Bindings 101: What Are Your Questions?

[Philpug]

So I just have to live with that 1/8" or so of slop or set it for a GW sole even though my boots aren't GripWalk?

It is an auto adjust toe. Are you boots worn bad?

 

[Matt Merritt]

Are you boots worn bad?

No. Almost new Head plug boots and Cat Tracks. Bindings are in good shape, too - purchased with my new used Augment AM88s...

 

[Philpug]

How is the Look SPX demo toepiece height adjusted downward?

Thanks in advance.

It is a Konnect demo or Metrix? If the former, remove it, if the latter, deal with it.

 

[Wilhelmson]

So I am not a ski tech. I don’t always love the way the curved lug soles meet the afd even on compatible matchings. I am careful to set the afd very precisely so the part that does almost touch is exact, and have not had any issues. Still I don’t like uncertainty or becoming comfortable with such.

 

[freeskier1961]

Hi Folks/Phil

Does the marker Duke PT have the same drilling/hole pattern as the F Tour?

Thanks

 

[Zirbl]

I bought Head/Tyrolia Freeflex ST 14x bindings with my Head e.speeds. It feels like there is more ramp angle than I want. Do they sell toe shim kits?

Yes, but not sure if they work with the 14s or only 16 upwards. Just email em, they usually reply back pretty quickly.

 

[Philpug]

Hi Folks/Phil

Does the marker Duke PT have the same drilling/hole pattern as the F Tour?

Thanks

It has been a while since I mounted one, I will defer to @Doug Briggs

 

[Doug Briggs]

It is an auto adjust toe. Are you boots worn bad?

Wouldn't plug boots require a sole planing? That would allow for error to creep in during the planing.

 

[Doug Briggs]

It has been a while since I mounted one, I will defer to @Doug Briggs

I haven't done a PT and am not sure we have a jig for them. But I haven't worked at the shop in months. I'm their on-call ski tech. ;-)

@freeskier1961, you are referring to the F Tour, one of Marker's frame bindings?

I did a quick Google search and came up with this 2019 response on TGR: https://www.tetongravity.com/forums...14902de466964976ae4a234&p=5826896#post5826896

 

[Noodler]

Wouldn't plug boots require a sole planing? That would allow for error to creep in during the planing.

Exactly my thought. Definitely should be checked to be at 30mm at the heel and 19mm at the toe (although I prefer 20mm at the toe).

 

[BigSlick]

Friend of mind is getting a pair of Rustler 10s (186cm w/ 104mm waist) for his 18yo son, and wanted to with Pivots. Can the 95 brakes be made to work with 104mm wide skis, otherwise concerned that the 115 brakes would have too much overhang. Otherwise, what might the alternative be Attack 14s?

 

[Wade]

Friend of mind is getting a pair of Rustler 10s (186cm w/ 104mm waist) for his 18yo son, and wanted to with Pivots. Can the 95 brakes be made to work with 104mm wide skis, otherwise concerned that the 115 brakes would have too much overhang. Otherwise, what might the alternative be Attack 14s?

115s will be fine. 5.5mm difference between brake width and ski width on each side won’t be an issue.

 

[Jeronimo]

Actually, I want to ask that question much more generically; What is a good rule of thumb for how you know when a brake width is too wide for a ski? When its too small is obvious, it won't go down. Too wide, seems very subjective. Seems like it would depend on factors like stack height, type of snow you typically ride on, how much you tip over, etc...

Is that the ultimate answer: "It depends..."?

 

[onenerdykid]

Actually, I want to ask that question much more generically; What is a good rule of thumb for how you know when a brake width is too wide for a ski? When its too small is obvious, it won't go down. Too wide, seems very subjective. Seems like it would depend on factors like stack height, type of snow you typically ride on, how much you tip over, etc...

Is that the ultimate answer: "It depends..."?

I think brakes should fit like ski boots - slightly too small and then made to fit

When a brake is genuinely too wide, the arms off the inside edges can get caught on each other (thinking when skiing powder, feet semi-together) and it is a completely scary scenario.

20mm wider than your waist width is a basically a death sentence in this regard.

10mm wider than your waist width is ok-ish and shouldn't present too many issues. Still too wide for my liking.

Keeping your brake width under 10mm wider than your waist width should be the goal, in my opinion. With Atomic/Salomon bindings, getting the brake width that is the width of your skis (or even slightly narrower) has never presented a problem for me. They can easily be made to fit and function well.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Actually, I want to ask that question much more generically; What is a good rule of thumb for how you know when a brake width is too wide for a ski? When its too small is obvious, it won't go down. Too wide, seems very subjective. Seems like it would depend on factors like stack height, type of snow you typically ride on, how much you tip over, etc...

Is that the ultimate answer: "It depends..."?

It depends. Seriously. Different brakes fold in tighter than others.

Hands down the worst are Pivot brakes. They don't pull in towards the center, they don't come up much above the top sheet, if that and with time seen to get sloppier.

 

[my07mcx2]

It depends. Seriously. Different brakes fold in tighter than others.

Hands down the worst are Pivot brakes. They don't pull in towards the center, they don't come up much behind the top sheet, if that and with time seen to get sloppier.

Doug, just had pivot 115 installed on Mindbender 106. Should i bend them in a little more than the shop did?

 

[Doug Briggs]

Doug, just had pivot 115 installed on Mindbender 106. Should i bend them in a little more than the shop did?

I'd have to see them to give advice. Pretty much every binding brake/ski combo is different as depending on your ski length the ski may or may not be the width suggested by the model name.

I certainly agree that the potential of catching brakes on each other while skiing is increased by the brake being excessively wide. Bending the brake isn't difficult but needs to be done carefully to avoid breaking it or its mounting mechanism. In the case of a Pivot, you have to hold the binding still as it will, um, pivot when you try to bend the arms.

 

[Quandary]

@Philpug I have a quick question for adjusting the heel on a Tyrolia Attack 14 for 2 boots with different BSLs which are close enough that a remount is not necessary. I understand that in an ideal world the "tension bar" (not sure what the actual name is) would be right in the middle of the 6 marks, ie #3. However in a pair of skis I am adjusting now because of the spacing off the rail that the binding locks into I can set the binding so that they are on mark #2 (from the back going into the heel piece) or mark #5. So from tension on the lower side vs tension on the higher side. Which would be the prefer setting for the heel to hit #2 or #5? Or maybe it doesn't matter as long as its between the 2 extremes?

Thanks

 

[Noodler]

@Philpug I have a quick question for adjusting the heel on a Tyrolia Attack 14 for 2 boots with different BSLs which are close enough that a remount is not necessary. I understand that in an ideal world the "tension bar" (not sure what the actual name is) would be right in the middle of the 6 marks, ie #3. However in a pair of skis I am adjusting now because of the spacing off the rail that the binding locks into I can set the binding so that they are on mark #2 (from the back going into the heel piece) or mark #5. So from tension on the lower side vs tension on the higher side. Which would be the prefer setting for the heel to hit #2 or #5? Or maybe it doesn't matter as long as its between the 2 extremes?

Thanks

I'm not Phil, but I slept at a Holiday Inn Express last night...

You should always err on the side of more forward pressure as long as it is still within range. Too little forward pressure can result in pre-releasing.

 

[slow_biscuits]

Hi there

the ladies over at the Ski Diva suggested I cross-post this question here.

Just got a new pair of Kendos and the shop I bought from didn’t carry my preferred demo bindings. I like demo bindings because husband and I effectively double our quivers this way and we ski similar lengths. Rather than wait (the season is almost over!) I opted to let them mount what they had, which was a Tyrolia SP13 demo. I notice there’s a notable gap under the toe and the rail of these bindings. They float above the ski substantially. Didn’t measure but looks like at least a couple mm. I can see clear through underneath the toe binding and the rail. I can clearly see the mounting screws. I asked the shop if this is normal and he says “I’ve mounted thousands of these. That’s just the way they do.” I called Head/Tyrolia to see if they’d tell me the tech specs for what’s within tolerance but if course they wouldn’t tell me anything other than “speak with an authorized dealer.” I called a different shop and they actually told me the same thing, that these specific bindings do indeed float above the ski a bit. This looks so weird to me and I’ve never seen a binding that doesn’t sit flush on the ski.

Is this really “normal?” Can anyone with the Head/Tyrolia tech manual confirm this is the way these SP13 demo bindings are supposed to look when mounted correctly?
@Philpug