rikytheripster Posted March 10, 2017 Report Share Posted March 10, 2017 I've snapped my td3 sidewinder heel bail (again) at the threaded section and now cant board - it's a nice powder day in whistler also which sucks. I've mailed Jim to get some spares asap but everyone seems to be at the convention. if anyone's in the area who can borrow / sell me some bails / bindings let me know? are there any shops in whistler that sell hard gear? - Google says no I've thought about trying to fix (bond/weld) the bail but wouldn't trust it! thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charliechocolate Posted March 10, 2017 Report Share Posted March 10, 2017 That sucks. Try Prior snowboards at function junction, it's a short drive south of the village. They may have plate bindings for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rikytheripster Posted March 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2017 thanks for the suggestion- I've tried them but they're all outta alpine gear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted March 10, 2017 Report Share Posted March 10, 2017 Ask for Andre at the Whistler school. No guarantees, but he might be able to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryj Posted March 10, 2017 Report Share Posted March 10, 2017 Hey Ripster!, Wow......that's gotta Suck Sorry for your troubles. Sounds like Jim has come to the rescue - Yeah Bomber Family!! I know it doesn't help right now but I would think about upgradung to Step Ins/fintecs......especially if this is the second time you have broken the standard heel bails! It sure would be hard for me to ever again have alot of faith and or aggressive carving on that system holding up if I had already broken it twice! Keep the faith and I hope your trip gets better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Edges Posted March 10, 2017 Report Share Posted March 10, 2017 Fanatyk in Whistler Village used to deal in alpine gear. They may have a box of old parts in the back. Cheers, Trev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rikytheripster Posted March 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 thanks for the suggestions guys - no luck anywhere but jims bits (so to speak) will be here Monday so alls goods... yep will give fintech some thought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted March 12, 2017 Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 (edited) 16 hours ago, rikytheripster said: thanks for the suggestions guys - no luck anywhere but jims bits (so to speak) will be here Monday so alls goods... yep will give fintech some thought! Just buy an extra toe and heel. Less stuff to break than Intec heels. Been there done that. One of the first orders after my stuff was stolen was for an extra toe and heel bail. Edited March 12, 2017 by lonbordin Less is more 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Brammer aka PSR Posted March 12, 2017 Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 (edited) This is why Catek didn't 'thread' the bails. A few thousandths of metal is removed to cut threads, not much in the scheme of things, but, it's enough to create a weak juncture. Too bad Catek Bails don't fit on to Bombers... Oh wait, they could.. But, hey, I only got up to running 5-axis Miyano's, so, I may not know just how to fix that.. Metallurgy is an arcane religion anyhow. Edited March 12, 2017 by Eric Brammer aka PSR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rikytheripster Posted March 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 Eric - I had some original catek world cups and although solid steel & heavy they were damn tough! although I did eventually snap the bails. agreed they'll be a stress concentration at the threaded section and so I was also thinking about a modified design where the bails are curved and nestle in a channel under the toe & heel blocks as the cateks did. it would be an interesting fea project running a fatigue analysis on design variants 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Brammer aka PSR Posted March 12, 2017 Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 It is my opinion that going without threaded components is the way to go. It creates two weaknesses in link, the pivot-into-the-block screw, and the threaded juncture on the heel bail hoop. Catek's movable arm had but the bend in the metal, then the anchoring screws holding the block as weak spots. Perhaps their 'DIN' Heel (set at an angle, not movable) would be the answer, but with a block-to-archplate made to fit a Bomber TD-3? You are abusive to your heels, sir! Cateks, nor Bombers, should break as often as described. Intecs may help, but you're doing something beyond the norm, and, while the pin-in-heel may hold, it also may not. I advise you think over just how hard you commit into toe turns? 4-6 Gees is, really, enough force... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowrider Posted March 12, 2017 Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 If you break a lot of binding parts perhaps you are an extreme peddler and or not aware of it. If your feet aren't working together you can create extreme forces that are detrimental to moving parts of your bindings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teach Posted March 12, 2017 Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 ^^ Eric, on TD3s the pivot doesn't screw into the block. There's an axle that runs through the block. Bicycle spokes have threads "rolled" into the wire rather than cut, to reduce the stress concentrations at the start of the threaded section and maintain strength through it. I've always wondered if that could be done on 6 mm wire, and if it would make much difference. OP, what e-pads are you using, and what is your weight? It's possible to hammer pretty hard on the threaded juncture via the sidewinding action if the e-pad bottoms out. I've wondered if a dual-density e-pad might help, to prevent bottoming out and create a progressive stop rather than a hard stop. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Brammer aka PSR Posted March 12, 2017 Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 32 minutes ago, teach said: Eric, on TD3s the pivot doesn't screw into the block. There's an axle that runs through the block Yup, I was thinking of earlier TD's.. I'd be surprised if the threads aren't rolled, but if they straight cut, rolling might solve the issue. The 'issue' may also be with how Riky rides... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted March 12, 2017 Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 Probably not something you could do while riding, but rather using the heel bail to chip ice off your heel or something. The nice tabs that hold up the TD3 bails also make them prone to being subjected to bending loads when boots aren't firmly clipped in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rikytheripster Posted March 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 I'm running the medium blue e pads and weigh 200 lbs so am pretty sure I'm bottoming them out as I do ride aggressively. I also cracked a soft 161cm powder board after 4 months riding, through the entire laminate behind rear binding. when I'm carving smooth groomed runs the legs feel like they're working more equally. however I spend a lot of time riding in Europe on steep, icy & bumpy slopes where you're having to make many short turns which means throwing the board around. also due to the conditions i don't get much time on the coilers but mostly ride a stiff powder/ all mtn board at approx 40f 40r . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beckmann AG Posted March 13, 2017 Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 Along the lines of what Corey said, have you verified that with the boot clipped in, the rear bail rod ends aren't bottoming against the hard stops? Are your boot sole pads worn out, and/or, do you have full thread engagement of the bail into the rod end? Was each failure identical in location and appearance? I snapped a rear heel bail three years ago. The part in question was new in 1996, and probably saw near daily use since. I had shortened the hoop and cut new threads on each end with a standard 1/4-28 die. It broke at a corner bend. In short, look to the forensics before something more catastrophic takes place. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rikytheripster Posted March 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 OK so I've checked the heel rod ends for bottoming out with the boot strapped in and there was only 1mm of clearance.so maybe during riding they were clashing and causing a bending moment. I've now fitted new heel pads which have increased the clearance by 1mm approx. hopefully that makes the difference. I have however broken a toe bail on the rear also which was nowhere near clashing and that was after 6yrs but only 10 months riding. so that's 1 toe bail failure (10 months) & 3 heel bails (approx 3 months ea) bails are tight in rod ends and everything else is secure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beckmann AG Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 4 hours ago, rikytheripster said: I have however broken a toe bail on the rear also which was nowhere near clashing and that was after 6yrs but only 10 months riding. so that's 1 toe bail failure (10 months) & 3 heel bails (approx 3 months ea) That's excessive. Did you have similar breakage problems on previous bindings? Were I you, I'd return to a non-wobble binding for a time and work on modifying your boots and (perhaps the binding configuration) to provide some of the 'give' you are trying to derive from the SW platform. Then go back to the SW if so desired and see if they hold up longer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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