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Big mountain binding advice

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Tait.
Posts: 51 - Karma: 121
Hey guys so heres the deal.. I just ripped out a pair of my marker jesters for i kid you not the 6th time. im so sick of this shit. So im looking for a new set of bindings. Im a big mountain and backcountry skier and i heard that the STH driver 16 and FKS 18 are both really solid. any advice or other recommendations would be great!
Aug 15 2012 9:14PM
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IDMT_BC024
Posts: 224 - Karma: 129
Do you mean you ripped the binding out of your ski? Its probably not the binding thats the problem, its most likely a shitty mounting job that caused it to rip out. Did you mount them yourself? Or take them to the same shop 6 times?
Aug 15 2012 9:41PM
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Session
Posts: 5319 - Karma: 21,403
Your bindings are fine. Stop buying shit ski's.
Aug 15 2012 9:54PM
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Kreech
Posts: 4178 - Karma: 3,024
Pullouts are most likely the result of a bad mount or a shitty ski, but if you are looking to upgrade bindings, FKS (especially the full metal 180s, 185s, and 155s), and STH Driver bindings (especially the full metal 916s), are 100 bombproof and will never fail you.
Aug 16 2012 1:16AM
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50Kal
Posts: 2826 - Karma: 5,367
Yeah I dont like marker bindings at all but 6 pulls outs means the ski your using sucks or you should get a professional to mount them.
Aug 16 2012 1:19AM
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Pipe_Munky
Posts: 10887 - Karma: 2,165
for all of you saying FKS, that heel has a tighter screw pattern than Marker making it more likely to pull out.


you problem is your skis. get new ones!
Aug 16 2012 2:41PM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
as mentioned pull-outs are in 99% of the cases due to bad mounting or shity ski cores...

jesters actually have a pretty wide screw pattern which should prevent pull-outs, consecutive ripped out bindings usually happen when you get a bad mount, then rip out and get a shitty repair job where your core is no longer sealed off, water seeps in and your whole ski becomes spongy ...

for big mountain i'd personally advice STH drivers or your good old jesters which have nothing to blame in case of a rip out.

you can compare it to building a house, then seeing it's crooked and blaming it on the bricks instead of the builder ...
Aug 16 2012 3:04PM
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LC.
Posts: 5952 - Karma: 2,423
Nope. Marker incorrectly claimed this in the Jester press release back in about 2006/7 but it has never been true. The toe mount is slightly narrower than all the other major manufacturers' and it is equal shortest with Salomon. The heel mount is overall about the same area as everything else (except FKS). So Markers are no more or less likely to tear out than any other binding. What they do have is a wider plastic housing in contact with the ski, which may drive pressure to the edges better, although that's debatable.

As above: tear outs are usually down to bad mounts, sometimes shitty ski cores.
Aug 16 2012 3:25PM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
i stand corrected :)

Aug 16 2012 4:02PM
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Tait.
Posts: 51 - Karma: 121
thanks guys. i ment 6 rip outs in total. i had a pair of hellbents (pro mounted), rode um for 3 years ripped out of them 5 times. bought a pair of bent chetlers last season had them professionally mounted with same pair of jesters. skied them fine last season. came down to new zealand for summer and ripped out of them 2nd day down here! i dont think its the ski. but thats just me.
Aug 16 2012 5:30PM
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rozboon
Posts: 1642 - Karma: 868

Were they all mounted at the same place?

When getting my big, floppy skis mounted I get them to go down a size on the drillbit (I eat too many pies and carry a bit more weight than I should). I haven't ripped out a binding since - my theory is that the slightly smaller hole gives the screw just a little more grip and stops moisture getting in.

I reckon once a binding starts to pull out a little you start having issues with water getting into the core. I have a pair of Hellbents decorating my garage wall because they got water in the core and it turned to mush around the screw holes. Even helicoils rip out. 

Aug 16 2012 7:25PM
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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,409
This is kind of alright but you have to be careful when doing so. If drive a screw into a hole that is too small you can split the core which will lead to bigger problems. As long as your cautious though, it's a safe practice. Use a shitty 2/4 with the bit you plan on using and see if the wood splits when you wheel the screw into it. If it splits, size it up, but never go larger then you're supposed to.
Aug 16 2012 11:12PM
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Spiri7o
Posts: 2163 - Karma: 1,100
FKS 18s
Aug 17 2012 12:25AM
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Caucasian_Asian
Posts: 2447 - Karma: 1,665
This.
And if you're going to size down, make sure you tap your holes.
Aug 17 2012 11:28AM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 36697 - Karma: 110,722
You really can't go wrong with both. I personally love the drivers toe piece.
Aug 17 2012 12:10PM
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Tait.
Posts: 51 - Karma: 121
yea iv heard the drivers are solid. i know that before they put a steel preotective plate over the screw mounts on the base plate there was an issue with the base plate cracking. any problems since? iv also heard that the fks are bomber but can be a pain to click into in deep snow? is that a common problem?
Aug 17 2012 4:51PM
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Caucasian_Asian
Posts: 2447 - Karma: 1,665
The Salomon "Driver" style toe piece can be a very solid piece of tech.  But, it has more adjustment than the FKS/Head MOJO/Marker Royal Family toes.  And because of this, it is also very important that everything is adjusted properly and your boot soles are clean, or they will pre-release just like your current FKS 140s.


Aug 17 2012 5:07PM
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snakerton
Posts: 2434 - Karma: 1,977
.
Aug 18 2012 2:19PM
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Montana_Hoodrat
Posts: 1953 - Karma: 1,481
buying quality skis with quality wood and maintain them. I've never seen bindings rip out of a pair of RMU, ON3P, Fatypus, Bluehouse, or even Rossignol skis. I've seen plenty of cheaper skis have this problem, but it was also usually due to water seeping into the core from riding in wet snow with unrepaired base or edge damage. If you have core exposed, let your skis dry out and seal them up before you go skiing again!

As for bindings, FKS/pivots are quite durable and the elastic travel really does help you stay in, but the heelpieces are notorious for pulling out because they have such a small hole pattern. 4 wood screws set super close together is a terribly outdated design that was originally meant to allow old school straight skis to turn (tails needed to flex).Engineers update products for a reason. Get some Rossignol Axial2 140s or 180s. Best bindings for big mountain hands down. They ski just like FKS, but you never have to readjust them, and the brakes are replaceable. Older ones can be found for $50 and work better than brand new markers haha.

Sparknotes:
Get some used Fatypus and Axial 2s and you'll have a more solid setup than brand new armadas with markers. keep them dry.
Feb 24 2015 5:48PM
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Holzsteezy*
Posts: 584 - Karma: 1,110
Pipe_Munkyfor all of you saying FKS, that heel has a tighter screw pattern than Marker making it more likely to pull out.


you problem is your skis. get new ones!


I can kinda agree with this. My buddys and my pivots heel piece began to lift. and had to screw them back down. but thyre still a great binding. its all opinion and preference man
Feb 24 2015 10:39PM
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