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easy fix for broken Garmont Megaride rivet
Posted: 08 March 2010 03:56 PM  
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About a week ago I was packing my boots to fly home and noticed that the inner ring had fallen off from the rivet (on the inner side) that hinges the upper and lower sections of my beloved Garmont Megaride boots.
[ reference PisteHors.com 2008 thread on “broken megarides” ]

So an hour after I got off the airplane, I was all set to take them to a good ski shop to see if they could somehow repair it—but first I phoned Garmont USA. They asked for my postal address, and three days later a little envelope arrived with the replacement.

Remarkable thing is that the replacement part does not require a rivet tool. I just carefully pried out the old rivet, and screwed in the new one with a 4mm hex Allen wrench (with a bigger adjustable wrench to hold the square base that goes on the inside).

Turns out the replacement part looks a lot like the original part that hinges on the (opposite) outer side of the same boot.
I think the replacement is a bit heavier than the original rivet. My thought at this moment of relief: Sometimes heavier metal could be a good thing.

Ken

P.S. What’s funny is that I never expected to break anything because I think of myself as a gentle skier—keep my release settings ridiculously compared to most serious skiers. But I guess I do like skiing ”les bosses” ("moguls" we call them in America). And nowadays most off-piste runs do soon become bump runs. As do the lower sections of some popular backcountry tours. And I can sorta see how fun bump skiing is an obvious way to put high stress on those hinging rivets.

[ Edited: 08 March 2010 04:00 PM by KenR]
 
 
Posted: 08 March 2010 04:13 PM   [ # 1 ]  
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I think these parts just fatigue with general walking and skiing and the temperature changes they go through (aluminium is sensitive to cold). I think having a slightly heavier part is probably a good thing.

Glad to hear that was the only problem you had on your return.

 
 
Posted: 08 March 2010 07:32 PM   [ # 2 ]  
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Aluminum?!
Just the idea of aluminum fatigue failure makes me consider of a prophylactic replacement of the same rivet on the other boot.

Just to be safe, maybe I should tour in full alpine downhill boots. But then I wouldn’t have any excuse for why I don’t ski better.

Ken