22D Axl *Front Cable* Replacement
Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2024 5:48 pm
I finally broke one of the front cables on my Axl (not the rear cable that goes through the heel). I couldn't find any info online or on the 22D website, so I thought I'd post some info here in case anyone else needs to go through the replacement. I'll reference parts in the anatomy image here.
- You can order any small replacement parts from 22D. Just email them and they'll send you an invoice for misc parts. They're inexpensive and they ship fast. I had to order a cable, a spring set, a spacer, and a top hat.
- Ultimately you need to remove the cross tube which is held in place with two hex screws that go through the toepiece and base. These are 5/16"-18 and a little less than a 1/2" long. They are held in place with a fairly serious threadlocker which does not aid in the removal.
- You'll probably be able to get one of the screws out easily since you can put a hex key in each at the same time and unscrew, but getting the second out is tough since there is nothing to keep the cross tube from spinning once you get one of the screws out.
- The screws take a 5/32" hex key. I ended up tapping in a 4mm hex bit socket instead since it gives a tighter fit. I also used a socket instead of key for more torque and better control. These screws are pretty easy to strip so be careful!
- I couldn't get the second one out and I eventually stripped the screw. I emailed 22D and they said I should hit it with a torch to help loosen up the threadlocker they put in there. I didn't like that idea given all the plastic nearby. Instead I ended up drilling out the center of the screw and used an easy-out to remove it. If that didn't work, then I was going to cut a couple of flats on the bolt and use another pair of vice groups to grab it. The last result would be to cut the screw head off and order a new cross tube from 22D (looking back on the time it took to deal with this - I think this is actually the best option).
- Whatever you do to grip the second screw, you need to come up with a way to keep the cross tube from spinning. I used a pair of vice-grips over the extruded clip and locked them down super tight. This gave just enough friction to keep the cross tube from spinning so I could extract the screw with the easy-out. I attached a couple of photos so you can see what I mean.
- If I were to do this again, I'd probably just cut the head off the second bolt and order a new cross tube from 22D, but I need the skis ready for tomorrow! Also, I would use stainless steel torx screws instead of the screws from 22D. I think the torx fitting would provide better torque and resist stripping better then the hex bit. If I had had more time, I probably would've used an abrasive cutoff wheel to grind a small slot in the cross tube (not all the way through of course) so I could get the tip of a fat screw driver in there to help prevent spinning. If you were to do it in the right place, you could access the slot through the window in the extruded clip where the front of the flex plate snaps in. Unfortunately you can't do this when the binding is fully assembled, only when you have the toe piece and extruded clip out of the way. Of course if you're just going to cut the head off the second screw and replace the cross tube then you wouldn't need to deal with the slot.
- Reinstall is easy since you're tightening the two screws against each other - you don't have to worry about the cross tube spinning. Also, I used Loctite blue on the new screws which isn't a hardening threadlocker and should be easier to remove next time. I'll have to keep an eye on them to see if they loosen up over time.
Anyway, hope this is helpful to someone who runs into the same issue. I've been skiing these since 2014 with no real issues til now - so kudos to the 22D team!
- You can order any small replacement parts from 22D. Just email them and they'll send you an invoice for misc parts. They're inexpensive and they ship fast. I had to order a cable, a spring set, a spacer, and a top hat.
- Ultimately you need to remove the cross tube which is held in place with two hex screws that go through the toepiece and base. These are 5/16"-18 and a little less than a 1/2" long. They are held in place with a fairly serious threadlocker which does not aid in the removal.
- You'll probably be able to get one of the screws out easily since you can put a hex key in each at the same time and unscrew, but getting the second out is tough since there is nothing to keep the cross tube from spinning once you get one of the screws out.
- The screws take a 5/32" hex key. I ended up tapping in a 4mm hex bit socket instead since it gives a tighter fit. I also used a socket instead of key for more torque and better control. These screws are pretty easy to strip so be careful!
- I couldn't get the second one out and I eventually stripped the screw. I emailed 22D and they said I should hit it with a torch to help loosen up the threadlocker they put in there. I didn't like that idea given all the plastic nearby. Instead I ended up drilling out the center of the screw and used an easy-out to remove it. If that didn't work, then I was going to cut a couple of flats on the bolt and use another pair of vice groups to grab it. The last result would be to cut the screw head off and order a new cross tube from 22D (looking back on the time it took to deal with this - I think this is actually the best option).
- Whatever you do to grip the second screw, you need to come up with a way to keep the cross tube from spinning. I used a pair of vice-grips over the extruded clip and locked them down super tight. This gave just enough friction to keep the cross tube from spinning so I could extract the screw with the easy-out. I attached a couple of photos so you can see what I mean.
- If I were to do this again, I'd probably just cut the head off the second bolt and order a new cross tube from 22D, but I need the skis ready for tomorrow! Also, I would use stainless steel torx screws instead of the screws from 22D. I think the torx fitting would provide better torque and resist stripping better then the hex bit. If I had had more time, I probably would've used an abrasive cutoff wheel to grind a small slot in the cross tube (not all the way through of course) so I could get the tip of a fat screw driver in there to help prevent spinning. If you were to do it in the right place, you could access the slot through the window in the extruded clip where the front of the flex plate snaps in. Unfortunately you can't do this when the binding is fully assembled, only when you have the toe piece and extruded clip out of the way. Of course if you're just going to cut the head off the second screw and replace the cross tube then you wouldn't need to deal with the slot.
- Reinstall is easy since you're tightening the two screws against each other - you don't have to worry about the cross tube spinning. Also, I used Loctite blue on the new screws which isn't a hardening threadlocker and should be easier to remove next time. I'll have to keep an eye on them to see if they loosen up over time.
Anyway, hope this is helpful to someone who runs into the same issue. I've been skiing these since 2014 with no real issues til now - so kudos to the 22D team!