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Thread lock! Or not?

24K views 37 replies 17 participants last post by  Prophecies 
G
#1 ·
I didn't have any luck with search and the current topics don't really address it, so if I missed a huge "OMG LOOK HERE FOR THREAD LOCK" thread then I fail. XD

That said, what brands do you recommend? I see Vibra-tite, loctite, Permatex, in colors of red, blue, happy tie dye...you get the idea.

From what I've gathered on the boards I avoid max strength, so stick with blue? What of those who oppose its use altogether? I read in a few places it wears out your screws and can cause damage to the board over time, but I'm not sure how accurate that is.

I ask because I was encountering issues the last 2-3 times I went. Couldn't carve, was losing balance all over the place; it was like I had completely forgotten how to ride. Well, turns out my screws were getting loose (surprise!) in a single run and my bindings shifted in opposite directions as a result. So I had my left heel over the edge, and my right toes over the over. :p

I did use tape on my screws from the start but it didn't seem to stop things from vibrating loose. Help?

Also, would you recommend sticking with the stock plates and screws or are there better alternatives out there 'sides the manufacturer?

A few quips about myself:
Last season was my first; I hope to conquer whatever blue square trails I find by the end of this one.
I'm pretty hooked on the sport...I'm hoping this forum will provide me good information and maybe I'll even get to meet a few folks...who knows.

I'll be lurking. ^_^

~Spider
 
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#2 ·
i have a question about this stuff too. I know people who use super glue, but thats only beacause they know their stance is down to perfection. Im always experimenting.

So far i use plumbers tape. Works really well. probably kills the vibration because of its elasticity. But when it comes to thread locking supplies...i have no idea. Id like to know more about this too
 
#3 ·
Small(and i do mean small) application of Blue Loctite. Not Red under all circumstances or it may never come out.

Most binding manufacturers do not recommend it, and sometimes using it can void your warranty(assuming they could tell?)...so just use very small amounts..its really strong.
 
#7 ·
Installed improperly yes...just dont let it touch the plastic and your fine..if you put enough on that it oozes out you failed at glue usage.

Check your screws every time you strap in? Are you crazy? LOL.

I would break a board over my knee and quit the sport before i would do something so dumb every time..
 
#10 ·
I would break a board over my knee and quit the sport before i would do something so dumb every time..
YES!!! That would be awesome to see someone do that. I could actually picture someone doing that with a long stream of cuss words about how they hate their life.

Just add a small drop to the screw and screw it in. That should do the trick.
 
#13 ·
I`m a guy....there is always a tube of loctite floating around my garage, I don`t keep a supply of nail polish on hand.....:cheeky4::laugh::D
Exactly. I know that right now I have in my tool box Red Loctite, Blue Loctite, and teflon tape. Not a stitch of nail polish anywhere near me.
 
#15 ·
Being serious, I don't like nail polish because it is too close to red loctite. A screw with blue loctite can be removed and put back in a few times with out loosing the majority of the hold. With red once the screw is turned it breaks the material and greatly reduces it's hold. Same for nail polish.
 
#18 · (Edited)
So after every run, you unstrap both feet, fiddle with screws and then strap your front foot back in?

Wow..i dont know if i should be amazed at your dedication to the sport or laziness to spend 2 dollars and 5 minutes on properly installing loctite...:cheeky4::dunno:

But yes, the teflon tape/plumbers tape would probably work too...
 
#20 · (Edited)
Teflon tape is for sealing purposes to prevent the medium (water in most cases) from leaking by the fitting. It is not a thread locker alike to loctite. While I'm sure people use it as a rough way of helping a screw to prevent loosening, I would stick with loctite.

The initial responses of blue loctite is the correct answer, but depends how often you are loosening those screws. Seeing I do so at the end of every day so I can wax my board better I don't bother. If you leave your bindings in the board tight and plan not to adjust or remove them for waxing then use it, otherwise I wouldn't bother. The screws shouldn't come loose in one daily session or even a couple
 
#21 · (Edited)
Yeah T Tape is not for those that don't want to check there screws at the beginning and end of the day. I have used it and not had any problems, but it's not as tight and Loctite is and is designed to keep the threads from corroding. If you plan on keeping the set up for a long time and maintain it well it's the best for keeping the threads clean, free from rust and dampening chatter. But it has more potential to come loose. It never has for me, but I still check because I know T Tape isn't loctite. It does however prevent the screws from loosening as well as the crap that comes on the screws to lock the thread.

T Tape is also not that easy to apply. For those who are plumbers or use the stuff around the house you'll know it's hard to wrap around something as small as a screw. It needs to be very tight to thread in properly.

But no matter what you use, you shouldn't have to check them at the end of every run. Even if you use nothing they will stay tight for at least a few days of riding. I just check before I go out.
 
#22 ·
Loose bolts are a bad thing on many levels, probably the most important other than the fact its incredibly dangerous if it comes loose or your foot shifts, is the fact that its probably grinding away the grooves in the inserts on your board making it more and more useless as time passes until eventually a bolt just wont screw in and your boards worthless.
 
#23 ·
I notice my bindings especially the front one start to wiggle somewhat every so often.
Should I use blue loctite even though I will be removing my bindings every few days for a waxing?
If I do how often do I need to apply/reapply the loctite?
Or since I remove my bindings so often am I forced to just retighten them halfway through a day of riding?
 
G
#25 ·
Teflon tape is not a thread lock. While it may work, why not use the right tool for the job? Nail polish?

Blue (medium strength) loctite/permatex etc is designed exactly for this application. It keeps screws from vibrating/working loose, while still allowing easy removal with a hand tool. You should re-apply after you remove the screws, but in my experience the build up of loctite on the screws will hold them pretty secure for a couple removals. A small bottle of this stuff is only a couple bucks at any hardware/autoparts store, lasts forever, and is useful for many applications.
 
#28 ·
i have the burton bullet tool, which in my opinion is the best pocket tool out there, so if i ever feel my bindings loosening up i just tighten them up real quick. no need to unstrap to find out, just wiggle my feet while strapped in and if it moves then i tighten it.

i find that my bindings loosen up a lot when i tighten them somewhere warm then take it out to the snow. after a run they are usually slightly looser but after the 2nd tightening im good till the next time i switch up my board or bindings.
 
#29 ·
i find that my bindings loosen up a lot when i tighten them somewhere warm then take it out to the snow. after a run they are usually slightly looser but after the 2nd tightening im good till the next time i switch up my board or bindings.
I never put 2 and 2 together, but after reading this i realize that this is what has happened to me. I always tighten my screws up before i leave my house (it's a pain to do because I have to unscrew and remove my gas pedal and footbed padding to get to them). On several occasions my bindings started loosening up after 5-10 runs and it was always when I was night boarding or if it was just freakin cold outside. Probably a mixture between the mounting disk shrinking and everything being stiffer and chattering more.
I went over to Lowe's and got some plummers tape (97 cents) and some blue loctite ($6) so I should be fine this year.
 
G
#33 ·
I just want to thank everyone for helping me out; there were certainly interesting facts brought to the table. I'll keep the loctite use very minimal; a drop on the tip of the screw right? I'll also try to tighten my screws when it's cold and I'm about to head out.

I'll let you know how it works out. ^_^
 
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