Blizzard IQ max slider binding incompatibility.

[charlesj]

(of course I searched first. The results of the search didn't ring true, ergo I'm asking you)

I just got some Ones from a friend. They have the IQ max sliders which I read will accept any binding that can be mounted flat. I believe that newer wider mount bindings won't work but how about any others? I was told that Salomons won't work and I just confirmed that, holes too close to edge of plate. I have some older Markers that fit on the WC plates, EPS or speedpoints. They are borderline too wide (will they work?) Will Look Pivots fit? I got an extra set of sliders so I can use these for tele occasionally but I mostly alpine and would love to throw some clamps on these once I know which ones will work.

Anybody have experience with these? Thanks!

[RockinB]

I had two pairs of skis with the IQ max plate system and liked it a lot. Sold them last season though and only had a handful of days on each. Today I just saw a guy blow the whole plate off the ski. The single screw sheared off apparently and the plate slid off the track. Scary shit.

[Harry]

I have a friend who both Tele's and skis alpine with those. He has one plate with a AXL Tele binding and another plate with a Salomon STH14. So both of those work.

[Beyond]

I have Mojos (Tyrolia) on mine, work fine. Pivots would fit too, I've checked. Cannot speak to Markers or Sollies. But if the sides of the binding clear the sides, all good; the body flexes longitudinally and the sides (which are carbon that goes down into the center of the ski) move relative to the plate. If you're hitting speeds high enough to twist those carbon sides laterally, you're on the wrong ski...

[charlesj]

RockinB, that does sound scary. It raises the obvious question whether those clever people at Blizzard put way too much faith in one screw. Harry, I'm putting Axls on one slider too and hopefully it won't slide off. Good to know that the STH works.

[wasatchback]

Honestly that's the first instance i've heard of a screw sheering off and I feel like i've seen everything in regards to the slider. That whole IQ system really helps hold the plate in place along with the screw. Those screws could come loose eventually I guess and maybe it could sheer but again I've never seen it or heard of it before.

Marker Jester/Griffon work totally fine. Is the Salomon hole pattern wider than the markers?

[RockinB]

^^^^Im thinking this is exactly what happened. I asked him when the last time he checked if that screw was tight and he said last year. Bottom line....I personally liked the system and it worked well for me, but gear needs to be maintained and screws checked on occasion. Total thread drift, sorry OP.

[charlesj]

I welcome thread drift when something anecdotal starts to work on my imagination and add new whatifs to a lengthy list of concerns for an aging, heavyish, aggressive, veteran of at least eight fracture incidents who could use a new knee within a couple of years. I'll just put a drop of loctite in there. I was never planning on using these anywhere sketchy. I think I underthought the whole One screw idea. Now it's hard NOT to think about it. It reminds me of the offset footpegs on a bmw airhead, not an issue until one thinks about it...speaking of drift

[Harry]

My buddy who has Axl's on his is a real hard charger. The single screw does not seem to bother him at all.

[PB]

I don't have my Blizzard IQ max sliders any more, but my admittedly fuzzy memory sez that my NTNs overlapped the rails slightly and didn't bind up at all i.e. the slider plate was the same height as the rails so wider bindings are fine (unless the mounting screws are too far apart, obviously). Never had a problem with the single anchor screw even loosening, let alone shearing off.

[Beyond]

I welcome thread drift when something anecdotal starts to work on my imagination and add new whatifs to a lengthy list of concerns for an aging, heavyish, aggressive, veteran of at least eight fracture incidents who could use a new knee within a couple of years. I'll just put a drop of loctite in there. I was never planning on using these anywhere sketchy. I think I underthought the whole One screw idea. Now it's hard NOT to think about it. It reminds me of the offset footpegs on a bmw airhead, not an issue until one thinks about it...speaking of drift

You're missing the entire mechanical point; the "one screw" normally doesn't handle much of the stress. The side rails, within which are carbon insets extending down into the ski body, are what does. And the plate's sides extend into grooves at the inside base of either rail that force the plate and ski to track during flex.

Conceivably, if you landed a giant air perfectly flat with the mid ski on a big bump, so that the forward part of the ski flexed violently downward in front, without any lateral force vector at all, just the longitudinal component, you might get enough force to rip the plate out of its grooves and pop the screw also. But that kind of alignment, no twist, no lateral force, just monster longitudinal flex, would be weirdly improbable. Obviously could happen, but of all the ways to wreck a ski, that would be way down the list.

Ripping a binding out of ski by its screws is more likely, because the screws aren't structural components of the ski, while the rails on the One are. Just saying'...

[RockinB]

I'm definitely not trying to say the plate is a bad system or a weak one. I had great luck with it and I liked the versatility of being able to move the binding fire/aft along the ski to find the sweet spot. I'm still convinced the screw might have been lose or in bad shape already before it sheared. I guess the guy hit a rock at speed and that's what caused the failure. With that said, I don't think you have anything to be worried about with yours.

[charlesj]

I for one am not too concerned. I will not be skiing like a madman on these, I have other skis for that. My biggest concern is getting enough time to ski. Thanks for all the IQmax wisdom