I guess it's time for an upgrade...

[heroshmero]

I guess it's time for an upgrade...

I had a great time carving the other day and amazingly enough didn't notice until days later that I had broken a TD2 base plate and a couple of the plastic guides on my Intec heels (one on each heel). Pics below.

I thought my ride felt rather "surfy" at the end of the day. I'm really glad I didn't eject and injure myself.

Anybody know if I can use these heels while I wait for some Fin-Tecs? The load is on the pins, right? Considering the broken plastic guides, if there is no damage to the pins, will the heels hold up?

Thanks for the input,
Evan

[trailertrash]

This has been discussed before you might be able to find some info by searching. It is a bad idea to continue to use these heels.

[corey_dyck]

Talk to the friendly Bomber folks. They may give you a warranty replacement for the plate.

The plastic tabs on the Intec heels are really just guides that also help reduce play. I've seen a number of people riding without them. They're just as strong without those ears, but you will have a little more slop in the joint.

Try Fintecs with some steel TD3 receivers if you have the cash, they're a nice design with a steel pin replacing that plastic ear. Otherwise the F2 design is still pretty good.

[NateW]

I cracked a base plate a while back, and I'm pretty sure it was due to one of the screws (that hold the plate to the cant piece) being a bit loose. That allowed the plate to flex, and the flex led to the crack.

There are marks on the binding that indicate there was a screw next to where the crack happened. When you took it all apart, did that screw come out a little too easily?

[GeoffV]

The TD2 baseplate (http://www.bomberonline.com/store/bindings/parts_td2_base_plate.cfm) is cheap to replace. PM if you need some Intec heels I have a set I might be selling.

[b0ardski]

could this be replaced by a TD3 plate thus allowing access to the mount screws?

[GeoffV]

yes I snapped a plate and just replaced them with TD3 plates

[heroshmero]

Thanks for the suggestions.

No, it didn't seem like the baseplate screws were loose. I guess my work on weighting the front heel was effective.

I tried to use the rig the other day but the heel receiver was bent too. Time to make a decision...

Luckily it's been snowing here in Central Oregon and the all mountain board has been serving.

-Evan

[NateW]

One more thought - I always mount the baseplates so that there are screws located on either side of the heel tab, rather than having a single screw directly under it. That approach just seems stronger to me.

[benttech]

I have two of those plastic tabs broken on my intecs and it hardly seems like a big deal.

[Jack Michaud]

The plastic tabs on the Intec heels are really just guides that also help reduce play. I've seen a number of people riding without them. They're just as strong without those ears, but you will have a little more slop in the joint.

That's not accurate, the tabs are supposed to share the downward load. Riding without tabs will accelerate pin failure, and then you will eject without warning.

[queequeg]

I have two of those plastic tabs broken on my intecs and it hardly seems like a big deal.

Both tabs broken off on a single heel or one tab broken off of each heel? It seems like it would be pretty much impossible to get a proper fit between binding and boot with both tabs missing from one heel ... Either you would have slop in the interface or it would be damn near impossible to get the pins to move far enough forward to engage with the holes in the heel reciever.

Personally, the steel tabs on the fintec make WAY more sense to me than the plastic tabs on the intecs.

[heroshmero]

One more thought - I always mount the baseplates so that there are screws located on either side of the heel tab, rather than having a single screw directly under it. That approach just seems stronger to me.

NateW, I don't understand. Are you talking about the screws that hold the baseplate to the cant disk? Or, the screws that hold the heel receiver to the baseplate?

[heroshmero]

Both tabs broken off on a single heel or one tab broken off of each heel?

One tab from each boot broke off. Both were on the left side of the boot toward the tip of the board (I ride regular).

These failures are kinda funny to me. I've really been stepping up my carving lately and I guess I'm pushing the gear a lot harder now.

And, I agree, the steel guides on the Fin-Tecs seem to make way more sense.

[heroshmero]

I just got an email from Michelle. They are going to send me a replacement baseplate.

THANK YOU BOMBER INDUSTRIES!!!

:1luvu:

(sorry, I just HAD to use the smiley with the heart bubbles)

[NateW]

NateW, I don't understand. Are you talking about the screws that hold the baseplate to the cant disk? Or, the screws that hold the heel receiver to the baseplate?

The baseplate-to-cant-disk screws. You can orient the plate so that you have screws on either side of the heel tab. Just imagine rotating the base plate so that the "trench digger" logo is upside-down. Then swap the toe piece of the heel piece, and you're set

I actually have one set of TD2s where the base plate logos are upright and one set where the logos are inverted, they've been made both ways. :)

[heroshmero]

The baseplate-to-cant-disk screws. You can orient the plate so that you have screws on either side of the heel tab. Just imagine rotating the base plate so that the "trench digger" logo is upside-down. Then swap the toe piece of the heel piece, and you're set

Ahh... I understand now. Thanks for the tip.