Binding maintenance - why does nobody talk about it?

[Jacques Strap]

I tried searching around here, but found very little. There are encyclopedic posts pontificating ski maintenance regimes in excruciating detail, but not much on binding care. I couldn't even find much about it on the lamestream internet.

Seems like those metal mechanisms with moving parts that are frequently exposed to the cruel elements and ostensibly protect us from injury deserve a little TLC.

Is it because it's not a fun a topic as ski maintenance? Does everyone do it an not talk about it? Should we do it but nobody wants to? Is there conventional wisdom here that I don't know about? Is it just unnecessary?

Here's your chance to school an ignorant idiot one step further away from complete JONGhood.

[Core Shot]

Back in the days of open roof racks, road salt was brutal.

These days skis are in roof boxes. Or inside the car.

There is a thread long ago about regreasing springs. But that was for old old metal 916 and such. I did it once on an old pair. Didn’t need to once I broke it apart. Plenty of grease there.

The sliding heel tracks could use lube if they’re really old.

But in general. It’s not an issue.

If you do lube, just get plastic friendly grease.

[XXX-er]

You can look at a 20 yar old binding and find the grease is still right where they put it at the factory

check the mounting screws to see if they are tight

check the boot in the binding to make sure the preload & DIN setting are correct


nobody talks about it cuz nobody does it

[fleaches]

I think g3 sells some kind of binding grease? I'm sure anything plastic friendly would do.

Sent from my Pixel XL using TGR Forums mobile app

[powdrhound]

My AFD’s were nearly locked in place until I maneuvered them enough to clean grit out of the tracks. There was no lube remaining.

[galibier_numero_un]

Roof boxes go a long way toward them being virtually maintenance-free.

Yeah, check screws, adjustment, etc. periodically.

... Thom

[1000-oaks]

Most bindings you can pull the heel pieces off the baseplates / tracks and clean & regrease with plastic-safe G3 binding grease. The accessible part of the plastic heel cam (under the heel cup) could also be wiped off and regreased. For binders like Salomon STH/STH2, Attacks, etc, dust can build up on the cam if skis are stored upright leaning against the wall with the heel in the released position, as is often done.

For toes, most 4-screw Soli and metal Looks could have the heads removed and the pedestal cleaned and regreased. Like someone mentioned, sliding AFD's can also be somewhat cleaned and regreased from the ends. Not much you can do with transverse-spring toes like Marker.

[toast2266]

A normal binding might be cycled open / close maybe ten thousand times over it's life span. That's nothing. Most of the stresses in the binding are on non-moving parts where there isn't really anything to maintain.

[Cocximus]

I found my vipec toe pins were loose and skis were popping off on a crusty up. Weird cuz I tightened the counter nut and put thread locker when I adjusted them 5 years ago. I grease them once a year with lithium grease. I find the toe elasticity slows down without fresh grease once in a while.

I have an FKS 155 heel that's sticky. How do you disassemble those? I tried to remove the din screw but it has stop.