Maintaining your snowboard bindings is crucial for safety and performance. Regular checks and proper adjustments can prevent injuries and ensure a smooth ride. This guide provides comprehensive information on how to safely remove and maintain your snowboard bindings.
Regular Checks and Preparations
Before each snowboarding session, it’s essential to perform a few quick checks:
- Check bindings for loose or protruding screws.
- Look for any missing parts.
- Inspect for worn or damaged anti-friction devices.
Additionally, before stepping into your bindings:
- Clean both your boots and bindings of any ice, snow, or dirt.
Understanding DIN Settings
The DIN scale assigns a numeric value to a ski binding's release tension. A lower DIN setting (e.g., 1) allows the binding to release more easily, while a higher setting (e.g., 15) requires significant force for release. It is crucial to have your DIN setting determined and adjusted by a qualified ski shop technician to ensure optimal safety.
History of Ski Bindings
Ski binding technology has evolved significantly over the years:
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- 1898: Geze develops the first ski binding.
- 1950: Look Nevada introduces the first turntable heel.
- 1971: Salomon unveils the first automatic step-in heel (Salomon 444).
- 1975: Tyrolia develops the first (and only) diagonal release heel.
- 1980: Ess Var makes the first binding that moves fore/aft on the ski as one unit, also the first free-flexing heel.
- 1982: Geze has the first vertical toe release in a conventional binding.
- 1985: Marker uses the first gliding AFD (anti-friction device).
- 1992: Marker introduces the first binding to offer three ski flex adjustments.
Mounting New Skis
When mounting bindings on new skis, remember that alpine skis are often handmade, so side-cuts may not be identical on each side. Before mounting, determine which ski should be left and right to maximize the sidecut.
Determining Ski Placement
To determine the ideal placement:
- Place the skis base-to-base on a workbench, touching at the tip and tail.
- Measure the gap between them at the waist.
- Reverse their positions and measure the gap again.
- Use the configuration that maximizes the sidecut for optimal performance.
Remounting Bindings
If you are remounting new bindings with the same hole pattern as the original, you can typically use the old holes unless they are stripped or damaged. If holes are damaged, consider using a mixture of steel wool and epoxy to fill them before installing the bindings.
Tapping Binding Screw Holes
For skis with metal topsheets or internal layers, always tap binding screw holes before mounting bindings. Use a #12AB tap after drilling the holes with a 4.1 x 9.5mm drill bit. This ensures smooth threading and prevents unwanted pressure or delamination. Also, use a good vinyl-base binding screw glue to guarantee that all screw seals are watertight.
Fixing Base Dimples
Accidentally drilling a binding screw hole too deep can create a small protrusion (dimple) in the base. If the surface of the p-tex base is unbroken, simply push the dimple back in using the rounded head of a ball peen hammer. If you drilled all the way through, repair it by injecting a tiny bead of epoxy glue just inside the bottom of the hole, then top this off with some metal-grip repair material.
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Stubborn Screw Removal
If you encounter a stubborn screw while removing ski or snowboard bindings, and suspect that glue or epoxy was used when the screw was installed, try using a little heat to help "unstick" it. One way is to heat the screw for a few moments using the tip of a soldering pencil or small base repair iron. Another way is to take your trusty electric drill with a dull old drill bit (that's small enough to fit inside the pozidrive flutes in the screw head) and use it with light pressure (no metal shavings should appear) to lightly "drill" the center of the screw head until it warms up (maybe 15 seconds?).
Snowboard Binding Installation Basics
Setting up bindings on your snowboard is easier than it seems, and it requires just a few basic tools.
How to mount your snowboard bindings (Jones Tune Bench)
Fit the Bindings to Your Boots
Bindings come in different sizes, so first, make sure you get the right size bindings for your foot. There are some micro-adjustments within sizes to make the binding fit tighter or more loosely. Using a wrench, you can remove the bolts at the base of the ankle straps, move the strap inward or outward, and replace the bolts.
Snowboard Binding / Board Compatibility
Binding base plates feature discs or bolts that attach to a snowboard's binding interface. Bindings often come with multiple base plates, making them compatible with most snowboards.
Most boards feature bolt mounting patterns that are 2x4 or 4x4. Some Burton boards have a diamond-shaped, "3D" bolt pattern found only on its boards. Burton also has a line of boards featuring The Channel system which works with Burton EST bindings. Some bindings from other manufacturers can be adapted to work with the Channel System by purchasing compatible discs.
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Tools for Mounting Bindings
For most boards you need only a #3 Phillips screwdriver to mount the bindings and a wrench to fit the bindings to your boots. For quick adjustments on the mountain, you can use a multi-tool. They're compact and come with other handy tools like Allen keys, flathead screwdrivers and wrenches.
Determine Your Lead Foot
To find out which foot will be at the front of your board, stand still on the ground and then let yourself fall forward or have someone push you (nicely!). The foot you use to catch yourself is considered your lead foot. If your left foot goes forward, your stance is "regular." If your right foot goes forward, your stance is "goofy."
Find Your Left and Right Binding
You can tell the difference between your left and right bindings by the direction of the curve, just like with a shoe. You can also look at the straps on the bindings: the straps start on the inside and buckle on the outside of your feet.
Establish Your Stance Width and Offset
Stance width: Most boards have markings on them that indicate the center-mount screw holes for each binding. It's a good idea to start with a center mount and see how it rides.
There are many variations in stance width, binding position and foot angle. Once you get comfortable riding, you may want to play around with these options until you feel well-balanced.
If you're riding a bigger board or if you feel too much pressure on your quads, you may need to shorten your stance. A great way to fine-tune your stance width is by measuring the length of your shinbone. This distance, from just below knee to your heel, is a good starting point for the width of your stance.
Stance offset: Most snowboards indicate a recommended mounting position that is close to the center of the board. This position offers good all-around control and easy turn initiation. As you become more experienced and develop a specific riding style, you may find you prefer to offset (also called setback) the bindings toward the tail of the snowboard. Offset bindings can offer more aggressive turning and better flotation in powder.
Choose Your Binding Angles
Snowboard bindings can be positioned on the snowboard so that your feet are angled forward, backward or somewhere in between.
If you're new to snowboarding, mount your snowboard bindings in what is called the "duck stance" position, where both feet are angled away from each other. Many snowboarders position the front binding at a 15° angle and the rear binding at somewhere between 0° and a -6° angle. This is a great position for learning to ride because it forces you to learn correct technique and distribute your weight properly. Most riders don't like to adjust the angle of their stance each time they go out and ride, so "duck stance" is a good default position.
Once your technique is solid, you can try experimenting with the angles.
Steps for Mounting Snowboard Bindings
The following steps are for installing bindings in a "duck stance" at a standard stance width, with the front binding at 15° and the back binding at -6°. If you prefer your bindings set at different angles, these steps still apply but you will need to adjust the angles.
- Mounting the Front Binding (Bindings with Discs)
- Pick up the front binding (the left binding if you ride "regular" or the right binding if you ride "goofy") and the disc and position the binding at your desired angle (tip: each tick mark is 3 degrees).
- Place the binding together with the disc over the center screw holes at the front of the snowboard. Position the binding so there will be the same amount of board in front of the boot toe as there will behind the boot heel.
- Turn the first screw in loosely.
- Insert the remaining screws and screw in loosely. Ensure the binding is positioned properly then tighten all the screws. Do not overtighten. It can be helpful to put a boot in the binding when fine-tuning the binding position.
- Mounting the Front Binding (Burton EST Bindings)
- Using your screwdriver, pop the Channel plug out of the Channel at the front of your snowboard.
- Slide The Channel inserts that came with your EST bindings through The Channel opening. Reinsert the plug.
- Pick up the front binding (the left binding if you ride "regular" or the right binding if you ride "goofy") and place the binding over The Channel inserts.
- Insert screws into The Channel inserts and secure them loosely so the binding can slide.
- Slide binding to your desired stance.
- Pivot the binding to set the stance angle at 15°.
Additional Tips and Considerations
- Binding Screw Tips: Overtightening binding screws is a common cause of tear-outs. Use 4-5 newton-meters of force per screw. Ensure you use the correct drill bit size (3.5mm on most skis, and 4.1mm on skis with hidden top metal sheets). Always tap binding holes if the ski has a hidden top metal sheet.
- Old Toothbrushes: Old toothbrushes make good cleaning brushes for ski bindings, helping you reach those hard-to-reach places.
- Telemark Bindings: When mounting freeheel pin and/or cable bindings, use a 3.5mm drill bit for most skis, or a 4.1mm bit (followed by tapping) if the ski has a hidden top metal sheet.
Concerns About Lift Plates
One is that stacking plates reduces the effectiveness of standard ski brakes, which just aren't long enough to dig in the snow to stop a runaway ski. Make sure you get longer brake arms if you're stacking these puppies high. Secondly, although lifts make it easier to turn, they also amplify mistakes...catch an outside edge accidentally and you increase your chances of rocketing into another skier or off-slope into the trees.
Injuries and Binding Safety
Vermont Ski Safety claims that today's bindings have reduced lower leg injuries by about 97% compared to twenty years ago. Most injuries now involve knee sprains and torn ACLs.