Scarpa Maestrale RS Ski/Walk bail broken

**mtnjam** · 01-28-2020, 03:28 PM

Does anyone have an extra bail they could scavange from another boot?
Mine broke this last weekend and luckily got stuck in ski mode. So hiking back up I built my right thigh up so I now have scootchleg and a sore hip.

I took the ski/walk mechanism apart and sure enough, the bail "wire" is broken where the "pin" of the bail wire goes into the metal shaft that keeps it all together. I've already gone to my LSS and they have the housing for the ski/walk mechanism but not the bail wire.

Seems to me like you'd need something a little beefier to hold up to backcountry use. Or does Scarpa have a retrofit ski/walk mechanism for this model of boot? I believe mine is a 2016 model, so blue, white and orange.

TIA

**mtnjam** · 01-29-2020, 08:16 AM

Really? No one, not even a Scarpa rep on this message board can answer this??

**1000-oaks** · 01-29-2020, 09:17 AM

Could call Scarpa, instead of hoping they'll come to you.

**XXX-er** · 01-29-2020, 10:52 AM

A buddy broke the walk mode levers on his RS a few years ago and bought new ones from Scarpa, hopefuly they still got product to sell to you, I would do it soon before they sell out of parts

edit: and I would replace them BOTH

**adrenalated** · 01-29-2020, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by mtnjam

Really? No one, not even a Scarpa rep on this message board can answer this??

Reps usually have better things to do than browse message boards. Also their job is to sell products to shops, not deal with end user repairs.

Contact Scarpa directly, they probably have parts. Walk modes have always been a weak point of the Maestrale series.

**mtnjam** · 01-29-2020, 12:11 PM

Thanks guys, yeah. I've tried to contact Scarpa a few times so far and haven't heard peep from them.

**NWFlow** · 01-29-2020, 12:46 PM

I've always had good luck just calling them up.

**zion zig zag** · 01-29-2020, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by NWFlow

I've always had good luck just calling them up.

I've only had luck calling them. The warranty email goes into the black hole apparently.

They were great and responsive over the phone, but seriously, if you list an email on your website, someone should monitor and follow up.

**XXX-er** · 01-29-2020, 01:51 PM

OMG ! talk on a real telephone lol

**XXX-er** · 01-29-2020, 04:09 PM

I say replace both of them cuz my buddy ( tall & heavy ) broke both of them pretty much at the same time

then you got a spare

**brown9** · 01-29-2020, 05:29 PM

Isn't it OR retailer right now, so maybe the office and reps are off for a few days selling their gear

**adrenalated** · 01-29-2020, 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by brown9

Isn't it OR retailer right now, so maybe the office and reps are off for a few days selling their gear

Correct. Getting response out of any smallish company (Scarpa North America is probably less than 30 people) during the timeframe from Xmas to OR is usually REALLY challenging.

**I've seen black diamonds!** · 01-29-2020, 05:45 PM

https://www.scarpa.com/parts-accesso...list_limit=all

**nickinbc** · 01-29-2020, 06:23 PM

If you have trouble getting a replacement I think the older design from the first generation boot MIGHT fit, though that was only by eyeballing my friend's after he had the same problem as you. You could probably find a pair of the old Maestrales pretty cheap to scavenge from. That design wasn't totally problem free - they sometimes iced up and took a bit of effort to lock in ski mode.

So far the mechanism on my third generation Maestrales hasn't broken! Though I still sometimes have to clean ice off to get them to lock in ski mode. Such is progress

**TigerMouth61** · 03-03-2020, 02:31 PM

Bryan LaRochelle posted in FB Backcountry Touring in the Northeast:

I've broken mine twice now. I had hoped to replace with the previous generation mechanism that are on my wife's Scarpa Pegasus boots. That mechanism seems more burly and fits perfectly on my Maestrale, but scarpa and local shops don't stock it.

I've resorted to using a pin from the tractor store. Less convenient, but much cheaper. Just confirm the right pin diameter in store. It sits perfectly in my boot and hasn't fallen out yet after 15 resort days, but i do have an extra pin in my pack.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...ekHbx6LK2JOCtQ

**mtnjam** · 03-03-2020, 03:47 PM

Originally Posted by I've seen black diamonds!

https://www.scarpa.com/parts-accesso...list_limit=all

Huh, whaddy know. None of those items were listed on that parts page last I looked. Maybe they got the hint that no one could find their parts.

**zion zig zag** · 03-04-2020, 06:19 PM

Sorry to thread hijack but does anyone know what size hex is needed for the hinge on the Maestrale RS? I tried my metric and imperial set with no luck. On top of that, they are super shallow and don't seem like they'd take much of anything.

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**frorider** · 03-05-2020, 09:23 AM

Someone on this forum had a nice thread showing his Maestrale shell hinge replacement. Try the excellent search function

**zion zig zag** · 03-05-2020, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by frorider

Someone on this forum had a nice thread showing his Maestrale shell hinge replacement. Try the excellent search function

Damn, I actually found it: https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...aestrale+hinge

I may have to keep skiing it this way for a few days until I can source the parts. It doesn't seem to affect it too much.

**John_B** · 03-05-2020, 11:11 AM

It looks like an Allen key but it's actually a rivet. You have to drill the little bastard out and then replace with a T-nut and bolt. Every time I've done it I've put a cutting board down in the base of my sink and then used the faucet to keep some water on the boot to prevent the plastic from melting from the heat of drilling. The cutting board is so that when you break a drill bit you don't leave a big scrape in your stainless steel sink like I did.

**jrredho** · 03-09-2020, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by John_B

It looks like an Allen key but it's actually a rivet. You have to drill the little bastard out and then replace with a T-nut and bolt. Every time I've done it I've put a cutting board down in the base of my sink and then used the faucet to keep some water on the boot to prevent the plastic from melting from the heat of drilling. The cutting board is so that when you break a drill bit you don't leave a big scrape in your stainless steel sink like I did.

You can also look at Scarpa's General Ski Boot Maintenance YouTube video. Specifically, at about 6:07 into it, the ski tech demonstrates replacing the tongue rivets for a Maestrale RS boot.

Good luck!

cheers,
john

**XXX-er** · 03-09-2020, 01:34 PM

Changing an instep strap on the old Lazer required re-riveting of the hinge SO scarpa made the hardwear on the 1st year of Maestrale bolt-on

which sounds great but in practise the parts fell off the boot real quick, so now they rivet lots of the parts

I was on a hut trip where buddy had parts falling off his 1st year of maestrale

actualy I changed a few Lazer instep straps with a second set of hands and a couple of large screwdrivers so it could be done

**jrredho** · 03-09-2020, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by XXX-er

which sounds great but in practise the parts fell off the boot real quick, so now they rivet lots of the parts

I wonder if this would happen if you used red lock-tite on t-nuts? (I think that that's what they recommend in the video.)

john

**XXX-er** · 03-09-2020, 03:33 PM

Maybe Vibra-tite ? I've seen red loctite eat plastic G3 heel thro's any time you use loctite around plastic you gotta be careful it doesnt melt the plastic

**zion zig zag** · 03-09-2020, 06:22 PM

Originally Posted by jrredho

You can also look at Scarpa's General Ski Boot Maintenance YouTube video. Specifically, at about 6:07 into it, the ski tech demonstrates replacing the tongue rivets for a Maestrale RS boot.

Good luck!

cheers,
john

Thanks to you both, great info!