UPGRADING My NEW Ski Boots (How To Install BOOSTER Straps)
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- čas přidán 25. 10. 2023
- Elliott Upgrades, breaks in, and customizes his Brand New Atomic Hawx Ski Boots. How to install booster straps, break in your ski boots, and install ski boot spoilers.
Affiliate Link For The AT Version of this Boot:
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I recently bought a pair of booster straps and had the same annoying rivets on my boot. I found you don’t actually need a drill to get the rivet off. Go to the inside of the boot and get pliers to crush the rivet lip on the inside of the boot and in a short period of time you will have crushed it to a point the rivet will simply pop out of the hole with no damage to the boot whatsoever!
This was one of your best videos I have seen so far. I bought my first set of boots a couple years ago and it was a bewildering process. Wish I had have known some of these tips. And yeah I’m going to check out booster straps now
Awesome thanks Shaun!
Love the bath scene. 😂. Love all your videos too man. I've been binging them all. You've got a great style. Keep up the good work
That's really nice of you to say! Thanks so much!
I have the same socks. They were on sale for like $9.
If you can’t crush the rivets to get them out, just drill very slowly so as to not build up heat around the bit. Will take longer but the hole will be left intact.
The boots feel different because one is meant for touring, and the other is meant for alpine skiing. All alpine ski boots will have a different stock liner to an touring boot. Also the liners will become more tech oriented the higher flex you go in both touring and alpine boots. The reason the liners are different is because one is meant for slightly different movements through the foot. Also touring boots are meant to save weight, this means the plastic is softer than a regular alpine 120. Since the plastic is softer the liner does not need to be as thick and padding in many areas.
A softer 120 boot will come with rivets instead of hex, pretty dumb in my mind as a boot fitter.
Every ski boot is going to fit different! Never just go buying boots online thinking they will fit perfect because of your shoe size! Always go try them on first.
Also boot fitter trick, just use a Dremal with a big sphere bit on the end and grind off the rivet from the inside or the boot (the silver side) it’ll pop right off with no huge hole that you’ll have to fill with washers
Omg great, tip, I should have thought of that. The part that I was surprised by was this: I tried the Atomic Hawx Prime 120S, AND The Atomic Hawx Prime 130 XTD. Both felt great, I thought I was safe with an Atomic Hawx Prime 120 XTD, But somehow NO, lol. Thanks for your insight and nice comment, cheers!
Solid, straightforward info
Thanks!
That is why I love my Technica Machs, they have bolts. Was a 5 minute job!!
It should be a standard!
So the hardware that you mention is too long, that's for the flex adjustment on the back of the cuff, not for the strap. If you remove the little button thing with the Atomic logo, that's where the hardware goes if you want to make the flex stiffer.
That makes total sense! In the past when I've worked on my wife's boots, I've had to saw down the screws that I picked up from HomeDepot, so that makes sense that they were different screws.
Thanks for the info!
Boosters are great. It takes me around two seasons (average 50 ski days per season) to break in new boots and I get them totally custom fit with foamed liners, shell stretches and grinds, and custom orthotic footbeds. It’s such a pain in the ass.
Wow, that's intense, but the end result is good?
use a smaller drill bit and a drop of oil in the rivet... once the middle is drilled out, you can pinch the edges of the rivet to collapse it and then pry it out from the head / back of the boot outside. smaller bit and touch of oil = less heat... If you have a small file you can also run it inside the hole you drilled and it'll quickly cut the rivet in half... Also should mention I see lots of people with boosters around the front of plastic shell of their boots, instead of the cuff of their liner...
Great tips thank you! The boosters are over the liner, but that's a great tip thanks so much!
@@RicketySkiReviews I figured you knew what to do with a booster, but many others don't -- and since you have the platform / are making videos -- it's worth clarifying for the newbies...
Totally! I agree, I see it wrong all the time too. Thanks again!
Drill at a slower rpm, as you should when drilling metal , helps too.
great tips markdartj58 thank you!
Create a top piste ski video for beginners please. Or share your thoughts here. The info you put out is great and unbiased.
great suggestion!
I just bought the hawx prime 110 touring and it felt better than the 120 touring, even though they're supposed to be the same but a bit stiffer. The 120 had some weird pressure points where the 110 didn't.
I had the exact same experience, I liked the 130 touring, but the 120 felt wrong somehow!
Same shell, different liners
Those are called channel locks! BTW, which strap do you have?
In my experience, the fit seems to be same between flexes for Hawx alpine boots. Similar to you, the Hawx Prime seems to fit my foot the best and I got fitted for a Hawx Prime 110s. Not soon after, I found a dirt cheap Hawx Prime 130s online and wanted to try the stiffer flex pattern - it largely fit the same. Remains to be seen whether I can flex the 130s sufficiently on the slopes though!
Best of luck to you! It's hard to tell based on the shop, but I'm sure if you break them in you can do it!
BTW, those are called channel locks! Which booster strap do you use?
Do know which “firmness” you’re using on your booster straps? Trying to figure out what I should get. Apologies if I missed it
not sure, but I will try to look them up, they're like 4 years old at this point lol
Great Vid! Can also try a hair dryer and heat up boot for a few mins before you wear them in at home! Much easier than a bath 🛁 😅
Great suggestion! I always get so nervous with introducing hairdryers or heat guns, but honestly probably safer than my drill lol.
So what difference/advantage does booster strap offer? It's simply the fact that it's elastic?
It feels like a smoother flex in the boot when you apply pressure, and when you relax the flex it brings the boot back into position in a more comfortable way.
Its weird because i just got the hawx ultra 130s and they definitely have hex screws instead of just rivets. Idk why they wouldn't expect someone with 120s to want to modify their boots, 100s sure just put rivets but for 120s ppl might just be lighter and not need that extra flex but still be pretty advanced
Totally agree, like it's gotta be easier for the shop workers too right? If Atomic had a strap that was Booster equivalent I probably wouldn't say a peep, but it's such a noticeable difference.
@@RicketySkiReviews funny enough the 130s also come with a ratcheting strap, not elastic like a booster but still better than velcro
Dang, I just can't catch a break, I got the boosters on though, so all is well with the universe.
Atomic actually has a strap called dual strap which is as good as booster or even better. Rivets are for cost savings and for the problem of loosening screws.
Lots of companies will install the strap with proper hardware straight from the box, the rivets might save them some money but there should be no excuse for making a strap upgrade that difficult. Swapping straps on Nordica boots is as simple as a few screwdriver turns and thankfully many of their boots are transitioning to a cam action style strap stock so the booster upgrade is becoming less of a necessity.
I agree, it seems like it's on purpose too! Bc the 130s I got have proper hardware.
@@RicketySkiReviews “130” means more about premium features than it does about flex. The flex tiers are often just there to accommodate different price points.
What is the hardware you got at Home Depot?
oh man, I don't recall, but I'll try and post if I find it again.
Take the liner out and put just the shell in hot water, shake the water off, put the liner back in, then put the boot on. The warmed shell will then mould to your foot. Use the laundry tub, not the bathtub. Duh. Expecting a cold shell to mould to your foot while skiing seems like an exercise in futility.
Great tip! I've just been wearing them while I edit video, and they seem to have broken in already, but appreciate the insight!
channellock tool, and always use booster straps
omg thank you! I use this tool at least 60 times per year and never knew it's name! Thank you thank you.
And yes Booster Straps rule.
Maybe cool your drill with water or drill paste. 😊
Great suggestion!
A reason to buy Lange... they make everything a replacement part... from buckles to straps or whatever you can bolt a new one on. Drilling into brand new boots 😔 No thanks. If you want to mold your boot, just use a boot warmer on the liners and wear them... break in much faster
Is it any easier to install the booster strap on the Lange?
Great tips! I agree the hardware is definitely more thoughtful on the Langes. I've been in Lange boots for almost 30 years now. I do like the way the Atomics feel so far, but I'm definitely gonna keep my Lange Lx120's on standby incase I run into issues.
I'm not sure why, but this years Lange Lx120 didn't feel quite right to me.
Not really mathieug6136, I had to drill out the rivets on my wife's Lange boots last spring and it's pretty much the same, just the boots come with more accurate hardware to get the boosters on vs atomic. But my wifes boots only came with one set and the boosters needed 2 sets, so I had to go to the hardware store either way.
BTW, you have wrong info on your video about the liners. The hard plastic mimic feature will not form to your foot by wearing the boots, no matter how long you wear them. The internal foam will break in as you said, but the liner is made to be heated and the stiff mimic plastic parts mold to your foot shape, cool off, and re-harden and stay that way. Without the heat, it doesn't change shape. A valid question would be "is this absolutely necessary" and the answer is no if you are happy with the fit as it, but it WILL feel better if you heat mold the liner. At home or in a shop, either way. My local shop charges $25 for boot heat molding, FYI, so its up to you on how to do it. Be sure you know the proper temp. needed if your molding at home. I don't know it off the top of my head, I paid the $25 and went to the shop. And just to cover it all, you do not need to heat mold the boots, just the liner. Bring the boots with you, though, as you put the heated liner in the boot and then your foot into it to match your foot shape and the boot shape. Its a very noticeable and more comfortable change.
Interesting, I called Evo and they said that I could just break it in the old fashioned way, but I do believe you. I tried calling Atomic 4 different times but no luck talking to a human lol
@@RicketySkiReviews I recommend listening to Blister podcast ski boot deep dive series with Matt Mansour from Atomic. He talks about Mimic liners. He also explains they cannot make elastic Booster-like strap due to the patent (only once it expires). Lot of interesting episodes.
I just came across a more recent youtube video where it was mentioned that you should actually use a larger drill bit. He demonstrates with an 8 and 10 mm in the video. He explains like it's the friction from the spinning of the rivet that can cause the plastic to melt if the bit is too small. As a pro, he does make it look rather easy. 😃
czcams.com/video/32d-kSednoo/video.htmlsi=MJGdZ1pDwHNom9cJ
it's so stupid that 130 boots have screws but the 120/110 have rivets. Expert skiers still use 110 (park skiers) and 120 (people with low weight or ankle flexion). Just annoying.
100% agree, I would honestly be happier if they left the holes empty and just let people install their own, at least then I wouldn't have to risk damaging the boots.
Changing the flex ,thats all you are doing , its smarter to buy boots with a lower flex , 70 or 80 flex is also better in the powder . the most have to high flex .
I disagree actually, it's a smoother flex of the boot and better return to form. It won't make a bad boot good or anything, but it makes a good boot better. Definitely at least try them out if you can.
Off set pliers
Dude, you are using way too large a drill bit to start out with; that's why your melting the plastic. Start with the smallest self-piloting drill bit you can find and drill the initial hole; then use progressively larger diameter drill bits until you can get the rivet out.
Hmmmmm. You really botched the booster install and messed up your boot. I would take this down or redo with a successful booster install. I also would add you are not up on the proper approach to Mimic Liner tech. from Atomic. Your approach is 10 years old on how to break in a ski boot, some of it is still valid, but using heat is necessary and so much easier and quicker. I own a couple of Mimic liners and speak from experience. My liners skied fully broken in on day one with a trip to the Atomic oven at my local ski shop. You could do the same at home, but its worth the trip to your local shop.
Rather than just criticize, I am a mechanical guru and will advise on the booster install. The boot has rivets (not whatever you called them) holding on the power strap. More expensive models have screws with inserts which are very easy to remove. It varies a lot. The head of the rivet must be removed without spinning the whole rivet and friction heat drilling a big hole in your boot. Either clamp the outer ring of the rivet with vise grips or channel lock pliers, or a clamp. And or use a really sharp drill bit on slow speed, start with a small size bit and work your way bigger till the rivet pops off. A dremel tool with an appropriate bit as suggested below would work well too. Basically if you are spinning the rivet, stop. Do not keep spinning it till it bores a big hole in your boot like you did. Figure out a way to keep it from spinning. If all else fails, take it to a shop and they will find a way to get the rivet out.
in my defense I did just follow the booster video, but I totally believe that I was doing it the wrong way. Should be fine for now, and I'll just add a washer later if it's a big issue.
Agree you followed the video, but their video is pretty minimal on drilling out a rivet ski boot strap. Lots of ways to have problems, as you found out, that the video does not prepare you for. I am sure you are not alone in having issues. Hopefully my tips will help you next time. You could cut out a plastic milk carton or something to make a washer with small hole to fill in your large hole. Clamp the washer between your oversized washers and you should be good for the life of the boot. If you don't fill in the large hole, the the screw might move around in the large hole. Plastic gives over time and you might need to keep tightening the large washers clamp force.@@RicketySkiReviews
If it heats up you are using to high rotational speed on the drill. @scottb6047 also seems to be on the money. If you let the rivet api. You will use that as a drill bit into the plastic 😂