Dynafit FT12 feedback

[GeezerSteve]

-- old = 5.89 mm
-- new = 5.42 mm

My measurements, one sample of each:
Old = 5.88mm
New = 5.14mm
delta = 0.74mm

[Skidog]

Can anyone tell me what i could use to set the comforts when i DONT have the shim????

I saw something about 2 quarters, but is that 2 quarters from binding to boot at the fittings or what? I thought the shim itself kinda measured from the bottom heel portion of the boot?

Any help is appreciated. Would like to maybe dial these in this weekend at a resort before i drag them bc.

Thanks guys n gals.

[harpo-the-skier]

Can anyone tell me what i could use to set the comforts when i DONT have the shim????

I saw something about 2 quarters, but is that 2 quarters from binding to boot at the fittings or what? I thought the shim itself kinda measured from the bottom heel portion of the boot?

Any help is appreciated. Would like to maybe dial these in this weekend at a resort before i drag them bc.

Thanks guys n gals.

You have to measure between the back of the heel, between the heel pins, and the heel piece of the bindings.

[Skidog]

You have to measure between the back of the heel, between the heel pins, and the heel piece of the bindings.

OK so any ideas what I can use in place of the manufacturer shim?

Is the 2 quarters idea valid?

[robnow]

Eric getting it done on Dynafits.

http://www.iancoble.com/clients/msp/

[khyber.pass]

^^ 404.

That said, Hojy is riding FT12s & Titans in the backcountry on his new 4FRNTs.

[mikemcee]

OK so any ideas what I can use in place of the manufacturer shim?

Is the 2 quarters idea valid?

I used a 6mm allen wrench between the pins to set mine and it worked fine.

[robnow]

Eric getting it done on Dynafits.

http://www.iancoble.com/clients/msp/

Looks like the pics have been taken down.

Here are some that were released from the same trip.
http://www.goldenalpineholidays.com/...nails&album=24

[rob stokes]

http://www.goldenalpineholidays.com/...lbum=24&pos=12

there is all the FT12 feedback you need.

[kidwoo]

http://www.goldenalpineholidays.com/...lbum=24&pos=12

there is all the FT12 feedback you need.

Thank god he has that gray mesh strip in there. Can you imagine if he didn't?













Yeah I know there's another pic in there without it.

[Jonathan S.]

I was always wondering whether the new shim was thinner, or just *seemed* thinner b/c of the different shape.
So this finally motivated me to check it with digital calipers:
-- old = 5.89 mm
-- new = 5.42 mm
The exact figures are subject to slight differences in measurement technique, but bottomline is that the new shim is about half a mm thinner than the old.
This brings up the question, should the Vertical ST/FT be set to a tighter gap than the Comfort, or should both bindings be set to the new shim, or is the new shim less accurate, and/or is half a mm not worth worrying about?

Response from Dynafit in Boulder [forwarded to me courtesy of a WildSnow.com reader]:

"All of these bindings [Comfort, various Vertical models) should use the same spacer. The “older” grey spacer was 5.8mm, but the Dynafit binding designers are now recommending 5.5mm which is achieved with the newer white spacer."

[Fritz]

Somebody said they were using two stacked U.S. quarters. Official U.S. Mint spec = 1.75mm each. X2 = 3.5mm.

Response from Dynafit in Boulder [forwarded to me courtesy of a WildSnow.com reader]:

"All of these bindings [Comfort, various Vertical models) should use the same spacer. The “older” grey spacer was 5.8mm, but the Dynafit binding designers are now recommending 5.5mm which is achieved with the newer white spacer."

So just a little more than 3 stacked quarters then?

[harpo-the-skier]

Response from Dynafit in Boulder [forwarded to me courtesy of a WildSnow.com reader]:

"All of these bindings [Comfort, various Vertical models) should use the same spacer. The “older” grey spacer was 5.8mm, but the Dynafit binding designers are now recommending 5.5mm which is achieved with the newer white spacer."

This migh be a bit anal, but what is exactly the correct procedure for using the shim? I lengthen the the binding till the shim fits between the boot and heel piece with absolutely no friction, but that is pretty damn loose. Haven't had any prerelease issues though.

[Huckit]

This migh be a bit anal, but what is exactly the correct procedure for using the shim? I lengthen the the binding till the shim fits between the boot and heel piece with absolutely no friction, but that is pretty damn loose. Haven't had any prerelease issues though.

http://www.wildsnow.com/2599/dynafit...ce-shim-gauge/
This should answer you question about friction.

Also a 7/32 drill bit = 5.56mm, which is pretty close to the 5.43mm in the wild snow article.

Had my my Dynafits installed by BD in SLC today and while at home trying to verify the gap, I shaved about 0.3mm of material off the shim trying to shove the thing in there. So it appears that my gap is too short, and my feeler is damaged While the drill bit method will probably work, I hate damaging the manufacture's gauge.

[Hugh Conway]

Had my my Dynafits installed by BD in SLC today and while at home trying to verify the gap, I shaved about 0.3mm of material off the shim trying to shove the thing in there. So it appears that my gap is too short, and my feeler is damaged While the drill bit method will probably work, I hate damaging the manufacture's gauge.

If you care that much get a metal feeler gauge manufactured. Most anyone with a machine shop could make you a metallic one cheap and then you won't have the plastic problem

[Huckit]

This may be way more info than anyone cares for but I found it useful.

Took the binding back to BD today and the shop guy told me a few things.

- He said the new gauges with the small bump are crap and wear out very easily.

- I asked about the 5.5mm gap not being mentioned in the manual, he said the feeler is supposed to be 6mm and that these new feelers are not manufactured correctly. (Take that for what's it worth: from a shop worker who apparently knows the binding well, but not a statement from Dynafit - but in line with what the guy at Wild Snow was saying).

- Most useful info: When adjusting the gap, pay special attention to the spring tension pushing on the feeler. When feeler feels like it has the correct pressure on it from the binding and then you pull it out, notice if the binding moves forward after removal. If it does, you will most likely not be able to reinsert the feeler, due to the spring in the binding moving the setup forward (this is what happened during my first adjustment). He said he gets it to that point and then backs off of it slightly.

He also gave me a new feeler - the old style which is much more durable.

...6mm is also very easy gap to replicate with a 6mm allen wrench. No machinist required...

[FlimFlamvanHam]

Hey Huckit, I'll take the 5.5 gap and Lou's advice in the link you posted two posts above over 'the shop guy'. Plus, I'd rather have an extra 1/2mm in the boot heel receptacle meaning it's going to take that much more for my boot to come out.

[akokskis]

Any other issues to squack about? I have one...

The toe piece on the right binding has developed a tendency to release (pop open) whenever I have them in ski mode and forward pressure is applied. It doesn't take much pressure at all, and whenever I make a turn I can feel slop developing at the toe, and if I look down while this is happening, I'll see that the toe is popped open and the boot is "floating" outside the binding! I will often pop out of the binding on turns that require pressure placed there. This is not the case on my left binding, which can take lots of forward pressure in ski mode and not even budge. I can fix this problem by clamping down the right toe, but since this wouldn't allow the binding to release at all, I'm concerned with the safety of doing this. I can replicate this problem at home, so I'm sure ice buildup under the toe piece isn't to blame.

So, is anyone else dealing with such an issue? It just started happening the other day on my ft12s, that are mounted on dynaduke plates to 108 waisted skis. Took 'em out of the truck to spin on the bullwheel for an afternoon and immediately something seemed off - the one toe piece was very loose, I could partially open it up by just putting my ski slightly on edge (at a stand still) and putting not a huge amount of force into it. I took one run before switching out to a different pair of skis as the one toe piece was very loose, to a point where it was clicking open on each turn - had I torqued my foot more, I'm sure I would have popped right out. I just did some testing tonight at home (ie: no ice issues, etc), on the carpet, and I'm noticing that the one binding seems to release at the toe much more easily than the other. I switched boots and the same binding was having issues. I doubt these bindings have more than 15-20 days on 'em, but this is a hudge bummer - anyone have any thoughts? Sounds like maybe a warranty issue??

[GeezerSteve]

akok, those symptoms are usually the cause of a bad boot\binding interface, usually caused by a bad toe insert, but because your binding is doing it with different boots eyeball the alignment of the pin fulcrum on the binding base. These sometimes bend on Verticals if you whack the ski hard. Vertical FTs are the most vulnerable because the fulcrums stick out beyond the plastic base plate (unless you've installed the Power Plate). The Radical toes are much stouter, never have this problems IME. One fix is to order and install Radical toes. I've upgraded to Radical toes on 3 pairs of skis.