Schwinn Brake Calipers: A Short Field Guide

 

Here is a short guide to early Schwinn three speed caliper brake sets. This is a work-in-progress as more information comes to light.

Pre-WWII - 1946/47: Plated steel calipers made by Schwinn. "Schwinn Built" stamping. Springs with hooks that wrap around caliper arms. Usually paired with Schwinn-made brake levers. These are valuable and desirable parts to have because they are correct for the higher-value, early lightweight bikes. The post-war "Schwinn Built" caliper with straight springs is a fair substitute if you cannot source the hooked spring model. Can develop excess play if the inner ferrule or the brake arm holes wear. Steel is fairly soft and can be repaired with basic tools.

 

1947-52: Plated steel calipers made by Schwinn. "Schwinn Built" stamping. Springs with straight ends. Caliper arms have bosses retaining the spring ends. Transition from the old style "Schwinn Built" with hooked springs at some point in 1947. Usually paired with Schwinn-made brake levers. These function basically like the old model, but the spring design is somewhat different. Adjustment and set up is the same as the older model. Can develop excess play if the inner ferrule or the brake arm holes wear. Steel is fairly soft and can be repaired with basic tools.

1952-53: Plated steel calipers made in Birmingham, England. by Phillips. No name stamped on caliper arms. Hooked springs that wrap around caliper arms. Somewhat more rounded appearing arms than the Schwinn-built models. Usually paired with an English-made lever that somewhat resembles the Schwinn levers. Occasionally appear paired with Schwinn-made levers as stocks of levers were used up. These appear to have been a short-lived, transitional hardware after Schwinn was done making the brakes, but before they sourced the Weinmann parts. These are of the "Birmingham" / Phillips style pattern that take a standard brake cable (not the double-ended Raleigh style).

1953/54-56: Weinmann aluminum calipers. Block lettering "Weinmann" and "Made in Switzerland" on the arms.  Paired with Weinmann aluminum levers. These are good brakes. They're fairly light, and the adjustments are fairly precise. They were a good value for Schwinn, being light and modern for their time, as well as sufficiently powerful for their day. Repair parts are easier to source than the earlier brakes, though finding arms with the correct block font stamping can be hard.

 

1956 - 1958: Weinmann aluminum calipers. Heavy, block lettering "Schwinn Approved" on the arms. Paired again with Weinmann aluminum levers. These are good brakes, as above. Repair parts are fairly plentiful. Finding arms with the correct block font stamping can be hard, but the other parts can be located still.

 

1958/59 - 196?: Weinmann aluminum calipers. "Schwinn Approved" in fine script font on the arms. Paired generally with the Weinmann "red dot" levers. These are good brakes, as above. Repair parts are still quite plentiful, especially on these because they were used for so long.