Step in Query

[AussieCarver]

Sorry guys, reposting this to see if I can get some advice:

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My BTS system and my FinTec step in heels arrived today. Really excited and immediately installed the items.

Jeez eh? They look serious now! If only we had snow

I don't really know what I'm supposed to do with the spring adjustment at the back, but I'll read up here on the site. Any hints would be useful!

The step in heels work a treat with the cable pull and I can see these making life so good on the slopes. I do have one query though. When the heels are in, there is a couple of millimetres 'play' in the heel area. It's only a little bit, but they jiggle around in the cradle at the back.

Here's a couple of pics of the amount of gap in the cradle and the heel to show you how much I'm talking about:

Is this normal? Should I put the cradle in a vice and squeeze it in a bit?

Sorry for being the idiot new guy:o

[Corey]

There is a tiny bit of clearance side to side. The 'ramps' cut in the underside of the retractable pins should be fully inside the vertical receiver holes in the binding. This won't be too easy to see...

Note that the toe and heel blocks should be close enough together that it takes a bit of a push to get the boot to click in. This means the little pins that seem to do nothing are engaging the 'ramp' of the binding heel receivers pretty hard. When it's set up right, there's enough tension between the toe bail, those little stationary pins, and the retractable pins that there's very little movement. I go tighter and tighter on the adjustment until the retractable pins won't pop into the holes at all, then back off the micro-adjustment between the toe bails and the shoulder lugs a tiny bit. Carry a hex key with you, sometimes this needs fine tuning if you feel slop or if the pins won't engage.

Edit: should also note that to disengage your bindings, push down with your heel and THEN pull the cable. It takes no more force on the cable to do this than when your boot isn't in a binding. It it's taking more force than that, push harder on your heel and wiggle your leg slightly. Many many people break their cables because they pull harder and harder on the T-handle. The real secret is unloading the pins before you even touch the cable.

[AussieCarver]

Thanks Corey, great advice mate. I'll definitely put this into practice.

Is it also worth squeezing the heel receivers with the vice just a tad to eliminate that gap?

[leeho730]

I don't really know what I'm supposed to do with the spring adjustment at the back, but I'll read up here on the site. Any hints would be useful!

I'm sure there are plenty of gurus here who know better than I do, but if you don't mind me chiming in...

For BTS, I believe that's the most common setup (at least that's what I'm seeing from the photos). The most neutral position on BTS, which you have now, is equivalent to '3' on conventional forward lean setup, which is pretty much 'the' reference position.

My advice is to leave as is at the moment and during the season, please get some hex key and make some adjustment on the hill if you like. You might like to increase the tension on the toe (long) spring for firmer flex, you might want to increase the forward lean, it's up to you ;) I've got blue/blue on my track 700 and intend to increase the forward lean a bit.

You'll love BTS... I'm not going back to the old system, ever!

[ursle]

I don't really know what I'm supposed to do with the spring adjustment at the back, but I'll read up here on the site. Any hints would be useful!

The step in heels work a treat with the cable pull and I can see these making life so good on the slopes. I do have one query though. When the heels are in, there is a couple of millimetres 'play' in the heel area. It's only a little bit, but they jiggle around in the cradle at the back.

Is this normal? Should I put the cradle in a vice and squeeze it in a bit.

The springs,After you get the boots at the position of lean you want(front foot more upright than rear foot, rear foot with quite a bit of forward lean) the top spring controls your forward lean, the bottom one controls your rearward lean, they're independently adjustable, tighten them up some so they don't come apart, try them and make an adjustment, try them etc, you'll figure out if you like them tight or loose.

Don't squeeze the receiver for the fintek, a little movement is fine, get it to tight(side to side) and you'll have engagement issues, coming out at speed is a no-no.

[Jack M]

I don't have my boots and bindings handy, but that does look like a little more side-to-side play than I have. You might try the vice. The receivers are steel, I don't think it could hurt. Just do a little at a time.

This is just my opinion. You're at your own risk of course.

[AussieCarver]

Thanks guys. I'll try and adjust the heel receivers a smidgeon with the vice, but like you say Ursle... not so much that they get tooooo tight!

[b0ardski]

There is a tiny bit of clearance side to side. The 'ramps' cut in the underside of the retractable pins should be fully inside the vertical receiver holes in the binding. This won't be too easy to see...

Note that the toe and heel blocks should be close enough together that it takes a bit of a push to get the boot to click in. This means the little pins that seem to do nothing are engaging the 'ramp' of the binding heel receivers pretty hard. When it's set up right, there's enough tension between the toe bail, those little stationary pins, and the retractable pins that there's very little movement. I go tighter and tighter on the adjustment until the retractable pins won't pop into the holes at all, then back off the micro-adjustment between the toe bails and the shoulder lugs a tiny bit.

On the blax, there's no shoulder lugs like TDs; so adjusting the toe bail screw to the point the heel pins don't engage then backing off untill they do is good, just remember that the toe adjustment screw can/will back off slightly on this type of toe block during normal riding so check to see they're tight every time you get to the hill and keep a driver in your pocket for on hill adjusting if any slop develops.

Thanks Corey, great advice mate. I'll definitely put this into practice.

Is it also worth squeezing the heel receivers with the vice just a tad to eliminate that gap?

I'd be leery of stressing the receivers but if you do try to snug them up in a vice, do it with the heel engaged to be sure it doesn't over tighten. Maybe a c-clamp with every thing bolted together would prevent any cupping of the flat base of the receiver.

[AussieCarver]

Genius advice all round guys. I'll try tightening with micro adjustment until the pins just snap in so it's tighter first, then if it's a bit loose up there on the mountain, I'll revert to the vice/clamp theory.

Cheers!

[BlueB]

Just a quick observation... How heavy are you and what you'll use those bindings for? I mean freeriding or hard carving? Those are "plastic-fantastic" and probably the softest binding out there, except maybe Burton Carrier. Don't get me wrong, I have a bunch of Blax/Proflex/F2 RS (all more or less the same) standard bails, and love them for freeriding because of their flexibillity. However, they are not ideal carving tool for me, at 185+ lbs.

Ok, the step-in will stiffen the feel a bit, but would put more stress on the floppy base, as there is no bail flex to dampen the things a bit...