Premium Members Kris Torch Wilson Posted April 9, 2007 Premium Members Report Share Posted April 9, 2007 Happy Easter All, I've had problems with my socket block slipping. I have a new Tiffen Ultra vest. I enlisted all of the grips and had the big boys tighten the hell out of it by hand. It still inches its way south. Do I dare put pliers on it or will I break the knobs? Any ideas? Kris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members RonBaldwin Posted April 9, 2007 Premium Members Report Share Posted April 9, 2007 maybe you could lose the knob and just use an allen bolt and wank with a t-wrench? Maybe a screw through the socketblock plate into the chest spar. rb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members JobScholtze Posted April 9, 2007 Premium Members Report Share Posted April 9, 2007 maybe you could lose the knob and just use an allen bolt and wank with a t-wrench? Maybe a screw through the socketblock plate into the chest spar. rb I have the same issue with my older master vest i bought from afton some moons ago. It dasnt matter how tight i push the knob, it slips. Didnt find the solution yet. I was thinking about a new vest, but after reading this that wont work either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Smith Posted April 9, 2007 Report Share Posted April 9, 2007 I've had this exact problem with my master's vest, I think I solved it (working so far). Remove the sliding plate on which the socket block is mounted. You'll see that the knob is tightening a wedge against the front spa of the vest. Opposing this wedge is another steel block against which the other side of the spa pushes. You need to unscrew this block, reposition it so it is in the narrowest position WRT the opposite wedge and retighten the screws that hold it in place. I actually bought new screws since the one's in my vest where a bit worse for wear. I was amazed at how tiny the screws holding that block in place are, but so far it hasn't slipped at all since I've retightend :unsure: so far so good! PS this is all from memory, if it doesn't make sense I'll try and post photos.... not sure I've got the skills to do that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Afton Grant Posted April 9, 2007 Premium Members Report Share Posted April 9, 2007 One of the first times I ever met with Alec Jarnagin for a gear pow wow we noticed the socket block didn't seem to be as secure as it could be. Alec took the plate off the spar and lined the inside of the rails that grip the spar with strips of gaff tape. It provided a little extra thickness and grip. It never slipped on me again. Of course I would've preferred the machining on my gear didn't require a fix like this, but it worked remarkably well and it was far cheaper than replacing the parts. Thanks Alec! Best, Afton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Jerry Holway Posted April 9, 2007 Premium Members Report Share Posted April 9, 2007 Chris et al- The desgn of the clamp wedge and holder for the Ultra2 vest bridge plate (and some of the slightly older Ultra vests) was changed to address just this problem - the old wedge ALWAYS imperfectly contacted the spar and did not wedge it properly against the far side. The new one - with two knobs, provides (should provide) 100% contact with the guide and spar, very tight wedging, and no slipping. So I'm curious as why Chris' is slipping... could you send me a detailed photo or two? Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members JobScholtze Posted April 9, 2007 Premium Members Report Share Posted April 9, 2007 Jerry Any change this new mod fits the older vests? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Jerry Holway Posted April 9, 2007 Premium Members Report Share Posted April 9, 2007 Jerry Any change this new mod fits the older vests? Yes, there is. For the the older Ultra vests and MS vests, there is a single knob, direct replacement of the wedge and the keeper - which I've had on my original Ultra for several years. The latest Ultra2 uses a 2 knob version of the same basic design - better still. Contact Kyle Young at the factory, 818 843-4600 ext. 17. I'll alert him to this thread. Again, curious why Kris' was slipping.... Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Kris Torch Wilson Posted April 10, 2007 Author Premium Members Report Share Posted April 10, 2007 Thanks for the input all. It seems Brad may have nailed the problem. I tightened the screws on the opposite side of the knobs and all seems better. I'm a knothead for not pulling out a screwdriver right away. Too obvious I guess! Will monitor the situation for a few days and unless you hear from me again, that was a pretty simple fix. Jerry, Thanks for staying on top of these kind of things. You are one of the reasons I chose the Ultra 2 and I'm very impressed with all the support I've received. Kris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members joe mcnally Posted April 10, 2007 Premium Members Report Share Posted April 10, 2007 Keep your eye on the alighnment of the two little screws. The ones on the same side as the knob. They have a tendency to bend over time and ultimatley snap. Ive replaced mine 3 times over the years. The first sign of the screws failing is the plate slipping down. Brian at Bees Engineering gave me a bag of spares for just such occassions Joe McNally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Rob Vuona SOC Posted April 11, 2007 Premium Members Report Share Posted April 11, 2007 Kris, If you stopped banging into varilights you wouldn't stress the socket block in odd ways. . . . lol . . . . .hahaha love ya man peace out Rob Vuona oh and Ted Ashston says your a dumb ass Red Neck. . .lol . . . all with love Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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