Dukes: Problem with Forward Presure Adjustment

**harpo-the-skier** · 03-14-2008, 03:56 PM

I am having problems with the forward presure adjustment screw on my Dukes.

I had two different ski shops show me how to adjust it: with the boot in the binding, the screw should be flush with the inside, inset part of the housing right around the screw, not the outside part of the housing that is a bit further out.

The problem is that when the screw is adjusted to that position, the forward pressure is too great (the heel piece to to far forward) and I can't get the boot in the binding. The problem is greater with my ZZero AT boots, but it is also a problem with my alpine boots. In both, the bottom of the heel catches on the heel piece and you can't step down.

I have been skiing my Dukes with my alpine boots, but the forward pressure screw is adjusted to be about flush with the further out, outside part of the housing. Basicaly, I have been adjusting the forward pressure to be as tight as it can be and still get the boot in the binding, because even that is further out than reccomended, at least according to what the two ski shops told me.

Is the advice I am getting wrong? Suggestions?

**DropCliffsNotBombs** · 03-14-2008, 04:13 PM

When the boot's in the binding and you tighten the screw, does it go into the housing? If not, your forward pressure adjuster/setting is broken. The Dukes do have a noticeably tighter step-in clearance (with the boot heel) than other bindings do. I wouldn't worry about skiing them "one click out" either. It might even be better (or worse) for the boot gouging problem that Dukes are prone to.

**harpo-the-skier** · 03-14-2008, 04:23 PM

Originally Posted by DropCliffsNotBombs

When the boot's in the binding and you tighten the screw, does it go into the housing?

Yes it does.

**Chris Knight** · 03-14-2008, 04:29 PM

Harpo, I know exactly what you're talking about.

When I adjust my forward pressure and toe height for my Nordicas (alpine), it works fine, and the forward pressure screw is flush with the inset area around it with the boot in the binding. You're doing everything right, it seems.

However, when I re-adjust for my Spirits (AT), I have the same problem as you do - when adjusted correctly for forward pressure, the heel does not sit down cleanly, and instead gets caught on the top or inside of the heel piece and fails to step cleanly flush to where it sits. Very disconcerting, and has actually kept me from using the Dukes with the Spirits so far.

Yes, I could back out the forward pressure and not have this problem, but then I'm worried about Markering.

Or I could jam it in there, but then I'm worried about not releasing cleanly.

I don't know if this makes any sense, but could it have to do with the thickness of the heel lug? My alpines don't have the problem, pretty thin lug. The Spirits do, and have a pretty thick lug. Do your alpine boots have a big thick heel lug, like Atomic boots or Solly plug boots?

**Phill** · 03-14-2008, 05:08 PM

are you guys adjusting the toe height for your at bindings?

**harpo-the-skier** · 03-14-2008, 05:32 PM

Originally Posted by Phill

are you guys adjusting the toe height for your at bindings?

yes................

**Phill** · 03-14-2008, 05:33 PM

just checking ya know

**Mgof** · 03-14-2008, 06:48 PM

I've had the exact same problem adjusting forward pressure for my krypton pros. toe height seems fine, then I adjust the forward pressure screw to be flush w/ the inside housing. then I release the boot and attempt to re-enter and the boot seems too big to fully click in... frustrating.

**XtrPickels** · 03-14-2008, 08:02 PM

I've noticed similar with Sollie Falcons.

With my forward pressure adjusted as above, I can't step directly into the bindings. The heelpiece of the binding gets pushed back as I'm stepping in. IE. the heelpiece has to move back and out of the way for the boot to get into the binding. Seems weird, but everything seems to be working fine once I'm in.

**Mgof** · 03-14-2008, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by XtrPickels

I've noticed similar with Sollie Falcons.

With my forward pressure adjusted as above, I can't step directly into the bindings. The heelpiece of the binding gets pushed back as I'm stepping in. IE. the heelpiece has to move back and out of the way for the boot to get into the binding. Seems weird, but everything seems to be working fine once I'm in.

Do you step in then kinda stomp down to get the boot into the binding heelpiece? So far all my testing has just been on a table w/ only hand/arm pressure to click the boot in...

**XtrPickels** · 03-14-2008, 09:00 PM

Originally Posted by Mgof

Do you step in then kinda stomp down to get the boot into the binding heelpiece? So far all my testing has just been on a table w/ only hand/arm pressure to click the boot in...

I can see what you're saying, but its not really any harder. I do notice a little more resistance to the stomp from the heelpiece hacing to move back as I step down. Where I've really noticed it is putting my skis on on a steep sidehill. Its easy to flip the heel piece by hand and not actually have your boot in the binding. I have to push down with my a heel a bunch so that the binding moves back as I flip it.

All in all, for me its a non-issue, just a quirk of the ol duke

**Wetdog** · 03-14-2008, 09:04 PM

I have switched back and forth between my Garmont Endorphines and my Lange Freerides and had a shop do it the first time and everything was fine. Then when I tried to do it myself, I totally fucked it up and ran into the above problem and felt like an idiot going back to the shop as I have been adjusting all my other AT binding back and forth for years with no problems. They showed me what they were doing and what I was doing wrong. The problem for me was with the angle that the toe height adjustment pad meets the boot. It is possible for it to be way out have it seem like it is near the correct height messing up the forward pressure adjustment. Best to back it right off so it is not even touching the boot, then raise it until the paper slip, business card or whatever you use to check the clearance slips out with resistance. This is what messed me up anyway.

**Mgof** · 03-14-2008, 09:15 PM

Originally Posted by Wetdog

I have switched back and forth between my Garmont Endorphines and my Lange Freerides and had a shop do it the first time and everything was fine. Then when I tried to do it myself, I totally fucked it up and ran into the above problem and felt like an idiot going back to the shop as I have been adjusting all my other AT binding back and forth for years with no problems. They showed me what they were doing and what I was doing wrong. The problem for me was with the angle that the toe height adjustment pad meets the boot. It is possible for it to be way out have it seem like it is near the correct height messing up the forward pressure adjustment. Best to back it right off so it is not even touching the boot, then raise it until the paper slip, business card or whatever you use to check the clearance slips out with resistance. This is what messed me up anyway.

Helpful. I will try that...

**gonzo** · 11-11-2008, 04:21 PM

bringing this thread back from the dead as it's the best reference i have found online for tips on setting the size and forward pressure for a duke. any other resources on the web for this? bought a pair used and want to set them up good and stuff.

**vanisle** · 11-11-2008, 04:38 PM

another thing worth mentioning is to be sure after you set forward pressure with your boot in the binding take it out,then back in and recheck the screw is flush.youll find it allways need some fine tuning.

**volklpowdermaniac** · 11-11-2008, 05:21 PM

Originally Posted by vanisle

another thing worth mentioning is to be sure after you set forward pressure with your boot in the binding take it out,then back in and recheck the screw is flush.youll find it allways need some fine tuning.

I'll add another question. which I think has been addressed above but I can't make sense of it. As per Marshal's advice, I put the AFD all the way UP the glide ramp so its at its highest position. Marshal said this was the procedure for Alpine boots.

I don't mean to doubt him, but is this correct, or should the AFD be somewhere along the track that is specific to a certain boot....

derr, I save everyone the trouble, I'm a dumb fuck jong.

**harpo-the-skier** · 11-11-2008, 07:59 PM

Originally Posted by volklpowdermaniac

I'll add another question. which I think has been addressed above but I can't make sense of it. As per Marshal's advice, I put the AFD all the way UP the glide ramp so its at its highest position. Marshal said this was the procedure for Alpine boots.

I don't mean to doubt him, but is this correct, or should the AFD be somewhere along the track that is specific to a certain boot....

derr, I save everyone the trouble, I'm a dumb fuck jong.

You can see if AFD should be all the way up by adjusting for your alpine boots according to the procedure described above in this thread. If after adjustment it is all the way up, you have your answer.

**volklpowdermaniac** · 11-11-2008, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by harpo-the-skier

You can see if AFD should be all the way up by adjusting for your alpine boots according to the procedure described above in this thread. If after adjustment it is all the way up, you have your answer.

hmm. so it should be just below boot sole to slip a card or piece of paper in between.....the conflicting advice has my brain churning a little.

not to mention these last few sentence read wierd:
"The problem for me was with the angle that the toe height adjustment pad meets the boot. It is possible for it to be way out have it seem like it is near the correct height messing up the forward pressure adjustment. Best to back it right off so it is not even touching the boot, then raise it until the paper slip, business card or whatever you use to check the clearance slips out with resistance. This is what messed me up anyway."

**Wetdog** · 11-11-2008, 11:16 PM

Volklpowdermaniac, what you are quoting there was my experience using the bindings for the first time with my AT boots.

Because of the rockered sole on the boot, part of the toe plate touched the boot sole and along the rest of it there was still a big gap, so I was stumped as to where to adjust the height because a paper gauge slipped through with light resistance at one point on the plate still had huge clearance at another, in other words it didn't sit flush, which I had not experienced with any other AT binding.

When I set the clearance at the point of contact then started to ski, I could feel the toes of my boots clacking around vertically in the toe piece of the binding. What I have since discovered, at least in my case, is that I have to reef back on the boot to make sure the toe is all the way up in the toe piece before setting the toe height so that comes up and is sitting more flush with the bottom of the boot.

This "misalignment" also had an affect on the forward pressure setting for me as described above. It was possible to have the toe of the boot sitting lower in the toe piece than it should be, without being able to see that it was, set the forward pressure and toe height as per spec and have the binding out of wack once I started putting the pressures of skiing on it.

**vanisle** · 11-11-2008, 11:39 PM

with the boot in the binding tighten up the afd good and tight so that you take up the gap between the top of the boot toe lug and the binding lip,then back of the afd,slip your buisness card in between the afd and bootsole and bring afd back up until snug but still able to pull card out,then reset your forward pressure.

**volklpowdermaniac** · 11-11-2008, 11:56 PM

Originally Posted by vanisle

with the boot in the binding tighten up the afd good and tight so that you take up the gap between the top of the boot toe lug and the binding lip,then back of the afd,slip your buisness card in between the afd and bootsole and bring afd back up until snug but still able to pull card out,then reset your forward pressure.

Much obliged. Well said.

**Wetdog** · 11-11-2008, 11:58 PM

Originally Posted by vanisle

with the boot in the binding tighten up the afd good and tight so that you take up the gap between the top of the boot toe lug and the binding lip,then back of the afd,slip your buisness card in between the afd and bootsole and bring afd back up until snug but still able to pull card out,then reset your forward pressure.

Vanisle, I see with hindsight that would be a good way to do it. At the time, I was wary of cranking on the toe height adjustment too hard, and not really knowing what the problem was, it never occurred to me. But now, knowing how tough Dukes are and what the issue is, I will give that a try.

**gretch6364** · 01-05-2009, 11:22 PM

Originally Posted by vanisle

with the boot in the binding tighten up the afd good and tight so that you take up the gap between the top of the boot toe lug and the binding lip,then back of the afd,slip your buisness card in between the afd and bootsole and bring afd back up until snug but still able to pull card out,then reset your forward pressure.

This method works well...bump

**Trainwreck** · 01-07-2009, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by vanisle

with the boot in the binding tighten up the afd good and tight so that you take up the gap between the top of the boot toe lug and the binding lip,then back of the afd,slip your buisness card in between the afd and bootsole and bring afd back up until snug but still able to pull card out,then reset your forward pressure.

$$$

Just did both alpine and AT boots to try it, this work great vanisle.

**TelePin** · 01-08-2009, 03:29 PM

Just to make sure I’m on track. I’ll have my G3’s and Dukes Saturday if all goes well. I’ll need to adjust for Alpine 335mm BSL, then with boot in adjust Forward Pressure (FP) screw till it sits even with inside of binding notch and not outer edge. Then adjust AFD all the way up, then back off slide paper (card) in adjust again till I can just slide the paper (card) out without resistance. Then recheck that the FP screw is in the right place. Pull boots and test back in bindings for FP, AFD clearance, and boot lateral movement and actual release.

Reason I ask all this is with my last pair of Fischer’s, I had to adjust FP with boot out, then recheck once boot was in; but with the Marker’s sounds like you do it all with the boot in. I assume it’s simple to move toe and heel equal distance to fit basic overall boot length. Excuse my ignorance, I have not seen the bottom of the Marker track or how the actual overall length is adjusted yet.

Thanks