Red Man Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 Hey, I picked up a used pair of size 28 Atomic M9 ski boots last season, and the heel is removable. Does anyone know if I'd be able to put Intec or Fintec heels on them, or if that's a bad idea? I've been snowboarding for a while, and I'm looking into trying hard booting, but want to do it on the cheap until I figure out if I like it. Thanks, Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 Step in bindings are not the best idea on ski boots, for various reasons... Those Atomics might be a bit stiff for snowboard, what's their flex index? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Man Posted October 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 I'm not sure about the flex index... I bought them used, and haven't been able to find much info on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 I've been approaching this idea for years now. Being able to shape the skiboot heel to mate smoothly with a step-in heel is going to require cutting the angle and setting t-nuts into the plastic of the boot shell. The sub-structure of the boot sole must be thick and solid enough to cut away some material and still have enough meat to safely anchor the t-nuts. I've looked closely at many different boots with this in mind. My old Nordica gran prix have a carbon fiber stiffening plate in the sole and I'm leery of weakening that. My light weight Technicas have sparse ribbing as sub structure that won't hold the t-nuts properly. My wife has Atomics like yours and the shape of the shell where the heel mounts is very much wrong for intec heels and would require removing too much material or creating a custom shaped adapter shim to mate the different shapes, plus they are on the stiff side of skiboot flex (110-120 I think). A lot of material must be removed to even come close to keeping a DIN binding heel ledge and then there's still the issue of the beveled cutback of the stepin heel peice requiring hand setting the heel of an alpine ski binding. I've been wishing for a "DINtec" similar to the UPZ DIN heel blocks but built with release pins. I've never thought the slight gain in clearance of the bevel toe/heel of sb hardshell was worth it anyway. When I find the right boot, hopefully an AT or ski boot w/walk mode, I'll post pic of the mod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Man Posted October 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 Thanks for all that info! If I manage to get some SI heels, I'll see how they swap over to the ski boots. I think if the bolt patterns line up well enough, it shouldn't be too hard to make a rubber or epoxy interface piece to go between the boots and heels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinecure Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 I'd be very surprised if you could pull this off safely and effectively. By the time you remove enough material, you're going to have a very sketchy heel back there. If your goal is to try hardbooting on the cheap, then get some non step-in bindings. They'll work fine with your ski boots, just have a longer sole length than a pair of SB specific hard boots. Or find someone close buy with some gear they'll let you try out. Given the critical safety nature of staying attached to your board, I wouldn't want to risk my leg(s) with some bastardized boot set up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Man Posted October 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 Your point is well taken. I'm not talking about removing material at all; I'd try to build a spacer that would match the heel to the boot, and use longer bolts than what's holding the ski boot heel on now. This is all very hypothetical still, as I'm lacking everything except the boots :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.oldsnowboards.com Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 Photo of your boot heel? To build an "Adapter" would likely cause an addition in height. You would then need to add similar height to the toe block. Adding this height would add to and compound the leverage on the boot heel/toe mount. Do you have expertise in plastics/metal molding? I would agree with Sinecure's comments. Big Ole CAUTION flag should be raised here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 Ski boots are stiffer, especially latteraly, then hard boots. Therefore, the step in heels would add unwanted stiffness. If you feel like modding the boots, rather work on softening the flex a bit. If you really must have a step in system with ski boots, then look for old Burton step in plates, I think that some people call them rat traps. As unsafe as they are, they'd probably still be better then what you are thinking of doing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 Oh, I see, you just bought a pair of Snowpros. Pretty good choice for ski boots! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 Ski boots are stiffer, especially latteraly, then hard boots. Therefore, the step in heels would add unwanted stiffness. If you feel like modding the boots, rather work on softening the flex a bit. If you really must have a step in system with ski boots, then look for old Burton step in plates, I think that some people call them rat traps. As unsafe as they are, they'd probably still be better then what you are thinking of doing... The "rattrap" style burtons will not work with DIN skiboot heels! The Din heel is not tall enough for proper engagement of the camming heel bail, so that the bail doesn't sit flat on the heel ledge. The extra height & width of an AT skiboot heel does allow for proper engagement. I can get pics of different boots in the binding to explain this later if necessary. This effect is what will prevent an intec heel from properly engaging a DIN ski binding, although it can work in AT bindings like Dukes /Fritschi/Naxo. Pretty self explanatory if you look at UPZ DIN modules compaired to an intec/fintec heel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted October 17, 2011 Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 Is this so you can switch between your skis and your board during the day? If so, be careful. Even if you could modify the ski boots to accept Fin-Tec heels, the non-DIN beveled shape of the heel would not engage the ski binding properly. You would have to reach back and lift up the heel lever of the binding in order to latch in. I know this because I force my Deeluxe's into my ski bindings, just to ski slowly with my kids. I have released appropriately from them, but who knows if it's legit? I wouldn't bet on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted October 17, 2011 Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 The "rattrap" style burtons will not work with DIN skiboot heels! The Din heel is not tall enough for proper engagement of the camming heel bail, so that the bail doesn't sit flat on the heel ledge. Interesting, I thought they were designed with ski boots in mind. Anyways, it sounds that OP bought some Snowpros, so the ski/intec story is over, for now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Man Posted October 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 Yes, I picked up the Snopros, so once there's snow, I'll be able to check this hard boot thing out. If it goes well, I'll probably be looking into upgrading to step-ins at some point, and by then, I may have proper snowboard boots anyways. Thanks again for all the info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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