Mounting Freerides: Sort of a how to write up

**Vinman** · 11-07-2005, 07:26 AM

There have been so many post about mounting freerides lately I decided to share how I mounted mine without having the original mounting template.

I wasn't really sure how to do this so I did some research via the search funcntion and came up with this http://tetongravity.com/forums/showt...eride+mounting posts 10/11.

Since the heel mount for freerides is not affected by the boot sole length, just as foggy and 72tewnty said, I made my own template using the screw hole positions for the toe and heel. I marked the toe piece holes out on a piece of plexiglass that I had laying around the house from a previous projects. I then drilled the hole for the toe piece and screwed the toe to the plexi. this gave me a way to hold the toe steady while I marked out the heel piece holes.

template

To get the position right, I marked out the vertical centerline of the ski. I also marked the center point between both sets of toe and heel holes onto the template. This gave me a way to see exactly where my holes would be going.

For the actual fore/aft binding position I transfered the ski centerline mark onto my plexi as well. To do this a used a carpenters square to line up the boot sole center line with the center mark on my boot.

Then it was just a matter of matching the vertical centerline points with the centerline of the ski and then putting my boot sole center where I wanted it.

To get the drill bit size right, I drilled holes in a piece of scrap wood with different size bits. I choose the smallest bit that I could still get the threads to tap into. I think it turned out to be 5/32nds which is close to the 3.6mm bit most shops use.

To get the depth right I measured how much screw stuck out of the bottom of the mounting points with everything put together. This measured at 3/16ths. Then I had to add 1/8th to account for the depth of the plexi. So I made a stopper out of some electrical tape at 5/16ths on the drill bit.

drill bit

The template then got clamped down on the ski in the right spots and double checked. After that is was just a matter of centerpunching the holes and drilling.

I taped the holes the old fashioned way by basically screwing them into the ski without the binding and then taking them out. I added a little wood glue into the holes before finally screwing the binding down.

boot sole center

finished product

BTW the skis are a set of repainted Scratch BCs. Painted with Krylon Fusion.

**El Chupacabra** · 11-07-2005, 08:40 AM

I mounted some Freerides this weekend, using the template that Black Diamond will send you if you email and ask.

It's a 1-time-use sticky template, but I made photocopies of it (use 11x17 paper, you get 99% of the template on one piece of paper). Hardest part is positioning it. Drilling & mounting = easy.

Edit: not really awake yet --

vinman's plexi template would also be a good way to make a jig for mounting the same size boot, whether for Freerides or any alpine binding.

For those contemplating mounting your own Freerides, I'd recommend using the free Black Diamond template, and definitely center punch the holes before drilling. And measure, and check, and re-check, and re-check, before drilling. I used Spats' idea of a T-square to figure out the center line on the ski, and marked that with a sharpie. (Windex will take the sharpie ink off when you're done.)

I've used a standard drill bit before with tape to mark depth (5/32", IIRC), but used a ski-specific bit this weekend -- they're around $10 apiece, and take away the concern of drilling straight through the bottom of the ski.

Other Freeride tip: the little feet at the heel end of the bar don't sit flat on the ski top, and haven't on any of the Freeride-mounted skis I've had or seen closeup. So I make little shims out of plastic and glue them to the ski topsheet to help stabilize the rear of the binding when locked down in alpine mode. I used plastic from a retail hang box (the plastic containers that are a PITA to cut open), had to stack 2 layers of it to fill the space.

**Vinman** · 11-07-2005, 08:53 AM

The reason I went with the plexi template was the fact that I did not have a paper template and did not want to wait for BD to mail me one. And now if I ever put these on a different set of skis I will still have this template all set up.

one last thing. Becareful if you mount anymore than 1 cm back on scratch BCs. It starts getting pretty thin back there.

**PlayHarder** · 11-07-2005, 09:38 AM

I laid mine out this weekend, as well. Used the paper template from WildSnow.com.

**Vinman** · 11-07-2005, 10:11 AM

link wish I had had that yesterday

**PlayHarder** · 11-07-2005, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by Vinman

link wish I had had that yesterday

It is a handy guide for bit sizes and the template - I like your pictures, though.

**Spats** · 11-07-2005, 10:56 AM

Here's how I did it with the paper template BD gives you:

http://tetongravity.com/forums/showp...1&postcount=18

I like the plexiglass, though: easy to see the center mark when you're trying to line it up.

Note that the heel mount isn't affected by the boot sole length, but boot center *is* affected. The paper template gives you boot center markings for different sole lengths.

**Vinman** · 11-07-2005, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by PlayHarder

It is a handy guide for bit sizes and the template - I like your pictures, though.

I printed out the paper template just out of curiosity and found the toe piece holes did not match the holes that I drilled in my plexi. The heel holes lines up perfectly. So I'm wondering if there is a slight difference between model years or if it is perhaps a printer problem.

**PlayHarder** · 11-07-2005, 01:37 PM

Originally Posted by Vinman

I printed out the paper template just out of curiosity and found the toe piece holes did not match the holes that I drilled in my plexi. The heel holes lines up perfectly. So I'm wondering if there is a slight difference between model years or if it is perhaps a printer problem.

My first print did that, just changed the printer settings to print original size and not scale. I've got the 04/05 white freerides and all the holes were dead on the second print.

Edit: By the looks of it, your plexi template would likely be easier to use, anyway.