I’m restoring my old early-70s Schwinn and am having difficulties finding bearings that are the same size as the old Nice 7985s (no longer made). Before I toss the whole project in the dumpster, I was hoping that someone may have a source for the bearings.
Old posts skirt around the subject but none have discussed a place to get the bearings.
I can’t find any data for a bearing with number 7985. Are you sure it’s correct? Nice has a 7600 series and a 7500 series of bearings. Can you post a photo of the bearing and its dimensions: ID, OD, width. Is it a flanged bearing?
Give Tommy Miller (The Unicycle Factory) a call. Chances are he has a stock of them somewhere in his uni-filled garage: 765-452-2692
I’m pretty sure the size of bearings was always the same for the entire run of Schwinn unicycles (1967-1990s). Though different variations may have been used, they were probably all the same size.
Thanks for the responses. I contacted Tom - quite a character. He has the bearings, but add the cost of bearings to a that of a new saddle and pedals and I’m $150 into a heavy, outdated uni. Thats almost half way to the shiny new Chinese Nimbus 29 or 36 that I have been looking at. I’d prefer to buy American but it doesn’t look like that is an option in our new economy.
Unless price is no object, it’s pretty tough to find American-made versions of a lot of things. Schwinn moved out around the 1980s. Even replacement parts probably come from Asia. 