-LF Binding Problem-

I bought a pair of exos last year late in the season. I new from the start that I knew was gona have alot of trouble getting them off. At first it took me 10 minutes in the water. This spring I took a run and tried to get my bindings off. I pulled so hard that the baseplates ripped out of the board and I lost my screwes to that binding. I ended up tighting it down with some thumbscrewes later that day. I went out again and the other binding ripped off my board. The screwes were screwed in as hard as you could get them. Does anybody know how to fix this or what I should do? My brand new board is starting to show damage in the screw holes, and thats really pissin me off.

Thanks, 2p

you definatly gotta learn how to get out of LF bindings... are the inserts stripped?? if they are, well that's too bad cuz I don't think there is any way of fixing this... I don't think helicoils would be the best in that case...

look, to get out of LF bindings, you really need to pay attention on this one... you can thrust me, I've been riding Ultras for 4 years and there are no laces on them and I like em nice and tight... so when both feet are inside the bindings, first, loosen the laces(hope you were already doing that), then try to lift your heels about 2 to 3 inches from the footbed... then put your fingers inside the bindings between the heel underlay and your achilles tendon and push it(the underlay) down under your heel pulling on you foot... you should be able to get out easily this way... be patient and you'll get it... don't panic and stop pulling like crazy on your bindings...

I have Ultras and a 2nd Pair on the way for another board I have... same advice as above BUT use lube and move your feet a little up and down to get the grease in the right spots. It also helps if you're on the swim platform facing the boat when trying to get these off. Other than that use the technique described above to do the rest.

the bindings ripping off the board is probably b/c it wasn't a LF board....am i right? we have discussed at length how the screws that come with LF bindings are too short for other boards. i did the same thing with my ultras/belmont last year. i agree that you have to learn to take off the board...but i do it differently. i just sit in the water like i am starting to get pulled by the boat. grab the board above the toe of the foot you want to take out first. then pull the top of the board toward you with your hands and point your toes inside of the binding. this causes your heel to pop out. it takes some time to get used to, but once you get it figured out you will pop it off in no time. the cold water doesn't help the process any.

I use a combination of Jonathan and dsmalls.

Loosen laces (duh!)
Grab toeside of board with bith hands and pull toward you.
I don't just pop right out yet, so then I ease up on the pulling and point my toes a little to move my forefoot back a little.
Repeat this until your feet come out.

When am in cold water (or if your bindings are very-very tight) I use a variation of pushing inside of binding behind achilles.

MY left foot is a little tender after a bad fall last year, so for the left I sometimes get my right out first, then use my right foot in the left binding a-al dsmalls' method; I can push a lot harder with my foot/leg than my hands.

This sounds really complicated, but I get out in like 15-20 seconds.

I have a pair of 02 Exos and they can be a challenge to get in and out of. I usually stand on the board under water, then point my toes and jump out of the board. I don't know about the LF screws problem. I ride a HL Premier, but I got some bones for my exos because the plate flex was so bad. The bones keep the bindings cranked onto my board.

Jb

never had problem with the LF screws that came with my Ultras... I've tried them on a byerly, a premier, a trip, an absolute, ridden one full season on a belmont... maybe they changed the lenght of the screws during the last few years cuz my ultras are 00'...

Thanks guys. Ive gotten alot better at getting my bindings out. I use the technique that josh talked about. I was actually doin pretty good for a while untill my bindings kept ripping out. I changed the lf screws that came with it to some thumb screws. I might have to buy some bones. I might also have to change the way that i get out of my bindings so i dont instantly pull on them.

Just bought some Ultras. I've ridden in them about three times. I heard that they would loosen up a little bit but I'm still having problems getting out of them. I will try what jonathan suggested, but has anyone ever taken them apart and loosened the heel/ankle inner strap?

Yeah I did this winter on my exos. Ive never tried them on ultras but im sure that theyd be harder because they have an underlay and an overlay.

pulling and twisting on the bindings with your hands may not be a good idea, as discovered by my guest rider yesterday. he was using his board with a pair of 2001 ultras (one season of use). instead of just trying to pull the board and pop out the heel, he was wrestling with the inner foam, working it with his hands back and forth. when the binding finally came off, the inner foam was ripped horizontally just below the sewn in straps on both sides of the binding.....which means they are ruined. so be carefully with any pulling side to side when taking off the bindings!

Thx for the advice ill defenitly try to be carefull of that when I go out this saturday. Thats usually what im forced to do when im taking off my first binding.

I have 03 Ultras on an 03 Byerly. Got to say, Im pretty disappointed that Liquid Force doesnt stress that their screws are too short. I ripped out one of my bindings last year and this year I bought some screws that were just a bit longer and they work great. Except my Ultras baseplates are bent up now. I even purchased new baseplates for LF and the didnt send me the padding that goes on the bottom. Supposedly its on its way. Im gearing up for the big pain in the *** to switch them out.

Not to mention I bought some 04 Byerly Bindings from Ebay, sent the money order and never got the bindings, its been 50 days now. I wont mention the guys name yet since it seems like an honest mistake that he plans to make good on.

We'll see.

I guess I shouldnt talk too much smack about LF. I do really like the way the Ultras fit and the support they give me, just a little disappointed in the weakness of the baseplate. They should have sold some Lokz with them.

Just bent my base plate this weekend, one foot came out fine... so I thought, the other foot one screw popped out, I scratched up a brand new trip and bent my plate all to heck not to mention ratching all 4 screws. This is the second time in my crew that this has happened. Older LF boards have longer inserts and therefore screws so a better hold is achieved. I don't know if it's got something to do with the screws in cold water or not but it sure was a dampener to my first weekend on the water.