ntn freeride tips thread redux

[Danno]

There is a thread for the freedom, here: http://www.backcountrytalk.earnyourt...s-thread-redux

But rather than confuse that thread by asking another clear Freeride question (I already confused it some ), I figured that maybe we should have a Freeride thread too? Or, if it seems like there is a lot of overlap, we can ask a mod to change the name of that thread and we can move my question there, I don't care.

So, I just mounted my new-to-me skis (thanks Mr. Toad!) with my old Freeride mounting plate, and went to slide the bindings on, and they were quite sticky and difficult. And they've always been this way (although this seemed a little worse). I know that there was always significant discussion about this, and how to file stuff to make it smoother if it stuck, but I didn't see it on the NTN wiki and all of the info on TTips is of course gone. Looking at the binding (mine are the old orange ones) it seems like the black plastic part in the middle (that is part of the brake assembly) may be the culprit? It seems to be raised ever so slightly over the flat metal bottom. So, is filing this piece of plastic the simple answer?

[BillyFromTheHills]

Of course the REAL simple answer is 75mm! Seriously...good luck with it...should be fun!

[Danno]

eh, I know that you're (mostly) joking, but 75mm isn't actually any simpler. It just seems that way because you're not starting from scratch.

[Paul Lutes]

Is there any scoring on the plastic? Going strictly from (less than reliable) memory, I want to say that the brake plastic rise I saw on mine went away the moment you pushed on them. It's far more common to have the mounting plate screws be a little high and rub on the frame - if this is the case you'll see obvious scoring on the metal frame. The screw heads can certainly be lightly filed.

[James]

If they are the older metal plate ones then the brakes will rub on the mounting plate. A few minutes with a file and this is easily fixed. It is pretty easy to see where they rub. If it is the screws as Paul mentioned this is easy to tell by taking a straight edge and seeing if any of the screws stick above the lip on the mounting plates. A few minutes with a file will fix this also. I have mounted several pair and always had to file the screws down. I think if you used a drill press you might not have to do this.

[Danno]

I don't recall significant scoring on the plastic. Hmmm. However, I have always found it sticky regardless of which ski was used, which had led me to believe it was an issue with the binding and not the binding plate. Seems odd that all 3 skis would have the same slightly raised screw heads?

As for filing the screw heads, is there any reason I shouldn't do this? They are screwed into inserts, not directly into the ski, if that makes any difference.

[Danno]

If they are older metal plates ones then the brakes will rub on the mounting plate. A few minutes with a file and this is easily fixed. It is pretty easy to see where they rub. If it is the screws as Paul mentioned this is easy to tell buy taking a straight edge and seeing if any of the screws stick above the lip on the mounting plates. A few minute with a file will fix this also. I have mounted several pair and always had to file the screws down. I think if you used a drill press you might not have to do this.

They are older metal plates. And I eyeballed the screws and they seemed to be recessed. So filing the black plastic is the correct move?

[James]

When you slide the binding on the plate look to see if it sticks when the brakes slide past the mounting plate. Like I said you can easily see this. If they stick at this point you have your answer. It is kind of easy to tell if it is the brakes or the screws (and what screw) and what is sticking by paying close attention to where it starts to stick when you slide the binding on. Yes you file the plastic on the brake. A regular file will file a 90 degree spot right where they rub. I file it a bit and try them and keep filing until they only stick a little. Obviously this one of those things where you can't add what you filed off back on so I go slowly and check them. I would guess a good firm 30 second filling on each side of each brake will do the trick.

The only reason you should not file the screwheads is it make it harder to reuse them or get them on or off again. If it is the screws you can also see this by looking at the bottom of the binding and seeing score marks on the paint.

[Danno]

When you slide the binding on the plate look to see if it sticks when the brakes slide past the mounting plate. Like I said you can easily see this. If they stick at this point you have your answer. It is kind of easy to tell if it is the brakes or the screws (and what screw) and what is sticking by paying close attention to where it starts to stick when you slide the binding on. Yes you file the plastic on the brake. A regular file will file a 90 degree spot right where they rub. I file it a bit and try them and keep filing until they only stick a little. Obviously this one of those things where you can't add what you filed off back on so I go slowly and check them. I would guess a good firm 30 second filling on each side of each brake will do the trick.

The only reason you should not file the screwheads is it make it harder to reuse them or get them on or off again. If it is the screws you can also see this by looking at the bottom of the binding and seeing score marks on the paint.

Thanks James.

[chamonix]

I finally bought a rubber mallet to slide my Freerides off the steel binding plate. I didn't want to chance steel (a hammer) on the aluminum frame again!. So the rubber head mallet does a good job, taping the rear of the frame on alternate sides.. I was reluctant to remove plastic from the brake assembly, but have carefully dremeled back any prominent or crooked mounting screws a bit.

I think the answer to this problem is to have perfectly vertical mounting of the screws holding the steel plate. It may be that the later black Freerides slide more easily too; my latest ski mount uses the black binding and it does go on and off more easily, than my orange ones.

[Paul Lutes]

Just went home and checked my old orange bindings - there is a slight rise/bump in the underside of the brake plate, right under the metal brake rod, which might rub (actually shows scoring on at least one of my bindings). Seems like you might, very carefully, sand it just a little bit, but it probably is thicker there for a reason i.e. that's where the brake exerts the most force on the plastic plate.

Chamonix: a little different experience for me with the newer black bindings - stiffer than my old metal plate bindings to slide, but I'm using the Rotte riser mounting plate, so maybe that explains it (?). It's also new this season, so probably will loosen up over time.

[tele.skier]

Another thing that can cause the binding to be difficult to engage with the plate is a bent binding. It's simple enough to check the binding with a straight edge along it's base when it's removed from the plate. Most bindings will bend at the recess in the frame where the brake is installed. I have used two clamps to bend a binding back to straight after I discovered that it was bent.

In the past, almost all the bindings that I had trouble sliding onto a plate turned out to be caused by the screw heads being slightly proud of the base plate's rail. As James said, Any proud screw heads will scrape a mark on the underside of the binding and make it easy to determin which screw, or screws, need to be filed down.

You can also remove the brake from the binding and try to engage the base plate without the brake installed, if you want to determin if the plastic brake holder is causing the binding to hang up or if it's something else....

[jrkul393]

anyone care to post a solution to stripped set screw holes? I've seen pictures of where you've done it tele.skier, wondering if you, or anyone, could let me in on the process.

[tele.skier]

I ordered these things from Mcmaster carr

rivet nut: http://www.mcmaster.com/nav/enter.as...9&pagenum=3271

copper washer: http://www.mcmaster.com/nav/enter.as...1&pagenum=3229

button head screw: http://www.mcmaster.com/nav/enter.as...6&pagenum=3119 ( I am not sure if this is the length of the screws that I used in my final solution because I ordered many different lengths until I got it right)

here's what the repair looks like finished:



the binding threaded hole is drilled out with a 3/8ths bit, then rivet is inserted through the copper washer from the top side of the binding. There can be no space between the copper washer and the binding body or the insert will not be solid. You must have the washer and binding under pressure when you thread in a screw to collapse the rivet nut which secures the assembly in place. (I used a pair of vise grips on 2 sides of a fender washer to clamp everything together and passed the screw to collapse the rivet nut right through the washer's center hole) Once your insert is collapsed and is solidly in place, you have to go underneath the binding and grind off everything that sticks downward more than 1/8th of an inch so the binding can pass over the base plate to be mounted on the base plate.

I was also thinking that in the future I might mix up some JB weld and butter the assembly between the copper washer and the binding base to get a really extra solid bond...

... Just so you know, to date no one has performed this repair except me, and I have done it a dozen times with no failures. I also did the repair for a boeing engineer friend who thought he would rather let me do it than do it himself... Good luck with it. (if the rivet spins in the hole, you have to reinstall another rivet and redo the whole process over so be accurate and methodical...)

[jrkul393]

Thank you very much good sir!!! Your saving my life and/or 400 some odd dollars with this one.

I feel pretty confident in my ability along with your instructions to perform the repair correctly. I probably will squeeze a little epoxy in there just to be sure everythings all snug and happy.

Thanks again!