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Klunker Build

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#21 ·
It looks pretty rough, that's the look I was going for, that "rat rod" look, also made a mount for the front springer fork.
My frame is a 1962( year I was born) Schwinn ?, didn't want to weld mounts onto the frame, only mod was the spread of the rear triangle.
 
#24 ·
Another way to expand the width of your drop-outs is using a 5/16" threaded rod, 4 nuts (2 on each side and some washers, you just tighten the inner nuts to your desired width, then tighten the outer nuts against the drop-outs and the inner nuts to straighten the drop-outs.
I'm not familiar with the string method.
 
#25 ·
The string is for checking alignment.
Hurricane Jeff said:
Another way to expand the width of your drop-outs is using a 5/16" threaded rod, 4 nuts (2 on each side and some washers, you just tighten the inner nuts to your desired width, then tighten the outer nuts against the drop-outs and the inner nuts to straighten the drop-outs.
I'm not familiar with the string method.
Click to expand...
 
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#26 ·
Exactly, string for alignment which was ingenious. I actually tried my car jack method 1st and it only pushed the drive side out. I didn't have a 2x4, so a quick glance around the garage looking for something long and hard, an ax will do, pried each stay outward, leveraging against the seat tube, pushed my initial tweak back in a hair, and whoola. I put a wheel in and slid the axle all the way to the front of the dropouts and tightened it. Tweaked both dropouts straight with a huge crescent wrench. Now I'm blasting the paint off.
 
#27 ·
#28 ·
RaleighX said:
oh its getting ridden, I used the 185, 203 because that's what my other bikes have so I can just swap wheelsets... I don't see the frame getting tweaked, however I have always add a brace in between chain and seat stays if needed.
Click to expand...
Your project is cool. I was just going to suggest adding a brace, per the attached image, before I read this post. Since I'd already drawn it though, here it is. It looks like your chainstay is actually bent already, so I think you should do this for sure... sooner than later. Maybe even a bit further out than I've shown, to get past the bent part.
 

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#29 ·
Love the vintage style seat clamp. What did you do to retrofit the 1 1/8 fork t it? Seen a couple of methods on another post as well the poster of this thread. My 1 1/8" rigid fork fits in the stock Schwinn cups, but probably <1mm room around. Spins none the less, will probably form a little groove in the fork steerer if I go that route. I see others have actually grinded down 1 1/8" cups to fit right into the Schwinn frame.
 
#30 ·
The ID of a Schwinn is 32 mm most 1/ 1/8 threadless headsets are 34? Anyway it only needs to clear a little bit to work and yes you can machine one down to fit or hodge podge a head set out of old bits which is what I did for years.
 
#31 ·
I'm tempted to take an old 26" steel hardtail frame I have (2002 Gary Fisher Mamba) and make it into a coaster brake klunker. Thoughts? Would this even be doable? I'm not sure offhand what the rear spacing is, but I figure I could probably find a rear wheel with a fixed gear. Strip off all the old junk (rim brakes, crappy SR fork, FD, RD, etc.), go rigid with some alloy riser bars and other alloy parts instead of steel. Could be fun.
 
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#32 ·
rwrusso said:
I'm tempted to take an old 26" steel hardtail frame I have (2002 Gary Fisher Mamba) and make it into a coaster brake klunker. Thoughts? Would this even be doable? I'm not sure offhand what the rear spacing is, but I figure I could probably find a rear wheel with a fixed gear. Strip off all the old junk (rim brakes, crappy SR fork, FD, RD, etc.), go rigid with some alloy riser bars and other alloy parts instead of steel. Could be fun.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a fun parts bin build, but not really a klunker as shown in this really old thread.

Here's the current iteration of my 80's Schwinn Cruiser in klunker mode.

I've modified it heavily, & machined a bunch of parts for it. Lots of fun to build & ride.

Image

Image


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#33 ·
rwrusso said:
I'm tempted to take an old 26" steel hardtail frame I have (2002 Gary Fisher Mamba) and make it into a coaster brake klunker. Thoughts? Would this even be doable? I'm not sure offhand what the rear spacing is, but I figure I could probably find a rear wheel with a fixed gear. Strip off all the old junk (rim brakes, crappy SR fork, FD, RD, etc.), go rigid with some alloy riser bars and other alloy parts instead of steel. Could be fun.
Click to expand...
Klunker geometry is very different from that Fisher w/ very long chainstays and low BB.
 
#34 ·
Yeah, I should have said "klunker" inspired. Same concept, just with this bike I still have. Figure it would be a fun build for something to ride around double track trails and fire roads.
 
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