Dynafit Tech — Fixing a Non Closing Binding
Hey Lou & WildSnow.com,
I was hoping you could hook me up with a solution to a boot problem. Briefly, my boots are four years old now and the toe rubber is worn to the point where it is difficult to engage the binding. When I try to step into the binding, it doesn’t close unless I make multiple tries. Lots of fiddling at the start of skin tracks. I thought either I would grind it down and glue some new rubber in place or build a little mold around the toe with tape and fill it with black plastic rubber or some other similar product. Before committing to either I was hoping you had already been there and could provide me with the most elegant solution?
Brian
Indeed, sometimes folks have trouble with their Dynafit or other brand tech (pintech) binding toe closing properly. The most common cause is ice in your boot toe sockets (clean with a sharp object, and make a few stationary touring strides to allow the “pins” to cut their way through any ice or gradoo.) Still another and less obvious cause is ice or packed snow in the cavity UNDER the toe wings. Check for that as well.
Yet another determinant is more mechanical and tougher to fix, that of the boot not having enough sole thickness to trigger binding closure (the problem Brian shares above). One solution is to build up a bit of thickness on your boot toe using something like Shoe Gu, but this wears off quickly. Best is indeed to have your boots resoled. A temporary fix is to build a tiny pad of duct tap on the binding trigger. My favorite solution used here at WildSnow.com? Add a smidgen of height to the trigger using a dab of JB Weld epoxy. Beauty of this is it holds up well, but is fully reversible with the flick of a pocket knife blade. Check it out:
Finished product. Red arrow indicates trigger zone and dab of JB Weld. If you need this higher, do it in several stages.
Lightly sand the trigger zone and clean with solvent, mask so your mess doesn’t become permanent. After the JB hardens, trim with a sharp knife or razor blade so boot still pivots freely and doesn’t catch. Test first on the workbench, not in the field.
Beware this epoxy solution is specific to one pair of boots with sole wear. If other folks with fresh boots try to click into the binding it’ll snap closed too early.
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Comments
20 Responses to “Dynafit Tech — Fixing a Non Closing Binding”
Good tip.
Here are three locations which will re-sole boots – list is from Scarpa.
Here is the list of recommended people who can resole AT boots.
Gold Star Shoe Rebuilders Ltd
http://www.goldstarshoerebuilders.com
3308 Dunbar Street
Vancouver, BC V6S 2C1
(604) 734-7477
Dave Page Cobblers in Seattle, 800.252.1229.
Rocky Mountain Resole in Salida, CO. 719.539.1455.
Another person has mentioned to me that Dave Page Cobblers would not resole the Dynafit ZZero as they could not work with the thinner sole rubber under the toe sockets of the boot. I haven’t confirmed or denied this as yet but the person who told me this is credible.
Another thing, if the boots are only used in Dynafit bindings, the sole rubber can be thicker than standard, then just sanded off and shaped till it triggers the binding correctly and doesn’t catch during a touring stride. That’s one of the cool things about re-sole.
Seems to me you could also apply the jb weld or shoe goo to the bootsole provided there’s enough rubber left to add some build up.
Dave, yes, indeed you can. I’ve used both methods. Seems like most stuff I apply to boots gets worn off as soon as they’re hiked, so I usually like the small build on the binding.
Ice under the trigger can be an issue especially if skis spend the night out in the cold. Try a complete warm up test. Then go for the JB Weld.
Thanks, Lou,
As usual, a thorough spanking of the problem by you and fellow blogsters. WS continues to be an invaluable resource for all of us.
Thanks. BTW, love the new format.
Brian
A bad day in the workshop is better than the best day in the office, or something like that (grin)!
Im having problems with the toe releasing when edging on hard surfaces with my Dynafit bindings,please help
Art, edging while downhill skiing or on the way up? How much do you weigh? What model bindings?
Art H,
This 100 kg Dynafit skier cannot stay in the pins unless locked when on hardpack. When I got the Zzero 4 stiff boot on my FR 10 last year, the added stiffness and leverage of the boot dramatically demonstrated this to me. I have experienced this on several models of Dynafit bindings and four different new Dynafit boots. I have not tried my new FT 12 since there is not sufficient snowpack here yet to use my new skis. Dynafit bindings work fine for me if I lock the toe. Even locked I can easily walk out of them, but I also walked out of Fritsches in the past a few times.
I weigh 180,downhill skiing and the model is 08 vertical st
Don’t know if this matters any, but when I’ve popped out of the Dynafits on hard snow it’s been due to small amounts of ice in the toe sockets and/or in that little “pocket” that Lou describes and shows in one of his videos, the little “pocket” beneath the opposing bars in the toe mechanism. In each situation it looked like I was snapped in tight, but actually wasn’t. Careful cleaning of the boot’s toepiece sockets and the little “pocket” under the toe binding has eliminated the problem.
I would imagine it’s also possible to have poor retention if the forward pressure (fore-aft heel adjustment) is not quite right.
Art, make sure you have no ice, anywhere, and that you “seat” the toe pins by doing a dummy touring stride a few times, as shown in the vid, before you step down into the heel pins. Beyond that, make sure the space between boot heel and binding is set correctly and that you have an appropriate DIN setting. If you still come out after that, perhaps it’s just not the binding for you at this time.
I am not sure if this is the proper place to ask this question but I will give it a go and face the music. I am looking for a replacement vertical release adjustment square nut and screw. I am not sure who might have a spare or know a shop that has these parts. My local shop or hardware store did not have them on hand. Thanks in advance.
Mike, contact Salewa NA:
http://www.wildsnow.com/693/psa-dynafit-north-america-is-available-to-help-you/
Let us know how it goes.
And pray tell, what caused you to be missing those parts?
Well, I bought some used dynafits as I have done several times before. I was adjusting the vertical release screw and then felt a pop pop pop. I pulled the four screws off of the volcano plate and found that a section of the adjuster screw and the square nut was stripped. Thanks for the contact information. It should be a quick fix.
thanks Lou,
Mike
Mike, thanks, good to know that can happen. Previous owner probably tried to crank it way too far or something. ‘best, Lou
Just stumbled upon this after a few hours of searching, exact problem I’m facing with my dynafit speed classics, gonna go to town with some epoxy tonight, thanks Lou!
Ioan, thanks for reminding me this post was buried. I’ll work on it a bit so it’s easier to find. Lou
Ioan, could you please send me an email (use contact link above) and let me know the kind of terms you were searching on for info about this? I’ll add those terms to this blog post so it’s easier for other folks to find. Lou