A Video TR: How to Bend Brakes

**Doremite** · 11-08-2007, 04:45 PM

Originally Posted by BRUTAH

So i was trying to bend my brakes on my solly 920s w skinny brakes to fit around my ANTs (underfoot 107 mm. I got the brake on the right side just fine but on the left side, the brake has been displaced from the hole that keeps it in place through the binding. Nothing seems to be broke but the brake now moves somewhat in the housing.

Do you think i broke the housing? It seems like if i take it off, i could slid it back into some kind of slot to hold it in place, is this correct? Any other ideas on what is wrong and how to fix it? And I can bend the right side brake just fine, but I can't the left, any ideas on how to fix this? I just can't get the right leverage from the left side nor do i have the strength (i guess) to bend the brake correctly from the left? Masterbating jokes aside

Just break off the left break. If your ski releases, it will just spin around in circles until you retrieve it.

**SpinalTap** · 11-14-2007, 03:14 PM

Just got a call from my local ski shop. They ordered up new brake arms for Head Monster 82s (82mm) and Stockli Stormrider SS's (88mm) and refuse to bend the 997 brake arms...

After much arguing, the shop guy is allowing me to go in there and bend them myself.

This will be my first time trying to bend brakes. Hope it works out.

Thanks for the video Marshal.

**SafteySquad** · 11-14-2007, 03:21 PM

Thanks for the bump. I was just about to go bend some brakes for my 916's...

First time bending for me too, hope it is as easy at Marshal makes it look...

Edit: Verdict is in... Very easy.

**SpinalTap** · 11-14-2007, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by SafteySquad

Verdict is in... Very easy.

Couldn't agree with you more. I was very careful with the first brake and took my time, the second brake came out better and only took me a few minutes.

Marshal, you just saved me $60, I owe you at least a six pack or two.

**mikemcee** · 12-26-2007, 06:16 PM

Step one: read this thread/watch video before attempting to do a bendy.
Step two: go fix the mess you just made.
Step three: refer to Marshals step one.

Piece of cake.

**njfreeskier** · 12-28-2007, 05:19 PM

hey marsh, thanks for the video. just bent my first pair of brakes(sallys), and it turned out perfectly. Followed the video step by step, and it was a piece of cake. thanks again for the tutorial!
sorry for bumping an older thread, but there have been a lot of brake questions lately, so i figured it couldn't hurt.

**mikemcee** · 12-28-2007, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by njfreeskier

sorry for bumping an older thread, but there have been a lot of brake questions lately, so i figured it couldn't hurt.

Big difference between bumping old, useless threads and classics. In a place where a skinny ski is anything less than 100mm underfoot, this thread is priceless.

**Core Shot** · 01-07-2008, 05:46 PM

I think the Miles Davis is the key.

Mellow, slow and smoove is the way to bend it.

**bio-smear** · 02-11-2008, 12:49 AM

Thanks again Marshal. I just used a minty pair of Syncros riser bars to turn some old 957 skinnies into fatties.

**marshalolson** · 02-11-2008, 07:54 AM

shit yeah!

**nick > jesus** · 04-18-2008, 09:37 PM

umm, i exploded my brake housing

**nick > jesus** · 04-18-2008, 11:46 PM

never mind, a got a 2nd pair, came close to killing these, but it worked.

they don't hold the skis together that well

and they are super loose, sloppy, and shaky

but that is ok for my first (second) try

**Skis** · 10-24-2008, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by marshalolson

yeah, alot of it is practice. i sucked 2-3 years ago, and broke/f'd housing etc ever once in a while too.

one thing to add, is that bending 90mm brakes is OK, but any bigger gives too much leverage, and you crush the housing.

also, applied this to a p18/legenend pro, and it worked just fine too. but i urge to be careful.

Thanks for the post, Marshal. I have some P18s mounted on Katanas, wondering if you had any specific advice regarding things to be careful of when using this method.

Housing exploding? It seems pretty burly, but so do the brake arms...

Arms snapping off?

Possibility of damage to ski by torquing against ski to bend them to width?

I was thinking I'd have someone hold the ski up while I put a tube on the arms pulling up with one hand and trying to stabilize (in the opposite direction) the near end of the tube (so that I'm just twisting where I want it to bend, not pushing it in any particular direction).

Thanks.

**Skis** · 10-25-2008, 06:21 AM

Anyone? 1

**mmmthmtskier** · 10-25-2008, 09:32 AM

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=83419
Too bad the pics are gone.

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=24647

**Skis** · 10-25-2008, 09:56 AM

^^^Yeah, I looked at these...I have very few tools (will even have to find some tubing) and would prefer to leave the bindings mounted as they are, so Marshal's method appealed to me. Just hoping that he or someone else can chime in on how to use his method on P18s without fucking anything up. Thanks, though.

**XXX-er** · 10-25-2008, 10:46 AM

My tools were 400km away so I used an axe and a chopping block to spread my 7tm brakes for verdicts ...it looks good and works fine

**Damian Sanders** · 10-25-2008, 11:04 AM

Yes, this can work, and I have done this on salomons for small bends.

But if you want much less risk of breaking anything, taking the brake out of the binding and using heat (torch) and a vise is the way to go. Doing this on a pair of look turntables has a very high risk of breaking the baseplate. Much more time consuming though.

**Damian Sanders** · 10-25-2008, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by Skis

^^^Yeah, I looked at these...I have very few tools (will even have to find some tubing) and would prefer to leave the bindings mounted as they are, so Marshal's method appealed to me. Just hoping that he or someone else can chime in on how to use his method on P18s without fucking anything up. Thanks, though.

You will crack the baseplate, IMHO. There's a method that recommends clamping the binding and ski in a vise, but that broke a baseplate too when I tried it.

Find a friend with a bench vise. All you need is a large philips screwdriver, a medium flat screwdriver, a small torch and a broken ski pole. Then follow the standard turntable bendy instructions.

**Skis** · 10-25-2008, 11:24 AM

Argh. That's annoying. Marshal said he was able to do it, but he also has much more practice doing this than I do. I have the large philips...but none of the other tools. I guess I'll have to unmount the heel and find someone with a vice (not so easy to do in Manhattan--yes, I want to move).

**Damian Sanders** · 10-25-2008, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by Skis

Argh. That's annoying. Marshal said he was able to do it, but he also has much more practice doing this than I do. I have the large philips...but none of the other tools. I guess I'll have to unmount the heel and find someone with a vice (not so easy to do in Manhattan--yes, I want to move).

As I said, for a normal person, it's worth doing the hard way if you don't want to break anything.

If you work in an office building in NYC, check with your maintinence people, they might have a shop, etc, and might be able to help you out. Or they might just look at you funny.

**Garth Bimble** · 10-25-2008, 10:31 PM

FWIW...

It isn't so much how you bend the brake but WHERE you bend it...the brake isn't designed to be bent more than once so if you over stress the original bend you may break it..

Watching Marshall's video there's quite a bit of bending going on...the wire is weakened with each bend and if it's bent too much, well then...that's a bad thing.

The brakes are galvanized, not stress-relieved...they are meant to be formed and left alone...there's some tolerance, but it's hard to say where the limit is. Each brake will be a little different based on manufacturing specs.

My professional opinion...been in the "wire forming" business for too long...

**Skis** · 10-26-2008, 04:08 PM

So, I'm a little foolhardy and went ahead and tried bending. It worked reasonably well, with one hitch and one possible future issue.

Twisted this arm right out of the hinge.

Twisted it back and stuck a screwdriver in there so there's be no room for it to pop out again.

Voila!

Except...the arms stick out more than I'd like...

Does it always end up like this or just 'cause I suck? I'm thinking that it probably isn't enough to impact how they ski...but I guess some testing is in order. I tried a little to fix it...but didn't want to push things too far.

Thanks for the TR, Marshal.

**Spartacus087** · 12-20-2008, 03:17 PM

So ive spent countless hours trying to get my brakes screwed in before bending them. I've tried grinding down the plastic tips to the point that they would almost definitely be useless for braking purposes. I really just cant seem to get both of the fins lined up in the slots. Anybody have anymore insight or tips on this. Theres got to be something im missing after hearing all these people do it no problem.

**marshalolson** · 12-20-2008, 03:42 PM

try using a longer screw to get the housing on there, that helps alot.

skis, looks $ nice work. they will almost always stick out a little... looks more so than some other brands. you would have to seriosuly angle the skis to make it drag though...