Sheered Plastic Tab on a Vertical Heelpiece

[LightRanger]

Anybody else broken them like this?


Just curious. I searched around and couldn't find a prior failure like that. It may be common, but I'm not Dynafit guru.

To be clear, I'm not complaining. I'm just curious if this is one of the typical failure modes or not.

I'm going to email Salewa and see what they say.

[ccl]

Can't quite tell if this is the tab your heel rests on when in flat touring mode...? If so, I've broken several of those as have a few of my partners. Typically happens when stomping on your ski in flat touring mode...stamping in a track in firm snow, kicking cornices, etc. I sent one back for a replacement but have since given up. Don't really notice my heel sitting lower.

[LightRanger]

Can't quite tell if this is the tab your heel rests on when in flat touring mode...? If so, I've broken several of those as have a few of my partners. Typically happens when stomping on your ski in flat touring mode...stamping in a track in firm snow, kicking cornices, etc. I sent one back for a replacement but have since given up. Don't really notice my heel sitting lower.

That's exactly what it is. Thanks for the experience sharing. I first noticed it on Sunday... after I'd been motoring along a firm trail, and then beating on them stamping ski crampons into wind blasted icy stuff. I think it broke that day, but can't be sure. I figured that was the reason.

They warrantied it for you, yeah?

[ccl]

They did, but after breaking them two more times I gave up. Now both of mine are sheared off and I no longer worry about breaking them :-)

[XXX-er]

AND less ramp/delta on the skin track!

[Mr. Toad]

That happened a few times before I started using brakes. The afd takes some load off that tab.

[GeezerSteve]

common failure

[Prodigy]

Yup. There's a correlation between lack of brakes and broken heel tab, my conjecture was that perhaps the compressed brake springs shored up the plastic. I wonder if Salewa still has any Vert Heelpieces left?

[LightRanger]

That happened a few times before I started using brakes. The afd takes some load off that tab.

Yup. There's a correlation between lack of brakes and broken heel tab, my conjecture was that perhaps the compressed brake springs shored up the plastic. I wonder if Salewa still has any Vert Heelpieces left?

That makes sense. Bet there is a correlation. That piece pressed against the brake with a good amount of force when you rotate it. One of the reasons I pulled the brakes, because they made it harder to rotate the heelpiece.

[milestogo]

I believe it's good practice to compress the brakes by hand and then rotate the heel--saves some wear and tear on that platform. I have some comforts that are fine, but verticals that broke (when no brakes were installed btw).

[SB]

I have a heel with brakes installed that has a busted tab. Its a spare/parts now.

[skimaxpower]

I have a pair that's broken like that. At least mine match. I don't notice a performance impact.

[LightRanger]

I suspected it was a quite common failure. Weird that I ran some searches and never came across it.

[retirwntm]

I suspected it was a quite common failure. Weird that I ran some searches and never came across it.

Common failure as noted above. Especially when rolling without brakes and stamping down hard on the units to clear snow and or ice. Even worse in negative temps.

[wgrand802]

Mine just broke the other day. I have always ran brakes with them.

[jindustry]

This has happened to me twice, and I don't use brakes.

[RockinB]

Damn this thread....made me paranoid enough to put my brakes back on. I pulled them off middle of last season and put 15 or so days on them without issue, but I'm hard in gear and could see this happening to my heel prices.