Dave ESPI Posted April 25, 2007 Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 As mentioned in 2 other threads, I had a major binding malfunction with my snowpro RACE model bindings. The metal adjustment screw sticks up and into a hole in the back of the heel plate. It is a very shallow hole, and I think my riding has progressed far beyond the flex and strain that these "race" plates can handle. I was riding down a diamond, and laying some agressive turns in very heavy snow and on a heelside transition.......... well, all I know is the board dissapeared from under my feet, I did a 180, my front leg was "missing" from the board and I slide 30 feet down and over into a race fence. as I looked back up the hill after doing the " OMG WTF>>> AM I OK"... body check.... I see a black piece in the snow and another snowsports instructor picking it up saying "woah... is this yours? what eh hell just happened" ? I looked at it and went " WOW COOL !... I just totaly tore my bindings out!" EDIT: NOT COOL..... they are "kaput". The lip on the heel plate bail is destroyed and the plate slides out now if I press any pressure to it in a turn. Has this happened to anyone else ? I have about 50 or so runs worth of time on the bindings so they are still "new" It could have been seriously disasterous. I take solice in knowing that my bindings and board are securely strapped to my feet...... the LAST thing I want to be "nervious" about is the foot comming out... esp the FRONT one ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cristan Posted April 25, 2007 Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 Over torqued! The bails tend to lift and push-out and that effect gets amplified when over tightened. That being said, that is the weak point of that binding. I have the LTD version of that binding for four years now and they are still good. If you like this type of bindings try F2. The F2’s stud goes through the heel piece, better design. Or, go all metal, TD2, OS2 & PH1. Although, you could still resurrect your bindings, just look at the F2. Or, if you do not want to tinker with it, send it my way. :D Regards, Cristan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Donnelly Posted April 25, 2007 Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 Same thing happened to mine. Tried to repair with epoxy but the repair failed during the first run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex1230 Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 not feeling too good about the cheap pair I just picked up on ebay... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 they are really easy to overtighten and its obviously disastrous. I keep my snopros about two finger tight. If it takes more than two fingers to close the bail they aren't right. ITs not like my TD2 where the boot folds in half if they are to tight. they gotta give somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kent Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 Sucks they broke, but that's part of the deal....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mtrappy Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 They are SnowPros. It is the cheaper version of the F2 binding. Its happend to me a bunch and I know how you feel. :( But I would try to get some F2's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackbird Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 You're a lucky man to walk away from that... coulda been really nasty.... Stick it up on a wall (Unless you wanna do a warranty claim on them) So when people check it out you can say... I ripped that sucker right off my board... with a smirk of course!!!! It's good you walked away from it though!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave ESPI Posted April 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 Yeah, I really am glad I did walk away.... but later that day I tore my ACL in soft boot and board setup throwing a front flip off a jump in the park. :lol: It is still better than having a leg busted in 3 places anyday ;) I think I may drill the plate and base, and make some sort of a rod that will fit down in and be threaded with a recessed pan head screw since I really won't be changing the size of the binding as I ride a Mondo 30 boot. I also wonder if these bindings are a "Medium" instead of a "Large" size. They are cranked all the way out for toe and heel to fit the boot. The bails really are not super tight, but they are snug as they should be. At any rate, I plan on getting some TD-Titaniums over the summer. I can't ride with knowing there is a "possability" of these things comming loose in a catastrophic manor while doing 45 MPH + racing in GS next season..... IMHO, The SP race are OK bindings for kids or "beginners"... but I think perhaps I have surpassed their learning curve usefullness since I'm running close to what racers apply to their boards with G-force and flex torque on the components while riding. I'm going to e-mail the company at any rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 Dave, very sorry about you ACL. Get well soon. Your bindings are medium. You've told us before that you have very large feet. Looking at your photos, and as you say yourself, the length was set all the way out, even past the point where lips of heel pad and lower block fully overlap. That or/and any slack in 4 holding screws would cause the guide pin to slip out of its hole. I've got couple of pairs of these, and ride pretty hard . Didn't have problems so far. I'm 175lbs. All gear can and will eventuall fail. We certainly had more treads about failing TD2s that Snowpros, this year. I'm not saying that Snowpro is better binding than TD2 (I've got these too and love them). However it is unjust to dismiss a good (and afordable) binding as begginers. It is the one of the most used binding in Europe and certainly stronger that a famous "softer" binding made in USA. Boris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave ESPI Posted April 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 Thanks BB. In no way am I calling the SnowPro bindings "Junk"... and actualy they were really a nice riding binding. I'm looking into getting "LARGE" sized ones for my powder board actualy as now that I look ( a lot closer than before despite the box saying LARGE in big letters when I got them from e-bay a year ago) they are indeed Medium... it is the only explenation I can comeupwith as to why it is railed out so far for a size 12 US and 29-30 Mondo ( Which is fairly common size in Mens.) I'm 150 #'s and tall, but I ride low and tucked agressively on the board and really amp up the angles of attack, so I drive hard when I do initiate, so I think that this was the key ingreedient in the disaster stew I was brewing since the boards I tend ride are stiff even in the freestyle boards with soft boots.The ACL is healing, but I may need PT and/ Or surgery if the shoulder does not roll back into position eventualy as it is "pidgeon toed" in and rolled forward now. I R FR33K LOL.... as to "famous USA bindings..." yeah I had a pair given to me and I just laughed and donated them to another vintage "collector" on this forum last year in May or so... knowing full well I'd be in the hospital if I even tried to ride them. I'm really dissapointed with the direction that Burton has gone in the past few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felix Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 Hmm, with racers in europe burtons race plates (and now ibex) still got great reputation. Just look how many are actually still on them, especially since the move to plates has happened. I've got a 97 race plate modell which still looks as new though heavy use. I've got a SnowPro Race Step/in too which I think is not that steady. About any binding I know (I dont know about TDs) will fail if you move bail and heel to the complete outside, also F2s. That's enourmous stress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NateW Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 I had a set of Nitros that failed the same way. A couple sets actually, because I was either too cheap or too slow-learning to realized I could have saved money by buying Bombers instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pow Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 Get some TD2s, they rock! the only complaint I have about TD2s is that every time I'm out on deck eating my lunch, people keep asking me if they can touch them:p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Dahl Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 I have never had a system failure like that in all the years of riding Snowpro Race, Fast Race and Fast std (5mm bails). I only weigh 160ish w/mondo 27 boots so that on mediums may be a factor. May relegate mine to pow stick usage only anyways.....Just looked again at those pics, was that bail block assembled correctly to the adjuster? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bordy Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 At any rate, I plan on getting some TD-Titaniums over the summer. I can't ride with knowing there is a "possability" of these things comming loose in a catastrophic manor while doing 45 MPH + racing in GS next season..... Any binding can break, any insert can fail, any board can break, any boot can blow up..... Its just part of the game. Although all metal binding are burley and stiff, well they are burley and stiff..... I would use what ever binding you feel best about riding. Also the US team web page list what gear the US guys and girls ride on, as well as the weight of each rider. You can guess about each riders ability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil sunday Posted April 27, 2007 Report Share Posted April 27, 2007 there's a reason that guys are not running td's in GS courses... you may want to try a binding with a little flex and give if you are racing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuban Carving Gooding Posted April 28, 2007 Report Share Posted April 28, 2007 Dave so sorry to here about your ACL. I wish you A speedy recovery. I had the same thing happen A long time ago on A cheep set of bindings.Not the snopro bindings I had A great deal on this $100 set brand new this was A long time ago and at that time $100 was cheep I should have known. I is hard to pinpoint A year. All I can say is at Big Mountain I was on Hogans ripen down the best groom and my back foot was in frount of my left foot:nono: . And then I turned into A snow ball. And from then on I ride on F2 race plates. I have never had anything happen to the F2s. I hope to see you next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave ESPI Posted May 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2007 I tried sending an e-mail ( got bounced back as no good) The Phone Number onthe back of the instruction booklet does not work, so how Do I contact SNOW PRO ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SITO Posted May 5, 2007 Report Share Posted May 5, 2007 Try this www.snowpro.de It's in europe , hope this help. S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave ESPI Posted May 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2007 Sito, yeah that is the email that bounced back to me whenI tried them :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDY_2_Carve Posted May 7, 2007 Report Share Posted May 7, 2007 Glad they don't sell Intec's...I'd probably own a pair due to the cheap price. You get what you pay for, and I couldn't be happier with my F2 Intec Titanflex's that I bought from hb.com. Plus Dave and Billy rock and I enjoy supporting them! I hope I don't get roasted for saying this on BOL, but I like my F2's better than my TD2's if that says anything. But like it has been mentioned above they both have their advantages in different situations... P.S. Heal up that ACL quick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted May 7, 2007 Report Share Posted May 7, 2007 I hope I don't get roasted for saying this on BOL, but I like my F2's better than my TD2's if that says anything. But like it has been mentioned above they both have their advantages in different situations... No way you should get roasted for that. My wife likes F2's better too (Carve RS's no less). Which is cool by me - because I get to use her pair of TD2's now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jrobb Posted May 20, 2007 Report Share Posted May 20, 2007 Sito, yeah that is the email that bounced back to me whenI tried them :( If you still get no response try dropping Dan Yoja a line. He's North American distributor of them too at http://www.upzboots.com/ ( yoja@cablerocket.com) J btw, I ride FAST LTD's size large with 29mp boots and tip the scales at 210 in gear and Builder's Bars. I have about 6 full turns from fully extended where I keep them. With the FAST system they are kind of picky about being too tight...the pins don't want to play nice. Only got about 6 days on them so maybe 60-65 runs. The latter part of the season I started riping decently and had no fit or breakage issues. Coupled with the BTS the ride is jus about right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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