tx pro instep buckle mods

[Knee dropping tele scum]

Last season I blew the instep cable on my TX pros. I've never really loved that buckle because it's a ladder style buckle that only has 4 positions and I feel as though I'm just always bottomed out. I'd love to get it a little tighter but it just won't go. However, I see on the T2 that the instep buckle cable has (what looks to be) the same attachment design but its a ratchet style design with more adjustability. Seeing as I still need to swap out the cable on these boots I think it'd be really amazing to swap it out to the t2 style cable and buckle. Maybe even use a cable from a boot a couple sizes smaller so it'd sit in the middle of the adjustment range. I really feel like this would be a huge help for me personally, due to my low instep, in keeping my heel locked back in the boot.

also, somewhat related, i've been having a really hard time removing the bolt/T nut at this point. does anyone have good advice for how to get enough leverage on the T-nut that i can remove the outer bolt? I have replacement bolts and T nuts for both boots if i need to drill them out, but if i can avoid this that would be nice.

has anyone tried this who can shine some light? i already have the instep cables and the buckles are still in place so if i have to, simply replacing the cable is easy. but i'd happily pay for the ratcheting style buckles/cables from the T2 if if will give me more adjustability on my instep

[jasonq]

that screw is a bitch. i have never gotten it out with resorting to drilling it out. there is a scrapa video somewhere where they say they lock-tite the snot out of it, and use a soldering iron to heat it first. I tried that and a small propane heat gun. no luck for me.

sometime before winter i am going to go for another round of trying on my TXP's to try a buckle mod. My plan is to use a dremel to cut a slot on the inside square t-nut, then fashion a psuedo screwdriver blade with a notch to go over the tail of the screw, and hope it works. if not, then i'll swear a bunch and curse scarpa some more, drink a beer, then drill the head off the screw.

PS, i heard the new scarpa tele boot will have new fittings that allow you to remove and replace the cuff, power strap, and all the buckles with no tools, while wearing gloves, in a white out, in the middle of a turn. can't wait.

[ts01]

Reviving this thread to ask if anyone has found a good solution to replacing the instep strap on the orange and black TX Pro - broken strap pictured below.

I had the same piece fail on the other boot last year and replaced it with the OEM wire strap from Scarpa; it was a difficult DIY project and seemed silly at the time to replace with the failure-prone OEM part but that was the easiest solution.

Now the same strap failed on the other boot, and I talked to professional bootfitters in VT who say the OEM part is no longer available from Scarpa.
In a perfect world I'd send the pair to a bootfitter who could replace the part with something other than the original weak design but the shop in VT has no ideas. I have backup boots that haven't broken (yet) so turnaround time is not (yet) an issue.

Any suggestions for bootfitters and/or replacement parts are welcome.

[muffin]

I have straps and buckles from a mondo 25 T2 Eco. PM me if you're interested.

[ts01]

I have straps and buckles from a mondo 25 T2 Eco. PM me if you're interested.

Thanks - I'll research whether those would work on a 26.5 boot and get back to you.

[anemic]

Can we fashion a dyneema / amsteel / 12-strand solution ? (Ropey string, really strong and shockingly chafe resistant, difficult to cut, used for jeep winch cable, also used by F1 boot modders) The conept would be to replace the wire parts with string parts. First step would be to remove the wire then string it up which should be easy. With ratchets one would not even need to tie precise knots but you should be able to adjust the length to suit ya. I think this would still require one to loosen the fastener down inside the boot though. Perhaps loosening is easier than removal? Or is the great challenge simply getting it unstuck?

[ts01]

I have straps and buckles from a mondo 25 T2 Eco. PM me if you're interested.

PM sent.

[ts01]

Happy to report a solution - after calling a number of shops listed as authorized Scarpa repair centers, I shipped the boots out and they came back with straps from the T2 Eco and buckles from the Maestrale AT boot, shown below. Timing didn't work out with the straps offered by Muffin, and given the difficulty I had with a DIY fix last time around, I wanted to pay a professional to do it right.

The only issue was the strap was a bit too thin and would not hold under any pressure. So I trimmed a plastic shim (from a 3-ring binder separator), filed it down to avoid catching on the buckle, and glued it to the underside of the strap, as shown in the second pic below. I've put about 7 or 8 days use on these now, and no problems.


With the shipping, parts and labor it was north of $200. But I think I'll get a few more seasons out of these boots now so no complaints at all. And this design of strap is generally easier to use (for me) than the original.

[Pherick]

Can we fashion a dyneema / amsteel / 12-strand solution ? (Ropey string, really strong and shockingly chafe resistant, difficult to cut, used for jeep winch cable, also used by F1 boot modders) The conept would be to replace the wire parts with string parts. First step would be to remove the wire then string it up which should be easy. With ratchets one would not even need to tie precise knots but you should be able to adjust the length to suit ya. I think this would still require one to loosen the fastener down inside the boot though. Perhaps loosening is easier than removal? Or is the great challenge simply getting it unstuck?

I wonder if you couldn't get both bottom buckles - instep and metatarsal - with dyneema. something like the recent Maestrales' forefoot cinch. Might not give enough options for a loose tongue in tour mode.