F2 Race Ti lift setup

[Hilux]

Okay folks, just got a set of f2 race ti as a spare and am not quite understanding how to properly and safely set these up. I've also got TD3s so the F2s with their wedges are a little different. The bindings came set up with the cant wedges installed so I removed them to start from scratch. What I want is heel lift and toe lift with NO canting. Preferably of equal degrees ie 3deg of heel and toe lift. Total wedges I have are as listed:

4 x cant wedges

1 x small thin lift/shim wedge

1 x crazy big lift/shim block

I read where some people are stacking the cant wedges opposite of each other to make a flat lift but does this not create pressure points on different parts of the binding? If I stack all four and place it under the toe flat, wouldn't I need need to use a thin shim/wedge to angle it and perhaps a thin one on the heel to make up the different in space or "align" it properly?

There doesn't seem to be enough here to play with. I have a feeling I might be overlooking something very obvious. I haven't spent too much time fiddling with them yet either but any ideas would be greatly appreciated! Perhaps I'll need to get more from YYZ...

Edited February 1, 2013 by Hilux

[charliechocolate]

What I want is heel lift and toe lift with NO canting. Preferably of equal degrees ie 3deg of heel and toe lift.

If you want no canting, doesn't that mean zero degrees?

I have the same number and kinds of shims on my F2's so you're not missing any parts. Can you elaborate on why you think you need more?

[philw]

I'll take some pictures if you're still struggling later. From memory (my set up isn't here), all the wedges have a little ridge, which is how they fit together.

So me, I have a pair of small wedges "pointing in opposite directions" to give me a 1 degree lift on the toe. As the wedges are opposed there is no cant. This is how they are supposed to work. On the back I have the giant wedge, levelled off by being paired with another of the smallest wedges, to provide pure heel lift, again no cant.

That's basically it. It's simple and effective - a great engineering solution. You should have some long screws there, which are what you need for the big wedge should you decide to use that.

I've ridden flat with these also; for me it all depends on the boots I'm using what I need. Set them once and forget them.

[Tom]

The big block and the thin shim work together as the heel lift.

If you get another set you can mount those as the toelift (don't forget the longer screws), but f2 counts on you only using on set.

If you stack two opposite canting shims together you get a flat raise without the slope to correspond with the other side of the binding, not ideal but i guess it could work.....

[kieran]

If you stack two opposite canting shims together you get a flat raise without the slope to correspond with the other side of the binding, not ideal but i guess it could work.....

yes, it's not ideal. you have to set the toe bail tension properly after doing this, else cracking the toe block becomes very easy due to unaligned stresses.

it's much better simply to buy the extra lift block kit and have the toe and heel mounts at the correct angle.

[Hilux]

If you want no canting, doesn't that mean zero degrees?

I have the same number and kinds of shims on my F2's so you're not missing any parts. Can you elaborate on why you think you need more?

CharlieC: Correct I want zero canting ie no lateral/side to side angles. I do want pure heel/toe lift ie fore/aft lift relative to the binding.

@ Phil: I got to the point where I had the cant wedges fitted together with the little ridges but then was lost as it didn't seem like I had enough wedges to do both heel and toe lift....and that if I set it flat (even with just two wedges opposed) it would be too much stress on bindings. You say "I have a pair of small wedges "pointing in opposite directions" to give me a 1 degree lift on the toe." Does this mean you set up what I just described and it flat?

Thanks all Tom and Kieran for your answers, perhaps I'll try taking some pics tonight as well. I want to ensure that I'm not setting this up to break. Anyone with pics or more advice would be appreciated.

[pogokoenig]

The way Phil does it is the right way to go, if - and now the big if - you are riding steep angles. I would consider steep from like 50-55° onwards. Below roughly 45° I would use a cant or even more so stay flat.

On the front binding you put two of the little cants together under the toe block. On the rear binding you put them under the heel block. So 4 of them are ok. You won't need more. And there is no such thing as a stress point. 90° of the european riders have it setup like that - including myself. I am rinding now for 17 years with this setup and I am in the 200lbs class. There is no such thing as a stress point. The lift is too small but makes a little difference in comfort.

You can as well stay flat in any case. The difference in riding is neglectible but the comfort when standing still or get buckled up is a little better with the lifts.

[philw]

That's all correct, works fine for me at least: it's how they are designed.

[kieran]

And there is no such thing as a stress point. 90° of the european riders have it setup like that - including myself. I am rinding now for 17 years with this setup and I am in the 200lbs class. There is no such thing as a stress point.

i found doubling or quadrupling the shims would cause the boot sole to make contact with the rear of the toe block, because the boot was angled and the toe block is horizontal. this meant i was twisting one side of the block upwards, making it crack. it was quite repeatable.

when i got the proper angled lift block my boot sole was in the same plane as the toe block, and this stress went away. so did the cracking.

[Buell]

i found doubling or quadrupling the shims would cause the boot sole to make contact with the rear of the toe block, because the boot was angled and the toe block is horizontal. this meant i was twisting one side of the block upwards, making it crack. it was quite repeatable.

when i got the proper angled lift block my boot sole was in the same plane as the toe block, and this stress went away. so did the cracking.

I run my lifts just like philw and pogokoenig describe. Works just fine for Rebecca and myself over the last 7 years and gives us tons of flexibility with lifts.

Not sure I understand "cracking". Did your bindings break and you had to replace them?

[pogokoenig]

Or of course you can ride flat...

Yeah, riding flat is for real men. Cants and lifts are for wimps.

[kieran]

Not sure I understand "cracking". Did your bindings break and you had to replace them?

the toe block would crack on the toeside edge, next to where one of the fixing screws is sited. the plastic is not very thick there.

[Buell]

the toe block would crack on the toeside edge, next to where one of the fixing screws is sited. the plastic is not very thick there.

Did you have to replace it?

[kieran]

Did you have to replace it?

it was replaced by the shop i bought it from, whether or not it had to be replaced i cannot say.

[Buell]

it was replaced by the shop i bought it from, whether or not it had to be replaced i cannot say.

I wonder if you had a defective toe block to start with.

[Bordy]

I wonder if you had a defective toe block to start with.

I ride two to four cant blocks stacked under the toe block, I have for over 20 years. I have never broken the toe block.

I may not be a powerful enough rider to do so? Or maybe I a smooth or something? who knows...Lots of rider on WC do the same..I did also.

[Hilux]

I ride two to four cant blocks stacked under the toe block, I have for over 20 years. I have never broken the toe block.

I may not be a powerful enough rider to do so? Or maybe I a smooth or something? who knows...Lots of rider on WC do the same..I did also.

Bordy, where you have the 2 to 4 cant blocks under the toe, do you have anything under the heel to keep the ramp angle? I'm just wondering how the heel piece would then sit flat on the plate. Thanks again everyone for this discussion!

[Bobby Buggs]

Been riding them with the large heel block on the back and two opposed shims on the front for like 8 years. That = large lift rear and small lift front 0 cant. Never had an issue

[philw]

Here you go. One shot of the front toe piece showing the two opposed wedges giving a little lift. The other two shots are side/ rear shots of the back binding heel mount with the combined small wedge and the big wedge... giving a fair bit of heel lift.

I've ridden these flat or set like this; for me it depends on the boots and how their forward lean works.

The wedges are held in compression by the provided bolts. I've also been riding with these one way or another since the Proflex days (before they were called F2) - 1996 perhaps? This is the Race Ti (not the TitanFlex), so you have the toe-height adjuster on them.