Basejumper.com - archive

Thought i'd throw this up.

Jimmy was telling me about a brutally hard opening while i was packing and upon inspecting his gear i heard a surprised "damn" in his voice.

All 4 bumpers split and damage to the slider grommets. I know its nothing new and it goes without saying to check your shit. But still, here it is.

ouch! time for a new slider.

I assume this was a slider up opening?

that is some serious inertia to tear apart the bumpers.

I'd replace the links, too, just to be safe. Chances are they're fine, but since they could be weakened without visible sign, and they're cheap...

I don't think there can be damage to the links, stainless steel is pretty damn hard to crack. nothing wrong with replacing them, but I seriously would bet a lot of money that the links have no structural damage. if the screw links screw open and closed without kinking, the link is probably in perfect shape. grommets are weak malleable metal.

I know a guy who became complacent on a jump and left his slider down ( the grommets under the bumpers) and did a almost terminal delay!
The shit came out fast and the already down slider caught his camera shit on his helmet!
Did the same exact damage!
It's happened going from slider up and down occaisionaly Ive heard, never to me!
I wonder if this is the same case? Nah.

I remember when people introduced Stainless grommets in that other sport. One of the discussed issues was using similar metal to that used on the links. Which component would suffer during high impact?

The logic said that Brass is much softer than Stainless. Thus the Brass grommets will suffer all the abuse. The Stainless connecting links will always win.

From a technical level, I see no reason to change the connecting links.

From a comfort level, Tom is correct, the links are cheap. Do what it takes to avoid gear fear!

I'd be perfectly comfortable using the links again if the barrel nuts are ok. Calvin19's point is valid.

Additionally, I've experimented in many ways in skydiving. I intentionally used stainless links with no bumpers against stainless slider grommets to see what would happen. There were no adverse effects after over 100 jumps. I worried more about the lines where they connected to the link. Experiment over I added type 4 home made bumpers to the links.




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Andy, are you sure all that damage to the bumpers were from one opening? I have doubts one opening would cause that.

Yet another edit: If the dings in the brass are not that bad, smooth them out with emery cloth.

It was a slider up jump that caused it. I'll let him fill in if he reads this (i'm sure he will as i told him i put it up) but i don't believe there was any damage before this jump.

you never can tell if there is a stress fracture on metal.

regardless if the threads are "ok". What is below the surface will be a mystery from the trauma the link suffered.

Now if you droped a carabiner from the top of a pitch, well then, I'd probably "retire" it to some other use like towning my truck.

If you droped it from 5 feet.....I'd still climb with it.

Its interesting with jumpers how $$ and time defines choices. If it costs you $5 for links and 10 minutes to replace them.... compared to the motherfuckers breaking on some slider up jump the next time the grommets ram into them.....

I jump a Troll 225, mesh slider. I had one brutally hard opening on a slider-up jump terminal (no damage though) when on the pack job the mesh was not through the rubber band. All other jumps were fine. Of course, on 3-5 second slider-up jumps I don't put the mesh through the rubberband.

Ronald

Just curious - Vented canopy ?
- how long of a delay ?
- direct slider control used ?
- PC size ? Thanks

it was a fox 245 no vents,no multi, reactor 3, 38"f-1ii pc,terminal opening,50+ winds, quartering tail wind. fastest opening of my life,opened 180 into the wind, the risers slapped me in the face, but was able to turn it around with no problems. jimmy

did you break any bones on the opening? i've broken ribs on two different occasions from very, very hard openings.

look at where the grommet is fitted together. did it separate at all? if so, take a rubber mallet and bang it back into shape.

Also, Polish the dings with emery cloth.