Alpine Ski Binding Maintenance - Need Advice

[ChrisB]

Hi gang,

I need some help with my alpine (downhill) ski bindings. These are lightly used, ten year old Markers. mounted on Vokle Tigershark skis. This season my local shop refused to work on them due to age/liability concerns. These are a "system" binding that can't be replaced without getting new skis, which I really don't want to do.

So here are a few questions I have:

1. Do alpine bindings ever need a clean and lube procedure? If so, how do you know and how is that done?

2. Should the spring tension be backed off and then reset to my recommended DIN value?

3. In older bindings like mine, should DIN be set higher to compensate for weakened springs?

4. Should DIN setting be the same for toe and heel springs?

5. Anything else you skiers recommend I do to these bindings to keep em happy and functional?

My DIN is 5-6 according to several online calculators. Big boy, Class II and (waaaaay) over 50!

Thanks for the advice.

 

[TCD]

Ski Patroller here.

In the scheme of things, it's a small expense. Trust the shop; get new gear; be safe. If you want, get second and third opinions from other shops.

 

[Rainman]

I had an older pair of bindings that was working fine (Salomon), so I kept skiing with them.
Near the top of Magic Mountain the left binding snapped (the part holding the spring).
I learned to ski down on one ski that morning, while carrying the broken one. (The shop rented me a pair of skis for cheap for the rest of the day).
If the shop says they are obsolete, I would replace them.

 

[jfb]

Hi gang,

I need some help with my alpine (downhill) ski bindings. These are lightly used, ten year old Markers. mounted on Vokle Tigershark skis. This season my local shop refused to work on them due to age/liability concerns. These are a "system" binding that can't be replaced without getting new skis, which I really don't want to do.

So here are a few questions I have:

1. Do alpine bindings ever need a clean and lube procedure? If so, how do you know and how is that done?

2. Should the spring tension be backed off and then reset to my recommended DIN value?

3. In older bindings like mine, should DIN be set higher to compensate for weakened springs?

4. Should DIN setting be the same for toe and heel springs?

5. Anything else you skiers recommend I do to these bindings to keep em happy and functional?

My DIN is 5-6 according to several online calculators. Big boy, Class II and (waaaaay) over 50!

Thanks for the advice.

For what it's worth: I don't think lightly-used 10-year old bindings would have fatigue cracks that might result in catastrophic failure in the near future. The springs might have relaxed from creep over the years, but that will only cause the bindings to release early, which may or may not be a problem. You can raise the DIN setting if they release too early. The DIN setting should be the same for toe and heel and simply keeping the bindings clean should be all the maintenance needed. I agree that new gear would be the best choice.