Booster Strap Installation Question

[MRR11]

Finally got around to installing some booster straps on my boots, but have a quick question on the best way to attach the new straps.

In the pics below, you can see my boots have 4 rivets per boot for the stock strap. In addition to making this a pain in the ass to remove the old straps, the booster straps aren't as wide as the originals and nearly fit between the 4 original holes.







I'm thinking of just drilling a new hole smack in the middle of the back of the boot and install the boosters with that new hole. Then I'll get some extra binding posts to secure that metal piece to the shell with the 4 existing holes.



Any reason not to just drill a new hole in the middle? I guess I could also install all 4 holes along the edges of the booster strap or move the strap up or down and try to get as close to the middle as possible with just two holes, but neither of those options seem as clean as drilling a new hole. Thoughts?

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Just put a hole in the middle or two where the little dimples are just inside where the other holes are.

[MRR11]

Sounds good, probably will drill two holes on the dimples -- good idea. That way I won't have to dremel the inside of the shell flat if I went right in the middle. I'm assuming extra holes back there won't affect the flex at all.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

I think I would do that and then route the booster over that metal frame on the outside and under that tongue in the middle. If that makes sense.

[MRR11]

Yep, makes perfect sense. Will post up a pic in the next few days once I get a chance to finish this. Thanks for the tips.

[XXX-er]

I didn't drill for the booster straps on my dalbello 4 buckle alpines cuz you don't really need that much to hold a booster strap on a boot in fact you don't really need any kind of attachment which I do on my Vulcan AT boots for the hill but then I ditch them for touring cuz they are in the way

On the Dalbello I just used the original strap (it used 1 hole in the strap) holder as a clamp and they work fine which you could also try for zero effort on this boot

I would try clamping the Booster strap between the hangy down part of the metal loop and the plastic boot, tighten the screws to clamp the strap and run the straps OVER the screws ...give it a try

[2FUNKY]

^Agreed. Weave the strap under the V part of the metal bracket and then tighten down the metal bracket to back of shell. I don't see why that won't work and you won't be putting more holes in the shell.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Yeah you could put the booster under the middle v tongue and over the outer limbs of the bracket and see if it works. There were rivets not screws so he can't really tighten it down. I like having some king of screw or rivet to keep the strap in place but it's probably not necessary. I don't mind putting holes in the cuff for this, I doubt it hurts anything.

[2FUNKY]

I should have said, affix.

[MRR11]

Alright found a solution. When I tightened back down the metal bracket there was still a lot of room between the shell and that v-shaped piece in the middle, the booster would just slide right out just from the weight of the strap itself. Knowing me, I'd lose the straps the first day out if I left it like that.



So without drilling any new holes on the shell or strap, I just shoved the strap between the binding posts I added to secure the metal frame. It screws down pretty tight --- that strap doesn't budge no matter how hard I pull on it. I think this will work just fine. Thanks for the help everyone.







Full disclosure: the beer in the last pic was from yesterday, but I promise to have a few while working on the other boot now that I have this all figured out.

[2FUNKY]

Excellent.

[RShea]

You really only need one place to secure the booster straps, and mainly so they do not come out and you end up loosing one. I just tuck them under the back of the boot. You really could probably just use the bottom screw post one each side. You could even just use a zip tie through a hole in the strap and around the center V shape so it would not slip down.