Plum guide tech binding

[rangerjake]

So I just found my way into an unused pair of 1st gen Plum Guides. I know there are a lot of things that have gotten reengineered since this thing first came to market 6 years ago (?). I am aware of the silver toe wings, the suspect top plate screws, and the essentially non-functional crampon slot.

Those that have worked with these bindings through their different iterations- what would you do to make these run minimizing the past issues? My initial thought is to buy Dynafit toe pieces (if silver ones are mostly bunk I would like the advantages of steel over aluminum) and then to swap out old top plate screws for new ones.

What else? Or should I just keep these around to look at all shiny and pretty as they are.

As it pertains to "how do you ski your tech bindings" question, I am 5'9 175-180 with pack. Will be skiing these most likely on a 189 Sportiva Vapor Float w/ Dynafit TLT6 or Spectres. I ski aggressively in soft terrain- where these will get their work - but smooth and not abusive. Any hucks these days are 10-15 ft max.

[2wheeler]

Ranger - I've had a couple of generations of the plum bindings. The earliest was the first gen. They lasted for a couple of seasons of back country just fine, but it was on the hill after some hard snow skiing that the toe wing broke. Plum very quickly sent me a replacement that has worked ever since. Although I don't ski them much anymore they're still around and in fine working order. Never had any problem with the top plate or screws, but I believe there was several different screws used in the first gen binding. Enjoy,

[rangerjake]

Ranger - I've had a couple of generations of the plum bindings. The earliest was the first gen. They lasted for a couple of seasons of back country just fine, but it was on the hill after some hard snow skiing that the toe wing broke. Plum very quickly sent me a replacement that has worked ever since. Although I don't ski them much anymore they're still around and in fine working order. Never had any problem with the top plate or screws, but I believe there was several different screws used in the first gen binding. Enjoy,

Can you (or anyone) speak to how bindings were marked with serial numbers. All components of these bindings (2 toes, 2 heels) are stamped with a 0002. I am curious if it is the second binding produced with a serial number, or if it is a 2nd (pre production), or if all Guides from this era were marked with the 0002.

[ChamoisButt'r]

Did a bit of searching, but didn't come up with much regarding the toe piece on the Plum Yak and failure issues.

Has anyone seen any Plum Yak toe piece failure?

Structural difference between the guide and yak wing in the toe?

I have been on the Plum Yak for three seasons, with not much issues. One heel top cap screw broke. Besides that I feel like that they ski great and would considering a second set.

[gregL]

Structural difference between the guide and yak wing in the toe?

The wings are the same, the difference is in the base plates.

[ChamoisButt'r]

The wings are the same, the difference is in the base plates.

Ok...thought thickness or dimension of metal maybe slightly different between the two wings. I know you can use yak base plates on the guides to change ramp angle. I guess sample size may have something to do with no observed failures. Also, it obviously has black wings on it, similar to the later generation guides. Kinda off a mind fuck at this point.

[thefortrees]

Just mounted a pair of Guides and bought the stomp pad from skimo. I've got a couple questions:

- Does the contact point of the stomp pad with the boot sole matter? If the pad is set as far forward as possible, it is a very tight fit with my boots. Moving it back, there is a slight air gap. I'm thinking an air gap is better vs 100% contact to allow the heel to flex with the ski. Am I wrong?

- Edit to answer my own question. Just had to RTFM on skimo... Torx T9 is the size needed for Plum heel cap screws.

[horsetooth]

I broke the toe lever on my brand new YAK bindings on the very first outing, while skinning on a moderate trail. I was skinning on a moderate skin track when the downhill side of the track collapsed causing my ski to fall off the track. I lunged forward, or rather, my ski lunged back. I popped out of the ski and thought that was strange since I was in walk mode with the levers in the up, locked position. Then I noticed I had broken the toe lever. It was quite difficult to get the toe jaws open in order to put my ski back on. If I had been in a steep chute, or an exposed ridge, this could have turned into a dangerous situation really fast. These bindings are totally unreliable and are dangerous on even the most moderate of terrain. The boot should never be able to engage the toe lever this early in the rotation. The toe lever should be able to withstand a greater force without fail.

I have emailed Plum about 6 weeks ago. No response. I reached out to them on Instagram. No response.
​

[I've seen black diamonds!]

^^^^ Haven't heard of this issue. Please post pics.

[horsetooth]

I would love to post pictures, but for some reason I am not allowed. Guess it is because I am a new member. Lame. Anyway, I have posted the pictures to the Stash under "Broken Plum Guide" title.

[shroom]

what boot?

[I've seen black diamonds!]

Here you go:



Boots appear to be TLT 6's.



Well that shouldn't happen. I checked out my Guides (not Yaks) and found it difficult to exert much pressure at the spot at the spot where yours broke (using Maestrale RS's).

Plum has certainly had issues with customer support. Anybody else seen this? Anybody had any luck contacting them recently?

[harpo-the-skier]

Where did you buy the Yaks? Skimo.com is their distributor in the US and has a variety of spare parts of Plums. If I have trouble with my new guides, I plan to call them first.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

Tried my Scarpa F1's in my Guides and they make no contact at all with the toe lever. IIRC, TLT6's have the inserts set a bit further back that other boots, which one would think would result in more interference.

[moose pit]

Popping out and stepping down on the leaver could be what occurred.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

^^ Could be. I've seen plastic Dynafit toe levers fail and the springs pop out after falls.

I'd be pissed too if my bindings failed like this, and the lack of response from Plum is BS. The toe piece should be replaced asap.

But to call the bindings "totally unreliable and dangerous" based on one failure is an overreaction. Bindings break. Light bindings break more. It could have been a manufacturing defect, or they may have been whacked just right.

On the other hand, if certain boots are likely to exert too much pressure on the toe lever of certain bindings, this should widely be publicized.

[Eluder]

anymore feedback on the new style brakes (stoppers)? can you easily remove them and just run the base?

[davidof]

8 seasons later and I'm still on my first gen plums. They've done a lot of vertical and had a lot of neglect. I'm not a huge fan of the toepiece step in but apart from that, all good.

I seem to be the only person who had good luck with these bindings.

[thefortrees]

8 seasons later and I'm still on my first gen plums. They've done a lot of vertical and had a lot of neglect. I'm not a huge fan of the toepiece step in but apart from that, all good.

I seem to be the only person who had good luck with these bindings.

No major problems with my first-gen Plum Guides either... bought them used on GS in 2015. Only complaint I've got is the toe springs ice up on me really easily, but that could just primarily be user error/laziness to clean them out.

[wildmanwillie]

Both of my first gen toe pins cracked. Noticed one during summer, replaced it, then the other toe broke on my first day of the next season. No issues with 2nd gen toes which I replaced the first gen toes with.

Sent from my SM-G920V using TGR Forums mobile app

[thefortrees]

No major problems with my first-gen Plum Guides either...

I’m eating my words. One of the pins on the toe piece fell out during a transition, weirdest failure I’ve seen. The next day I was on a pair of Speed Radicals and blew up the heel piece... what a week!

[concal]

Did a bit of searching, but didn't come up with much regarding the toe piece on the Plum Yak and failure issues.

Has anyone seen any Plum Yak toe piece failure?

Structural difference between the guide and yak wing in the toe?

I have been on the Plum Yak for three seasons, with not much issues. One heel top cap screw broke. Besides that I feel like that they ski great and would considering a second set.

I have set of Plum Yaks, the flange of the rivet on one of the pins on the toe pice has mostly broken off. Anyone else had this issue?