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Bindings not releasing at correct torque for the DIN setting

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
A half price online sale means I now own some new Volkl Violas.

The system bindings had been set to 5.5 rather than my recommended setting of 4.5 so I decided to have the bindings adjusted and torque checked by a Proper Technician.

The result was interesting - in order for the toe bindings to release at the correct torque for DIN 4.5, one had to be set at 6 and the other at 6.5. The heel was closer at DIN 5.0.

Should I be surprised/concerned/bovvered at the disparity?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Something's amiss. What model Marker bindings? Do you know what machine it was it tested on?
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Hi thanks @spyderjon, they are the system bindings supplied with the skis - Marker 4Motion 10.0 Essenza. I didn't see the machine (I did ask if I could hang around as it always interests me but elfin-safety said no!). Their website describes the tests they make using a PRO model of the Wintersteiger Speedtronic and I have the printouts. They also tested my other skis with KneeBindings where they only had to adjust the toes to 4.0.
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6.5 seems right? Or are you light on your feet?

Anything less than 10 is a bit , well , you know.

Actually checked. Are you very light?
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Norrin Radd, LOL I don't think I'm particularly light but perhaps I am lighter than you or you're just more gnarly (there's a word I never used before this forum) Very Happy So far 4.5 works for me when I take my skiing style/ability, age and height into account - I've not had pre-releases and in a fall I'd rather lose a ski than a knee.

I know quite a lot of people use a higher DIN setting that they know from experience works for them (assuming the torque is as expected for that number), but I don't have the experience to make that sort of judgement.

I did find what should be an up to date table of DINs and torques, and after tying my brain in a knot trying to understand it, I was surprised how much the size of your boots changes things, given everything else being equal - to obtain the same torque value, a boot 100mm larger than another boot would need a DIN 2.5 or so less than the smaller boot, so individual differences can be significant.
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The Speedtronic is spot on - I've got one myself - so assuming its been calibrated at the correct intervals there's no reason to doubt it. The machine checks the actual release values in all three release modes plus the consistency of release for each ski - for which there are maximum tolerances which must not be exceeded.

It's unusual for bindings to be that far out but as they were actually 'lighter' than their indicated setting and have now been recalibrated I wouldn't be concerned.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@spyderjon, thanks - I see what you mean about the direction of adjustment. Yes I'm content that they are safe to use and I will certainly be checking torques in future. Thank you for your comments and advice. Smile
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@spyderjon, seems a bit concerning though. Fair enough, the bindings are tested and functional and now set correctly, but this is a brand new set of bindings supplied with a pair of skis, the same as hundreds of other people purchase every year. Most will never go near a testing machine, so is this a manufacturing anomaly or are a good percentage of DINs way off? You must test a fair few, is this unusual?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
I know I never implicitly trust a binding setting. When I get new kit (skis or bindings) I go down 1.5 - 2 from my usual historical setting and then increase by 0.5 each time I feel that they are releasing inappropriately. This seems to give a workable solution, especially for off piste skiing Toofy Grin
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@Scarpa, on the last trip I got taken out (off-piste) by a runaway ski, the third time it had popped off on that run. An inspection of the bindings revealed that they were set differently front and back, something that the owner should probably have known about, but in this case definitely didn't. We deposited him at @spyderjon's apartment for a checkup (sorry about that, but his skis were a hazard...). So if I ever ski off-piste with you, remind me to let you go in front Toofy Grin
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@motyl, very sensible, and why l have MCL issue. P Embarassed
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
@Norrin Radd, do you ski downhill races? If not then why are you winding your bindings up that high? I ski fast most places and weigh 89Kg... my bindings are set to about 6.5. I have never had the release without cause.
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So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Being a techie person I tend to check everything, bindings included, however the vast majority do not. As an example, one of our group on a tour in Japan, brought brand new skis and bindings (Market Griffon) mounted and set up for her boots in Norway by the selling shop. During the first morning she noticed that one ski was more difficult to click into (even allowing for the usually high Marker step in force). Once a bit of snow and ice was added to the equation, it became more difficult.

Our guide knew the local Marker dealer, who we visited at the end of the day. Having taken her age, weight, ability into account, it became clear that not only were the din setting incorrect, the toe settings did not match each other, the heels did not match each other, and the 'difficult' ski was set massively over the correct forward pressure.

Luckily is this case there was no lost ski, pre-release or injury, but it could easily have been different.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
[quote="Scarlet"]@Scarpa, on the last trip I got taken out (off-piste) by a runaway ski, the third time it had popped off on that run. /quote]

Yebbut it was funny.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@Dave of the Marmottes, only coz you managed to catch the other one!
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@Steilhang, 6.5 is right, 10 was tongue in cheek. Not a racer for sure, same weight as you as well.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Steilhang, my MCL was done at 2mph, approaching a lift queue. It was because the speed was so slow the ski stayed on.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@Norrin Radd, sorry to hear about your MCL - hope it doesn't interfere too much with your skiing.

@PowderAdict, I'm not so much techie as I am curious about these things - I guess I expected there to be a direct correlation between DIN and torque required for release, independent of other factors, but in the table I'm looking at, the same DIN releases at different torques depending on skier type and boot size e.g. skiers type I, J and K with different boot lengths all set at DIN 4.5 release at different torques.
The only way I can explain this is if the length of boot itself actually affects the torque required for the binding to release at a given DIN. But what seems counter-intuitive to me is that the larger the boot, the lower the DIN setting... Puzzled it's been far too long since doing school Physics and far too late in the evening to pursue this Toofy Grin
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@motyl, thanks, it seemed alright, just always in the back of my mind, and I was wary of catching edges.

It's more a problem taking Chelsea boots off weirdly.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@motyl, boot length makes a significant difference to the din setting. The boot is the lever that provides the twisting torque to the lower leg so the long the boot the greater the leverage so a reduced din setting is required to mitigate that.
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@Norrin Radd, yes I find that all my joints are perfectly happy on skis, but particular sorts of twisting force like walking on an uneven surface will find them out. Or come to that, walking on a slippery restaurant floor in ski boots - I nearly sent the plate display flying at the knife and fork at VT Embarassed

@spyderjon, ah yes - my thinking was back to front on the origin of the force. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, I'm sure I'll see the light eventually!
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