Official Frankenbinder Thread

 

I received some Force MC baseplates a gift from a friend recently.  Needless to say I was, and am, pretty stoked.  As soon as I found out I'd be getting them I started searching for what I could use to complete them.  I bought a pair of used Orange Contacts from idshredhead on here and also had several pairs of old Unions sitting around the house from previous projects.  Here's what I got going so far:

 

Option A - Freestyle/Park

 

Force MC baseplates, Contact highbacks & heel straps, Inverter toe straps, Data foot beds

 

 

 

Option B - Freeride/All-Mountain

 

Force MC baseplates, Contact SL highbacks & toe straps, Contact heel straps, Data foot beds

 

 

 

Data Inverters - Inverter baseplates, Data straps w/ SuperPro ratchets, Data/Inverter heel cups & high backs, Contact heel strap "guts" (orange pieces)

 

 

 

 

Red/Black Forces - Simple as that.  Two pairs mixed.

 

 

 

 

* Actually didn't do the building on these.  Bought them as is from eltaco almost two years ago, used 'em a few times, and recently sold them to hock1618.  Sweet binders just didn't have a need for them anymore, and had a really strong desire to get a new jacket instead.

 

Thought of that as soon as I submitted my last post.  Went through the classifieds to find your thread.  Definitely got me thinking now.  Interested in any trades?  Otherwise how urgent are you to sell them?  Had a friend stop over last night and is interested in buying my used Rome Machine, plus also had a random PM this morning regarding the Rome Design I'm trying to sell.  If something positive happens in the near future I might have a little extra green, pun totally intended.

 

From my personal experiences I've found that you can't mix certain Contact parts with the Forces and Datas.  The baseplates are obviously completely different, but the heel cups are a different size as well.  The Force cups take two bolts and are a little longer.  The Contacts take one bolt and have a little angle cut on the inside end of them.  I've had to change a few things here and there to make it work, but it's all working out so far.  Straps, ratchets, ladders all seem to be universal (with the exception of my Inverter heel straps) and that makes it easier as well.

 

The Force and Data are basically the same binding.  The Data has a little more cushioning than the Force.  Think Ford Explorer vs Lincoln Aviator.

 

I have also run into a couple issues here and there with mounting my highbacks.  It seems like the newer bindings, '10 and newer, have a different strap mounting setup.  Could be just the Contact baseplates that have it, tho.  On the outside of where the heel cup bolts go in, there are little preset grooves that the bolts seat into.  I think it's to keep the heel cup from sliding in and out while riding since there's only one bolt on each side as opposed to two like on the Force.  This is probably confusing to people that don't have both right in front of them, so I'll try to get some pictures up quick.

 

Other than that, it's pretty much open to the imagination.  I've never had my hands on the Cadets or Cadet-DLX, but by looking at them they seem to be "compatible."  Also, my girlfriend has Milans and I'm looking at tearing into those next.  Got some new Pterodactyl highbacks for her and will probably swap ratchets with something else, just to mix them up a little.

 

What I'm working with:

 

'07 Inverters

'09 Contacts

'09 Force MC

'09 Team Datas

'10 Contact SL

'10 SuperPros

 

Originally posted by KrazyKidd39 sick bindings.

 

Thanks.

 

Originally posted by Angry Midget Yo That's pretty neat stuff you're doing.  Does switching out parts like that take a lot of time?

 

And thanks.  It really isn't that time consuming if you've got a plan. Sometimes I just take my time for something to do, and it's fun.  Once you've taken them apart once or twice and figure out what they're made of it's pretty straight forward and simple.  Get a pair and start taking them apart.  Then get another pair and mix a few things together.  Simple as that.

 

To be quite honest with you I really don't notice a difference between the two.  If I did it'd most likely be the lack of cushion on the Inverter one, as it's basically a piece of thin rubber attached to those.  But there's also a half inch of boot between my leg and the high backs.  I don't know.  They seem to work fine for me.  And I'm not going pro anytime soon so if they are making a difference I can't tell.

 

I'm kinda pumped to see some 390 franks.  We had some of the limited neon 390s for my gf 2 seasons ago.  They were awesome looking, but didn't really work out for her performance wise, which is a bummer.  And I'm just a fan of Rome in general.  Anywho, I can only imagine that 390s would look pretty rad.  Seems like they make enough different colorways that you'd be able to get pretty creative with it.  Another thing I like about Union is they're almost all just solid colors.

Updating this post with some pics to show what I was trying to explain.

 

Originally posted by Krazylegz1485   From my personal experiences I've found that you can't mix certain Contact parts with the Forces and Datas.  The baseplates are obviously completely different, but the heel cups are a different size as well.  The Force cups take two bolts and are a little longer.  The Contacts take one bolt and have a little angle cut on the inside end of them.  I've had to change a few things here and there to make it work, but it's all working out so far.      ^---(Contact heel cup on top, upside down.  Data heelcup on bottom, right side up.)   Straps, ratchets, ladders all seem to be universal (with the exception of my Inverter heel straps) and that makes it easier as well.     ^---(Notice that random black piece coming out from the strap and into the ratchet?  Even tho there's a phillips screw in the ratchet like every other heel strap, you can't get the buckle off after taking the screw out.  Wtf, mate?)   I have also run into a couple issues here and there with mounting my highbacks.  It seems like the newer bindings, '10 and newer, have a different strap mounting setup.  Could be just the Contact baseplates that have it, tho.  On the outside of where the heel cup bolts go in, there are little preset grooves that the bolts seat into.  I think it's to keep the heel cup from sliding in and out while riding since there's only one bolt on each side as opposed to two like on the Force.  This is probably confusing to people that don't have both right in front of them, so I'll try to get some pictures up quick.   Contacts:      Forces / Datas:     High back nuts:     L to R - Force/Data (see above, sticking out the side), Contact SL, Contact (notice the fatter base on this one)

i liked em best on the hero.

the toe straps are kinda picky about which boots they like and dont like.  some boots just cant really hold them well, but others fit amazing.  ive never had a better fit between any toe cap and any boot than with the newer (2009 and up) union toe straps and nike zoom forces, but it also has a lot to do with how the user tries to set them up.  too many people try to ride them too far forward over the toe like burton capstraps... unions tend to work better a little further back, where the front of the strap that has the exposed plastic sits just past the peak of the toe of the boot.

forces are my favorite binding of all time, so far.  i have had at leat 6 pairs, along with the other unions ive had, every year since year two.  they are a solid medium stiff binding.  not only are they the only binding i can keep riding all year, every year, but i have had a white pair every year for the past 4 model years.. they just never get old to me.  im changing it up this year though, black/white force SLs and probably black forces.

as for romes, they are also rad bindings.  the 390 is romes solid mid-flex do anything binding, like the force for union or the cartel for burton.  i have never ridden romes, but i just got our shop on board and we are introducing rome to our shelves this year.  the rep actually found me on facebook from easyloungin and both wanted to talk to me about getting rome in the shop and also sending me some demo gear to get my feedback.  he wanted to send me the new agent rocker and 390 bosses, but after really checking out the rome line i just decided i would buy the agent rocker, so now hes just sending me the bindings.  anyway, heres what he said...

"I'm still going to send you a pair of the 390 Boss bindings though as I really want to get your feedback on them. I think they are as bombproof as Unions but have much more adjustability at a lightweight and often pricepoint... I know pretty big statement but I think the bindings can back up that claim."

i like the newer union ankle straps but i think the older, wider ones are more to my liking.  ive had them before, but only with burton boots.. rode them once late april this year with my nikes but it was only one run.  we'll see this year i guess.

im wondering how much of a difference i might feel with the 390 strap.

 

Anybody else?

 

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Nice.  Gonna have to look into this a little more.  Thanks.

 

That's easily the best deal on bindings EVER.  Lucky bastard.  (Zoe, too)