Booster Strap Installation Tutorial

[skimaxpower]

Installing Booster Straps in place of your factory power straps helps to add increased stiffness and dynamic flex to your boot. On the list of DIY ski modifications, this is super easy. Those who are handy with tools will probably find this rudimentary. But someone less handy might find this useful.

TOOLS NEEDED:

• Power Drill
• 1/8" Drill bit
• 3/16" Drill bit
• Flat head screwdriver
• 1/4" by 3/16" aluminum "binding post" or "screw rivet" (See below)
• Hammer
• Framing nail
• Bic lighter

STEP 1: Buy some booster straps. They come in four models. I'm not going to comment on what you should get. I purchased the "Expert/Racer" model, which is the third stiffest, below only the "World Cup" model.

STEP 2: Remove your old power strap.
My Krypton2 pros have a power strap that is attached by two rivets and one plastic plate. Your boot may be different, but rivets are very common.



Remove the liner from the boot. From the inside, use your 1/8" drill bit to drill out the rivet. Take your time. The rivet will heat up and spin. That's when you stop so that the hot washer and rivet don't melt your boot. It'll take some brute force and a few tries, but the rivet should pop out.



STEP 3: USE 3/16" drill bit to enlarge the holes in your plastic cuff to match the width of your binding post.


STEP 4: Measure and mark your booster strap for new holes.
Place the booster strap around the cuff of boot and attach. Align the word "booster" so it's steezy and so that that the buckle is on the outside of the boot. Align it so that the nylon (non stretchy) part ends where your boot tongue begins. Attach the strap buckle and secure just tight enough for it to not fall off.


Center the strap under the rivet holes and mark with a permanent marker.


Make it fucking obvious so you don't have to do this part twice.


Repeat for the other strap.


Put a hole in your strap and seal the nylon against fray. A soldering iron is handy for this, but I did it by hammering a nail through, and then heating the nail.


STEP 5: Install Rivets.
I used 1/4" by 3/16" aluminum binding posts purchased from Home Depot.


Push the female end through from the inside. This should press fit pretty snugly.



Push the tip of the female end through the holes in your booster strap (you did remember to measure twice?) and alight the plastic plate.
Use your flathead screwdriver to install the male end of the binding post. Be careful, the aluminum is soft.


The method allows you to place the booster strap outside or inside of the boot tongue.



Total cost:
4X Binding posts = 4$ at home depot
Booster Strap = $42+shipping

Good luck, everyone. This is about a one-hour project, including cleanup.

[KBP]

Very nice. Thanks for the information and pictures. Much appreciated.

[alibi]

Agree, very nice tutorial.
I would add that, even though it seems counter-intuitive, I run them with the buckle on the inside; makes it much easier (for me anyway) to get them good and tight.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

On my Quests I just drilled out the rivets and put a hole in the booster where the white "x" is in the black diamond with a soldering iron after lining it up. I used the binding post that is there for the adjustable spoiler to fix the booster to the boot. It took about 15 minutes. I might get some screw rivets for the two outboard holes where the rivets were, but it's really unnecessary.

[Splunge]

Why don't you just wrap it around the existing strap and double up?

[cat in january]

Nice job with the tutorial, but I have always been confused why people say booster straps add increased stiffness.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Why don't you just wrap it around the existing strap and double up?

Is that what you do? Most of the stock straps don't have any elastic or if they do it sucks so if you were to tighten the stock strap and then put a booster over it, it would defeat the purpose.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

I don't think they increase stiffness, I think they increase feedback and reduce slop.

[mntlion]

if you buy the stiffer boosters, they will add stiffness (plus what is said above about feedback, rebound, and slop)

[looseofforangejuice]

Agree, very nice tutorial.
I would add that, even though it seems counter-intuitive, I run them with the buckle on the inside; makes it much easier (for me anyway) to get them good and tight.

This is the recommended position from Booster, per the mounting instructions.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

This is the recommended position from Booster, per the mounting instructions.

I'm looking at the instructions right now and there is no mention of that. The pictures on the Booster Strap website show the buckle for the strap on the outside.

[cat in january]

if you buy the stiffer boosters, they will add stiffness (plus what is said above about feedback, rebound, and slop)

How is a strap that has elastic in it going to make a boot stiffer than one without elastic?

[Ggreenie]

I spoke with one of the fellas at the local shop a few days ago about these. He said they help with rebound depending on your size, and which boot you're using.

He said for me (6"1' 205lb), I would be best using the WC booster strap, but the stock strap on my RS130s is just as good. He said "I can sell it to you for $60 and I'll be happy, but you won't notice a difference"... Hence I didn't buy one.

I'd be interested to hear people's thoughts...?

[MagnificentUnicorn]

I'm 6' 5", 230 and I put World Cup Boosters on my Quest 120s and I notice a big difference over the stock straps. Keeps the tension unlike velcro straps with or without elastic and you can snug them down so you get immediate feedback when pressuring the cuffs with out shin bang. I think this is what people think feels stiffer. I don't know what the straps on your rs130s look like.

I looked at a picture of the RS130s and the strap looks like a rebranded, made for Lange Booster. I had some like that on a pair of Scarpas, they had a small Booster logo on the straps.

[looseofforangejuice]

I'm looking at the instructions right now and there is no mention of that. The pictures on the Booster Strap website show the buckle for the strap on the outside.

I just did a warranty return on some Boosters the other day. Happened to have the instructions saved somewhere which I found in the process. Going off those which said mount inside.

There has been a shipping issue and I have to call them tomorrow anyway. I will ask.

[XXX-er]

I got them on some 4 buckle Dalbellos with a plastic clamp at the back so i didn't have to drill anything to attach them to the boot just clamp them to the boot

I got the WorldCup boosters, I think what they do is keep a constant tension , to get the strap & upper buckles tension correct what I do is tighten the strap 1st and then the buckles just the right amount

It seems like a no brainer to put the buckles on the outside so they don't hit the inside of your legs

BTW any time you can't get a tight boot buckle closed try using 2 hands, one hand is holdiing onto the stubborn buckle, the other hand comes in behind the leg to grab the hand holding the buckle and is able to exert more force by using the calf as a levering point, I do this for the top buckle on my mercury's

[skimaxpower]

Why don't you just wrap it around the existing strap and double up?

The whole point is to add elasticity. If you put the flexible booster strap around a fixed length power strap, you're missing the point.

Nice job with the tutorial, but I have always been confused why people say booster straps add increased stiffness.

I suppose it would be more accurate to say that it gives the sensation of a stiff, responsive boot. It also allows a tighter power strap without negative consequences (ie: shin bang.)

[skimaxpower]

The method allows you to place the booster strap outside or inside of the boot tongue.

It's worth noting that the Booster Strap Instructions suggest: "routed outside the rear spoiler and inside the plastic shell up against the tongue in front." (photo from their website, below.)


Personally, on my Kryptons, I like it outside the tongue like a traditional power strap. But YMMV and different boots may offer different advantages.

[creaky fossil]

Nice pictorial, this part is best:

Make it fucking obvious so you don't have to do this part twice.

Carpenter adage, measure twice cut once, etc.

I think Booster inside cuff works best if your liner has stiff plastic tongue reinforcement, and outside cuff works best if liner is softer like Power Wrap.

I agree it doesn't make boot feel "stiffer" (what I'd call firmer flexing, stiff is about longitude distortion) but rather more responsive because more "glued to your leg". I think boots actually feel firmer/brick wall-like if the boot needs a Booster but doesn't have one! Never found a soft boot felt firmer with Booster.

[Eastcoastdan]

Anybody install a pair on Technica Cochise? Been thinking of how to install since the stock strap is part of the top buckle.

FWIW I had them on my Salomon race plugs and loved them. Like seriously changed the feel of the boots IMO.

[skimaxpower]

Anybody install a pair on Technica Cochise? Been thinking of how to install since the stock strap is part of the top buckle.

Looks like you would need to remove the top buckle entirely. There appears to be a pretty standard two-rivets in the back to hold the factory power strap. (I'm not sure it would be worth it on the Cochise, but it would be an interesting experiment!)

[Shorty_J]

Anybody install a pair on Technica Cochise? Been thinking of how to install since the stock strap is part of the top buckle.

FWIW I had them on my Salomon race plugs and loved them. Like seriously changed the feel of the boots IMO.

But that top strap on a Cochise is already basically a booster strap. Am I missing something?

[grskier]

But that top strap on a Cochise is already basically a booster strap. Am I missing something?

I'd love to get something a little above that, but not at sacrificing the existing strap.

[XXX-er]

The local technica dealer tells me people order that top buckle to retro fit on different brands ... you don't need a "booster strap" on the Cochise

[Shorty_J]

I'd love to get something a little above that, but not at sacrificing the existing strap.

Gotcha.

I don't think the rear cuff seems high enough to attach anything higher on the back. Maybe you could install the strap at the same rear height (i.e. two straps in the same spot) and just align the front (i.e. elastic part) higher than the stock strap.