into a one inch head tube? I have a 1940-41 Schwinn DX frame and I would like to put a one and one eights inch super light chrmo fork into it. I have a set of MAFAC cantilevers for this fork and I am thinking Klunker but I don't know if this conversion is possible?
 
It's possible with the a head set conversation that except both sizes . As far as I know there are only a couple companies that make them. Chris King makes one there the best but big $$$ may set ya back 140$. Do some research you may find something .


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It's cheap & easy to do on an old Schwinn. Save the original headcups ONLY, or if thy're thrashed, get yourself one of these headsets: http://porkchopbmx.com/vp-h755-bmx-bicycle-headset-1-threaded-w-32-5mm-cups-chrome/

ALL you're going to use from the 1" threaded headset if the cups. Everything else, save for parts or whatever.

Next, you're going to want to get a cheap bazz-turd loose ball 1.125" threadless set. Best are the loose-ball NECO-branded headsets; it will also work with the seemingly identical ones sold under the "Sunlite" label. Here's one I have used in the past:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bicycle-Thr...275609f&pid=100009&rk=1&rkt=2&sd=291735463472
(Yes, it matters which looseball 1.125" threadless headset you use; some have oversize lower-races, or sealed bearings or other stuff that may make them incompatible with the cups.)

OK. Now, you're going to need to use EVERY part of the 1.125" threadless headset, except for (obviously) the cups, and the caged bearings. The reason for this is, while both headsets use 5/32" bearings, they use a different number of balls in the cage... if you try to run the caged bearings, it will bind and you will mangle the retainers. What you'll want to do is run loose, no cage, straight-up commando-style loose ballz in there. I forget what the count is, but basically, you want to use some very sticky number2 grease, and pack the race with enough balls to fill it all, minus one ball. So, leave one ball's worth of "gap." Easiest way to do it without dropping balls is, flip the frame over and pack the lower race first; drop the fork in and hold it tight enough to the headtube that no balls spill out. Flip the bike rightside up, and then pack the top race the same way.... lots of tacky grease, and extra room for exactly one ball. Finish installing the top part of the headset and stem, and test everything out.... I don't know if you already mess with threadless headsts, but there are lots of good tutorials online (like, on the parktools site) that will tell you how to set the preload on threadless 'sets...

One final note: for best results, you'll remove any crown race that might be installed on the fork, and swap it out for the crown race that came with the 1.125" threadless headset you used for the rest of the conversion.

I hope this helps; i've done this a few times, and it's worked awesome for me. Cageless loose balls are a PITA for maintenance, though. Another option would be to hit up RRB member @chattymatty and ask him to turn down a sealed Tange LAV-82 for a Chicago Schwinn. He can polish the headset at the same time for ya; I went that route for one of my Worksman, and the sealed bearings are entirely worth the small amount of added expense...

Regards,
Rob
 
Last edited:
Bicycle808 said:
It's cheap & easy to do on an old Schwinn. Save the original headcups ONLY, or if thy're thrashed, get yourself one of these headsets: http://porkchopbmx.com/vp-h755-bmx-bicycle-headset-1-threaded-w-32-5mm-cups-chrome/

ALL you're going to use from the 1" threaded headset if the cups. Everything else, save for parts or whatever.

Next, you're going to want to get a cheap bazz-turd loose ball 1.125" threadless set. Best are the loose-ball NECO-branded headsets; it will also work with the seemingly identical ones sold under the "Sunlite" label. Here's one I have used in the past:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bicycle-Threadless-Headset-1-1-8-x30mmx27mm-Chrome-BMX-MTB-Road-Cruiser-Bike/262575445427?_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982&_trkparms=aid=888007&algo=DISC.MBE&ao=1&asc=38636&meid=87ab4d4c7efd4cff9eb94482c275609f&pid=100009&rk=1&rkt=2&sd=291735463472
(Yes, it matters which looseball 1.125" threadless headset you use; some have oversize lower-races, or sealed bearings or other stuff that may make them incompatible with the cups.)

OK. Now, you're going to need to use EVERY part of the 1.125" threadless headset, except for (obviously) the cups, and the caged bearings. The reason for this is, while both headsets use 5/32" bearings, they use a different number of balls in the cage... if you try to run the caged bearings, it will bind and you will mangle the retainers. What you'll want to do is run loose, no cage, straight-up commando-style loose ballz in there. I forget what the count is, but basically, you want to use some very sticky number2 grease, and pack the race with enough balls to fill it all, minus one ball. So, leave one ball's worth of "gap." Easiest way to do it without dropping balls is, flip the frame over and pack the lower race first; drop the fork in and hold it tight enough to the headtube that no balls spill out. Flip the bike rightside up, and then pack the top race the same way.... lots of tacky grease, and extra room for exactly one ball. Finish installing the top part of the headset and stem, and test everything out.... I don't know if you already mess with threadless headsts, but there are lots of good tutorials online (like, on the parktools site) that will tell you how to set the preload on threadless 'sets...

One final note: for best results, you'll remove any crown race that might be installed on the fork, and swap it out for the crown race that came with the 1.125" threadless headset you used for the rest of the conversion.

I hope this helps; i've done this a few times, and it's worked awesome for me. Cageless loose balls are a PITA for maintenance, though. Another option would be to hit up RRB member @chattymatty and ask him to turn down a sealed Tange LAV-82 for a Chicago Schwinn. He can polish the headset at the same time for ya; I went that route for one of my Worksman, and the sealed bearings are entirely worth the small amount of added expense...

Regards,
Rob
Click to expand...
Good tutorial. I have rebuilt a lot of non caged stuff in the past, especially in the 60s. Last winter I rebuilt a Peugeot road bike that had loose balls in the headset, the first one I have worked on in at least 35 years. I thank you for the parts list and clear instructions. I was actually thinking about giving this frame to a friend who I infected with the Klunker bug but he has his heart set on a model C (all he can think about is getting his hands on an Excelsior frame, drum brakes, motocross bars and motorcycle brake levers). I figured he might loose the bug before he found all this stuff so I was thinking about giving him this frame but now I am thinking about building it myself. I have an old rear drum brake, several sets of wide Araya rims, several old school square taper BBs with cranks, friction thumb shifters, front derailleurs to fit one inch tubing, and a 34 tooth 5 or 6 speed free wheel. The hardest thing would be determining what length of bottom bracket to use and what length of spokes for the rear drum. I have only built slightly dished wheels before so calculating the spoke length for this would be new territory for me, but should be easy enough if I am careful. Thanks.
 
Anytime. Let me know when you're BB shopping; I've got th spindle-length thing down to a science.... and it doesn't have to be as exact if you're running a rear derailer. I can probably help with spoke lengths, too..... 5 speed rear on a 120mm spacing won't be very radically dished, anyway. =D
 
Bicycle808 said:
It's cheap & easy to do on an old Schwinn. Save the original headcups ONLY, or if thy're thrashed, get yourself one of these headsets: http://porkchopbmx.com/vp-h755-bmx-bicycle-headset-1-threaded-w-32-5mm-cups-chrome/

ALL you're going to use from the 1" threaded headset if the cups. Everything else, save for parts or whatever.

Next, you're going to want to get a cheap bazz-turd loose ball 1.125" threadless set. Best are the loose-ball NECO-branded headsets; it will also work with the seemingly identical ones sold under the "Sunlite" label. Here's one I have used in the past:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bicycle-Threadless-Headset-1-1-8-x30mmx27mm-Chrome-BMX-MTB-Road-Cruiser-Bike/262575445427?_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982&_trkparms=aid=888007&algo=DISC.MBE&ao=1&asc=38636&meid=87ab4d4c7efd4cff9eb94482c275609f&pid=100009&rk=1&rkt=2&sd=291735463472
(Yes, it matters which looseball 1.125" threadless headset you use; some have oversize lower-races, or sealed bearings or other stuff that may make them incompatible with the cups.)

OK. Now, you're going to need to use EVERY part of the 1.125" threadless headset, except for (obviously) the cups, and the caged bearings. The reason for this is, while both headsets use 5/32" bearings, they use a different number of balls in the cage... if you try to run the caged bearings, it will bind and you will mangle the retainers. What you'll want to do is run loose, no cage, straight-up commando-style loose ballz in there. I forget what the count is, but basically, you want to use some very sticky number2 grease, and pack the race with enough balls to fill it all, minus one ball. So, leave one ball's worth of "gap." Easiest way to do it without dropping balls is, flip the frame over and pack the lower race first; drop the fork in and hold it tight enough to the headtube that no balls spill out. Flip the bike rightside up, and then pack the top race the same way.... lots of tacky grease, and extra room for exactly one ball. Finish installing the top part of the headset and stem, and test everything out.... I don't know if you already mess with threadless headsts, but there are lots of good tutorials online (like, on the parktools site) that will tell you how to set the preload on threadless 'sets...

One final note: for best results, you'll remove any crown race that might be installed on the fork, and swap it out for the crown race that came with the 1.125" threadless headset you used for the rest of the conversion.

I hope this helps; i've done this a few times, and it's worked awesome for me. Cageless loose balls are a PITA for maintenance, though. Another option would be to hit up RRB member @chattymatty and ask him to turn down a sealed Tange LAV-82 for a Chicago Schwinn. He can polish the headset at the same time for ya; I went that route for one of my Worksman, and the sealed bearings are entirely worth the small amount of added expense...

Regards,
Rob
Click to expand...
Would the same process work if I used an old threaded super light chromo 1 1/8 inch fork into an old 1990 Giant frame that has a one inch threaded head set?
 
us56456712 said:
Would the same process work if I used an old threaded super light chromo 1 1/8 inch fork into an old 1990 Giant frame that has a one inch threaded head set?
Click to expand...
nope. Your Giant will have a road/euro/"mini" spec headtube, either 30.0 or 30.2mm cups fit; you'l;l never get a 1.125" through it, complete. Luckily, there are still cool 1" forks out there...
 
us56456712 said:
Thanks but darn, that is such a cool early fork.
Click to expand...

I believe you.... but, on the plus side, i know you got a lot of other frames that you could fit it to, with some fiddling.... only way you could fit it to that gian would be to cut out the headtube and weld an O/S one in its place.
 
Bicycle808 said:
I believe you.... but, on the plus side, i know you got a lot of other frames that you could fit it to, with some fiddling.... only way you could fit it to that gian would be to cut out the headtube and weld an O/S one in its place.
Click to expand...
I thought of welding in a larger head tube but it would be better to get the right frame. The frame I have is good as it is so why risk ruining it.
 

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