# Are helmets supposed to crack?



## Hellude (Nov 12, 2010)

Contact the retailer with your question. 
Or post a picture of it


----------



## Tarzanman (Dec 20, 2008)

Most likely a defect. Take it back, or don't trust it for big impacts


----------



## pailhead (Jan 17, 2009)

Guess it's not that mighty, but id does run through. Weird that it appeared right at the corner point where the foam has a detail. Seems more like a design defect than a manufacturing one.


----------



## labowsky (Sep 28, 2010)

i would say if you had a hard fall, its normal.


----------



## alex12 (Dec 23, 2010)

^ agreed. as far as i know, helmets are good for one hard impact. after it has visibly deformed or cracked, it is not nearly as safe anymore


----------



## ev13wt (Nov 22, 2010)

So the shell is fine? You can probably ask Burton, maybe they will send you new foam?

I would trust it still, because its a small crack and doesn't "look" compressed - but a part of me says get a new helmet.

Actually, get a new one period. You know you want to!


----------



## pailhead (Jan 17, 2009)

New foam?

I know that the trace helmet seems to have the shell and the foam independently but i always thought that was just poor design or poor quality. I've got another one, a mutiny 2, but i wasted the last gopro mount on the hi-fi before i noticed it was cracked. I think i may have lost the camera and got the crack at the same time.


----------



## ev13wt (Nov 22, 2010)

I had a trace so yea, I figured they all where removeable.


----------



## pailhead (Jan 17, 2009)

Got a response, they said thats the way they are designed.


----------



## TBomb (Dec 29, 2010)

Bro, I really don't think they are designed with a crack in them like that. The hard outer shell of the helmet is designed to prevent sharp objects from puncturing into the softer "foam" inner shell, which is designed to spread out the impact and essentially self destruct to keep that force from going into your skull. Someone said it earlier but helmets are really only good for one big hit like that and then they're toast. I would definitely get a new one if you can see a visible crack like that. I usually replace my helmet if I know I took a hard impact and can see visible damage to the outer shell, even if I can't see a crack in the inner shell. Sometimes the crack is barely visible due to the cellular structure of the foam, but it can still be there, and if it is, the helmet's ability to save your brain is greatly reduced. Personally I don't think the chance is worth saving the $50-$100.


----------



## Triple8Sol (Nov 24, 2008)

That type of EPS foam is designed to crack after a hard impact. That's why it's so firm and one big crash and they're done. If it came that way brand new unused, then no that's not normal.


----------



## pailhead (Jan 17, 2009)

Good thing i noticed. I don't really remember having a major impact like that, except one perhaps but that was last season. I have another one, mutiny II so ill switch to it, but i prefered the hi-fi because it was light, had vents, and good for mounting the gopro.


----------

