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01-08-2015, 01:33 AM #1
Converting a Dynafit Radical FT to work like a Vertical ST
I like the Radical toe, but I'm less keen on the Radical heel lifters.
I considered removing the anti rotation stop from the brake and swapping the top plate for a top plate with a volcano, BUT...
I'm guessing the above might lead to auto rotation problems, so would it work if I fitted a flat top plate instead of one with a volcano?
The main thing I want to know is did the Vertical ST have some sort of device to stop the heel piece rotating when it was in the middle climbing postion, ie some device that isn't present on the Radical heel piece?
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01-08-2015, 01:45 AM #2Registered User
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Yes it does. The heel post on the verticals has multiple stopping points for the lateral spring as the heel post is rotated, while the radical has only one. If you take out the anti-rotation, there won't be any way to fix the heel in the middle climbing position. Unfortunately, you will need to buy a whole new heel or go for some other brand such as Plum.
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01-08-2015, 08:15 AM #3
Last edited by 1000-oaks; 02-15-2015 at 12:00 PM.
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01-08-2015, 08:24 AM #4Registered User
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Converting a Dynafit Radical FT to work like a Vertical ST
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01-08-2015, 10:09 AM #5
If you don't mind foregoing brakes, it would just be easiest to pick up some Plum heels from skimo.com and mount those up. Same heel pattern
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01-08-2015, 11:56 AM #6Registered User
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All of the radical heel pieces I have ever seen look like the one in the image below. One climbing position
All of the vertical heel pieces I have ever seen look like the plum guide ones in the same image. Multiple climbing positions.
https://www.wildsnow.com/wp-content/...afit-heel-.jpg
I think the OP is asking if he can put a volcano top plate on a radical binding and expect it to have multiple climbing positions that 'snap to'. My experience from having tried exactly this is no.
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01-08-2015, 12:00 PM #7
I've actually considered doing the opposite of this, attaching a rad top plate to replace a vert volcano... But then I got rid of the brakes on my ft12s and now find the rotating less awkward.
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01-08-2015, 02:01 PM #8
Yes, the turret has one climbing position, but the pre-2014 posts have an extra flat that goes unused.
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01-08-2015, 04:26 PM #9
I guess I'm the only one who thinks the radical climb bars are an improvement over the vertical/plum volcano?
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01-08-2015, 04:28 PM #10
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01-08-2015, 04:42 PM #11
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01-08-2015, 05:16 PM #12
I have seen them break. What makes them better that the B&D Comfort volcano (easiest pre-Radical to switch modes with a ski pole)?
Can you switch them from tour to DH with a ski pole? Is it possible to go from DH to flat mode via the Van Halen or similar method? If the answer to either or both of these questions is "no," then what advantages, if any, setoff these shortcomings? I routinely switch from tour-to-DH w/ pole and DH-to-flat via Van Halen method, would need a good reason to give up those conveniences.
FTR, I have no opinion re the Radical heel from personal use because have enough Speed Classic, Comfort and FT heels to last me for years. I've upgraded some of my skis to Radical toes, which are a significant improvement IMO.
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01-08-2015, 05:34 PM #13
Haven't tried the BD Volcano, but yeah, stupid easy to change heights. I see people fiddle with the volcanos all the time. I can switch from tour to DH with the pole. DH to tour can't be done, but I can't remember the last time I've wanted to do that without also wanting to put on skins - I know you're a fan of fishscales though.
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01-08-2015, 06:03 PM #14Registered User
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I got both rads & verts with brakes, I use them both quite a bit and I can't say I prefer the operation of one over the other
I wonder if people break volcanos cuz they lever the heel piece back & forth instead of rotating it in a circle ??
what does matter is the design of the Rad heel lifters pulling the sheet metal screws holding the top plate on rads out of the Delrin plastic which I have seen a couple of times happen to skinny ski buds on brand new rads, also hearing guides complaining about it and for that reason I would rather have verts
I like the way G3 ION has used the machine screws going upwards into the aluminium top plate which should work with the flippy heels they could take some market share from DynafitLee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know
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01-08-2015, 06:50 PM #15
Yeah, I don't see any clear advantage of one over the other, and, yes, my concern is putting my fat butt on that lever. FTR, B&D volcanoes are beefy and IME are not prone to breaking if the screws are snugged down and used properly. OTOH, the Comfort and Vert volcanoes do break.
Right, nearly all of my Van Halen mod changes are on one of my fat fishscale rigs. (I use AT boots in TTS bindings on the other -- great for fishscale billygoat shuffling with boots in DH mode, and I'll likely eventually switch out the other fishscale rig to TTS).
Lindahl, how do you use the pole to go from tour/flat to DH? I've always seen people doing that by hand.
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02-13-2015, 04:20 PM #16Registered User
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so I just blew the top plate off my Rads, I will be getting warranty but not sure when SO the way I am reading this thread in the mean time I can just swap a vertical heel piece onto that Radical post and it will work if I remove the anti rotation stop??
I may not have all the climbing positions on but I don't care that much for the short termLee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know
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02-13-2015, 04:29 PM #17
I think the flip flop lifter an improvement, although not life changing. I never do the Van Halen move to uphill mode.
The anti rotation thing actually bugs me though. It makes going back to downhill mode somewhat of a fiddle compared to the "classic" dynafit heel - with which I rarely ever had auto-rotation problems anyway.
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02-13-2015, 04:54 PM #18Registered User
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edit: Mounting some verts on another setup so I fiddled around checked/comparing things AND actualy this RAD post setup has only 2 flats (ski, hike) whereas the VERT post has 4 flats (ski, hike, hike low,hike high)
so I would end up with NO climbing positions if I just swapped a VERT housing onto a RAD post
I got multiple setups so maybe I will wait to see how the warranty thing goes, if I have to i can just swap an entire heel pieceLee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know
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02-14-2015, 06:26 AM #19
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02-14-2015, 07:14 AM #20Registered User
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02-14-2015, 08:29 AM #21
I always change modes by hand. I haven't gotten to being able to put my skins on or take them off with out taking the ski off any way, and don't have a problem making a couple tele turns with the skins on if I need too, so that is not an issue for me. I like the levers over the volcano for the speed and ease of changing my climb bar height. Much faster than using the volcano, either by hand or with a pole.
I'm 200lb, and have had no issue with the later gen Radicals.
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02-14-2015, 08:46 AM #22
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02-14-2015, 10:18 AM #23Registered User
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I really like the Radical heel posts over the ST's even so I now always rotated the heel by hand as opposed to using the pole when I had ST's. WTBS, the ST's IMO are way better than Comforts or Classics. However, I have broke two top plates with Radicals in the last month. One the plate itself failed and the second the screws pulled out of the plastic housing. MY LSS said he has seen some of this but not alot. He said usually the problem is the screws breaking themselves. Anyway, I got warranty and the entire heel pieces replaced. I have three Radical Speed setups so pretty committed to these. I guess next year Dynafit is redesigning the heel to have a slot for the top plate and more metal so they must be seeing a problem with breakage. I always thought the new heel post assembly was suspect and still do but having the ability to easially flip the posts on the fly is great..........
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02-14-2015, 10:47 AM #24Registered User
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I can see 2 snapped screws and then the top plate must have cracked off & was disappeared in a meter of blower, breaking or stripped screws have happened to me and 2 buds, we are all skinny lightweight guys with one AT boot in the grave but we do ski alot
I have 2 verts and 1 rad, I wish I had all verts so I could just swap a heel pieceLee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know
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02-14-2015, 12:15 PM #25watch out for snakes
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