# Thread lock! Or not?



## Guest (Nov 19, 2009)

I didn't have any luck with search and the current topics don't really address it, so if I missed a huge "OMG LOOK HERE FOR THREAD LOCK" thread then I fail. XD

That said, what brands do you recommend? I see Vibra-tite, loctite, Permatex, in colors of red, blue, happy tie dye...you get the idea.

From what I've gathered on the boards I avoid max strength, so stick with blue? What of those who oppose its use altogether? I read in a few places it wears out your screws and can cause damage to the board over time, but I'm not sure how accurate that is. 

I ask because I was encountering issues the last 2-3 times I went. Couldn't carve, was losing balance all over the place; it was like I had completely forgotten how to ride. Well, turns out my screws were getting loose (surprise!) in a single run and my bindings shifted in opposite directions as a result. So I had my left heel over the edge, and my right toes over the over. 

I did use tape on my screws from the start but it didn't seem to stop things from vibrating loose. Help?

Also, would you recommend sticking with the stock plates and screws or are there better alternatives out there 'sides the manufacturer?

A few quips about myself:
Last season was my first; I hope to conquer whatever blue square trails I find by the end of this one.
I'm pretty hooked on the sport...I'm hoping this forum will provide me good information and maybe I'll even get to meet a few folks...who knows.

I'll be lurking. ^_^

~Spider


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## xxfinnellxx (Aug 30, 2009)

i have a question about this stuff too. I know people who use super glue, but thats only beacause they know their stance is down to perfection. Im always experimenting.

So far i use plumbers tape. Works really well. probably kills the vibration because of its elasticity. But when it comes to thread locking supplies...i have no idea. Id like to know more about this too


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## arsenic0 (Nov 11, 2008)

Small(and i do mean small) application of Blue Loctite. Not Red under all circumstances or it may never come out.

Most binding manufacturers do not recommend it, and sometimes using it can void your warranty(assuming they could tell?)...so just use very small amounts..its really strong.


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## Bones (Feb 24, 2008)

arsenic0 said:


> Small(and i do mean small) application of Blue Loctite. Not Red under all circumstances or it may never come out.
> 
> Most binding manufacturers do not recommend it, and sometimes using it can void your warranty(assuming they could tell?)...so just use very small amounts..its really strong.


The blue does the trick...just a drop is all you need.

Funny about the warranty, my old rossignol bindings had blue loctite on some bolts that I didn't put there.


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## john doe (Nov 6, 2009)

Blue Loctite or Blue Permatex what ever is at you local autozone. Only use it on screw that thread into metal. This stuff can eat plastics.


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## avenged1985 (Nov 3, 2009)

SpiderEternal said:


> I didn't have any luck with search and the current topics don't really address it, so if I missed a huge "OMG LOOK HERE FOR THREAD LOCK" thread then I fail. XD
> 
> That said, what brands do you recommend? I see Vibra-tite, loctite, Permatex, in colors of red, blue, happy tie dye...you get the idea.
> 
> ...


DO NOT USE. it corrodes your baseplates. I broke both mine in my bindings. just carry a screwdriver with you and check your screws everytime your gonna strap in.


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## arsenic0 (Nov 11, 2008)

avenged1985 said:


> DO NOT USE. it corrodes your baseplates. I broke both mine in my bindings. just carry a screwdriver with you and check your screws everytime your gonna strap in.


Installed improperly yes...just dont let it touch the plastic and your fine..if you put enough on that it oozes out you failed at glue usage.

Check your screws every time you strap in? Are you crazy? LOL.

I would break a board over my knee and quit the sport before i would do something so dumb every time..


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## avenged1985 (Nov 3, 2009)

arsenic0 said:


> Installed improperly yes...just dont let it touch the plastic and your fine..if you put enough on that it oozes out you failed at glue usage.
> 
> Check your screws every time you strap in? Are you crazy? LOL.
> 
> I would break a board over my knee and quit the sport before i would do something so dumb every time..


use teflon tape i think its called. its like thread lock but in tape form. and its not fuckin hard to check 8 screws you lazy fuck


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Fuck all that noise 3 dollar clear nail polish works wonders fellas. I swear people over analyze the simplest things ever.


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## snowvols (Apr 16, 2008)

arsenic0 said:


> I would break a board over my knee and quit the sport before i would do something so dumb every time..


YES!!! That would be awesome to see someone do that. I could actually picture someone doing that with a long stream of cuss words about how they hate their life. 

Just add a small drop to the screw and screw it in. That should do the trick.


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## Toecutter (Oct 11, 2009)

avenged1985 said:


> ...carry a screwdriver with you and check your screws everytime your gonna strap in.


You mean at the top of every run?


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Snowolf said:


> I`m a guy....there is always a tube of loctite floating around my garage, I don`t keep a supply of nail polish on hand.....:cheeky4::laugh:


I like the vagina and sometimes they leave shit around the house.


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## john doe (Nov 6, 2009)

Snowolf said:


> I`m a guy....there is always a tube of loctite floating around my garage, I don`t keep a supply of nail polish on hand.....:cheeky4::laugh:


Exactly. I know that right now I have in my tool box Red Loctite, Blue Loctite, and teflon tape. Not a stitch of nail polish anywhere near me.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

There's only one tool that I put in her box and it seems to work well for keeping nail polish in the house.


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## john doe (Nov 6, 2009)

Being serious, I don't like nail polish because it is too close to red loctite. A screw with blue loctite can be removed and put back in a few times with out loosing the majority of the hold. With red once the screw is turned it breaks the material and greatly reduces it's hold. Same for nail polish.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Um I put it in wet and let it dry it's soft enough to break free when I loosen it but it never slips when it's in. Then again I think every company should just use the same screws K2 is with the grooved heads that sit in a grooved washer. That shit is ingenious.


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## avenged1985 (Nov 3, 2009)

i do it at the bottom whenever i unstrap


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## arsenic0 (Nov 11, 2008)

avenged1985 said:


> i do it at the bottom whenever i unstrap


So after every run, you unstrap both feet, fiddle with screws and then strap your front foot back in?

Wow..i dont know if i should be amazed at your dedication to the sport or laziness to spend 2 dollars and 5 minutes on properly installing loctite...:cheeky4::dunno:

But yes, the teflon tape/plumbers tape would probably work too...


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## Toecutter (Oct 11, 2009)

arsenic0 said:


> So after every run, you unstrap both feet, fiddle with screws and then strap your front foot back in?


It seems a bit overkill to me too. I could see checking the screws before each day at the mountain, but not between each run. I don't think Avenged1985 really does it either, but he was trying to make a point that one should check his equipment.

I went up maybe 30 days last season and checked my screws only two or three times.


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## Vlaze (Nov 12, 2008)

Teflon tape is for sealing purposes to prevent the medium (water in most cases) from leaking by the fitting. It is not a thread locker alike to loctite. While I'm sure people use it as a rough way of helping a screw to prevent loosening, I would stick with loctite.

The initial responses of blue loctite is the correct answer, but depends how often you are loosening those screws. Seeing I do so at the end of every day so I can wax my board better I don't bother. If you leave your bindings in the board tight and plan not to adjust or remove them for waxing then use it, otherwise I wouldn't bother. The screws shouldn't come loose in one daily session or even a couple


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## Anor (Oct 24, 2009)

Yeah T Tape is not for those that don't want to check there screws at the beginning and end of the day. I have used it and not had any problems, but it's not as tight and Loctite is and is designed to keep the threads from corroding. If you plan on keeping the set up for a long time and maintain it well it's the best for keeping the threads clean, free from rust and dampening chatter. But it has more potential to come loose. It never has for me, but I still check because I know T Tape isn't loctite. It does however prevent the screws from loosening as well as the crap that comes on the screws to lock the thread. 

T Tape is also not that easy to apply. For those who are plumbers or use the stuff around the house you'll know it's hard to wrap around something as small as a screw. It needs to be very tight to thread in properly.

But no matter what you use, you shouldn't have to check them at the end of every run. Even if you use nothing they will stay tight for at least a few days of riding. I just check before I go out.


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## arsenic0 (Nov 11, 2008)

Loose bolts are a bad thing on many levels, probably the most important other than the fact its incredibly dangerous if it comes loose or your foot shifts, is the fact that its probably grinding away the grooves in the inserts on your board making it more and more useless as time passes until eventually a bolt just wont screw in and your boards worthless.


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## GC24 (Sep 2, 2009)

I notice my bindings especially the front one start to wiggle somewhat every so often.
Should I use blue loctite even though I will be removing my bindings every few days for a waxing?
If I do how often do I need to apply/reapply the loctite?
Or since I remove my bindings so often am I forced to just retighten them halfway through a day of riding?


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## avenged1985 (Nov 3, 2009)

arsenic0 said:


> So after every run, you unstrap both feet, fiddle with screws and then strap your front foot back in?
> 
> Wow..i dont know if i should be amazed at your dedication to the sport or laziness to spend 2 dollars and 5 minutes on properly installing loctite...:cheeky4::dunno:
> 
> But yes, the teflon tape/plumbers tape would probably work too...


hah no man way to lazy to do that. i use teflon tape and whenever i unstrap to go in or something i check and see if they are still tight.


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## Guest (Nov 20, 2009)

Teflon tape is not a thread lock. While it may work, why not use the right tool for the job? Nail polish?

Blue (medium strength) loctite/permatex etc is designed exactly for this application. It keeps screws from vibrating/working loose, while still allowing easy removal with a hand tool. You should re-apply after you remove the screws, but in my experience the build up of loctite on the screws will hold them pretty secure for a couple removals. A small bottle of this stuff is only a couple bucks at any hardware/autoparts store, lasts forever, and is useful for many applications.


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## arsenic0 (Nov 11, 2008)

fix25 said:


> Teflon tape is not a thread lock. While it may work, why not use the right tool for the job? Nail polish?
> 
> Blue (medium strength) loctite/permatex etc is designed exactly for this application. It keeps screws from vibrating/working loose, while still allowing easy removal with a hand tool. You should re-apply after you remove the screws, but in my experience the build up of loctite on the screws will hold them pretty secure for a couple removals. A small bottle of this stuff is only a couple bucks at any hardware/autoparts store, lasts forever, and is useful for many applications.


How dare you over simplify the process! :cheeky4:


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## avenged1985 (Nov 3, 2009)

fix25 said:


> Teflon tape is not a thread lock. While it may work, why not use the right tool for the job? Nail polish?
> 
> Blue (medium strength) loctite/permatex etc is designed exactly for this application. It keeps screws from vibrating/working loose, while still allowing easy removal with a hand tool. You should re-apply after you remove the screws, but in my experience the build up of loctite on the screws will hold them pretty secure for a couple removals. A small bottle of this stuff is only a couple bucks at any hardware/autoparts store, lasts forever, and is useful for many applications.


i know its not a thread lock, but it works and it wont corrode your plates,


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## Cr0_Reps_Smit (Jun 27, 2009)

i have the burton bullet tool, which in my opinion is the best pocket tool out there, so if i ever feel my bindings loosening up i just tighten them up real quick. no need to unstrap to find out, just wiggle my feet while strapped in and if it moves then i tighten it.

i find that my bindings loosen up a lot when i tighten them somewhere warm then take it out to the snow. after a run they are usually slightly looser but after the 2nd tightening im good till the next time i switch up my board or bindings.


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## BoardTheSnow73 (Apr 25, 2009)

Cr0_Reps_Smit said:


> i find that my bindings loosen up a lot when i tighten them somewhere warm then take it out to the snow. after a run they are usually slightly looser but after the 2nd tightening im good till the next time i switch up my board or bindings.


I never put 2 and 2 together, but after reading this i realize that this is what has happened to me. I always tighten my screws up before i leave my house (it's a pain to do because I have to unscrew and remove my gas pedal and footbed padding to get to them). On several occasions my bindings started loosening up after 5-10 runs and it was always when I was night boarding or if it was just freakin cold outside. Probably a mixture between the mounting disk shrinking and everything being stiffer and chattering more.
I went over to Lowe's and got some plummers tape (97 cents) and some blue loctite ($6) so I should be fine this year.


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## Guest (Nov 20, 2009)

avenged1985 said:


> i know its not a thread lock, but it works and it wont corrode your plates,


Unless your going crazy with it this shouldn't be an issue. A small drop on the end of the threads is all it takes, the turning of the screw will spread it across the remaining threads.


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## BoardTheSnow73 (Apr 25, 2009)

You know where blue locktite comes from don't you?


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## Vlaze (Nov 12, 2008)

avenged1985 said:


> i know its not a thread lock, but it works and it wont corrode your plates,


FYI, loctite in general does not cause corrosion. There are specific ones that _can_ technically but doubtful.

If you are seeing corrosion near the bolt holes then you 1) either didn't wipe the excess glue away due to applying more than you should have 2)have an aluminum plate which corrodes naturally against steel over time 3)or if it's steel then the coating has been removed, worn down and rusted up due to this over time.


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## Guest (Nov 23, 2009)

I just want to thank everyone for helping me out; there were certainly interesting facts brought to the table. I'll keep the loctite use very minimal; a drop on the tip of the screw right? I'll also try to tighten my screws when it's cold and I'm about to head out.

I'll let you know how it works out. ^_^


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## racerstf (Oct 25, 2007)

loctite and permatex are the same thing, just so you know.


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## MunkySpunk (Jan 7, 2009)

Cr0_Reps_Smit said:


> i find that my bindings loosen up a lot when i tighten them somewhere warm then take it out to the snow. after a run they are usually slightly looser but after the 2nd tightening im good till the next time i switch up my board or bindings.


Bingo. 

Metal expands and shrinks with temperature. The screws and mounting holes are no different. I've had the same experience, repeatedly.


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## avenged1985 (Nov 3, 2009)

Vlaze said:


> FYI, loctite in general does not cause corrosion. There are specific ones that _can_ technically but doubtful.
> 
> If you are seeing corrosion near the bolt holes then you 1) either didn't wipe the excess glue away due to applying more than you should have 2)have an aluminum plate which corrodes naturally against steel over time 3)or if it's steel then the coating has been removed, worn down and rusted up due to this over time.


maybe they were just shitty plates cause both shattered, they were burton cunstoms, i just figured it was that cause ive been told it corrodes it and because i put in on there and after that they shattered. but who knows.


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## Nugggster (Sep 29, 2008)

MunkySpunk said:


> Bingo.
> 
> Metal expands and shrinks with temperature. The screws and mounting holes are no different. I've had the same experience, repeatedly.




munky hit the nail on the head, carry a small driver with u. its the nature of the beast. metal contracts & expands. the idea of loctite is to minimize the effects under expansion & contraction due to temperature changes. its strong enough to have a good bite & hold, but weak enough to break free when removing your bindings or changing your stance up. its why they have different formulas of loc-tite. the blue is on the lower strength end.

fyi, loc-tite is some enormously strong shit. Do not use the red shit, use the blue, and IF u do, use only A TINY BEADS WORTH or you will pay.


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## Prophecies (Oct 1, 2009)

Like BA said. I've never, EVER used threadlock on my screws. A simple drop of clear nail polish does the trick perfectly. The nail polish absorbs the vibrations and prevents your screws from unscrewing.


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