Whats the deal with FKS'

Yes, pretty much. The elasticity allows a bit of movement in a jarring force- which is the type of stuff that would normally create a prerelease- but with the turntable heel and elastic toe travel of the FKS you have the ability to make that wiggle or recovery without prereleasing, allowing you to deal with the force rather than blow you out of the ski. If it ends up that the elastic travel isn't enough to allow a recovery, it releases on DIN just like it's supposed to.

I prefer to think of it as just a better way to deal with funky forces at speed than to have a mechanism that is more prone to prerelease. It just soaks all that shit right up by working at a wider range of angles and with a more comprehensive retention profile. Best binding ever IMO.
 
Huck you sure fks 18/155s do vertical toe release? I figured they just dumped that feature altogether.
 
They might have not been discussed much, but most serious park skiers and racers recognized them as the most reliable, quality bindings on the market in that time frame. Heck, my dad still rides an FKS variant that are like 20 years old; they are the only bindings he hasn't sustained a serious knee injury on. FKS is king, and once you know how to replace the brakes and have a jig (I do!), you'll never ride anything else. Also, the fact that tons of old fks race bindings are floating around makes them super affordable...I get fks bindings for cases of beer regularly.
 
Yes. The one piece toe has vertical release in the form of the whole toe releasing upwards on a central hinge point, not via fixed main toe piece and releasable wings as in the 14. I can take pics of both my 18s and my 155s when I get home for the sake of discussion if you'd like, you can clearly see there are no movable wings on either toe.

 
Exactly my point. The bindings have been around for decades, and they've always been solid, but it's only in the last 3 years has everyone on NS suddenly got a boner for them.

Every binding has advantages and flaws. Turntables' release/retention is good but durability doesn't compare to high-end Salomon, Tyrolia or even Marker. I broke 10 baseplates out of 3 pairs of turntables in the space of 3 or 4 years and moved on.

I currently use old Salomons mostly, and one pair of Jesters. Minor problems with each of those but I prefer them overall, that's just what works for me. Almost every company is putting out a good high-end binding these days; no one is "better" than the other. The simple fact is that a lot of users of this site have bought into the marketing and fashion (yes, fashion) of turntable bindings and think they are "the best" without any solid basis.
 
Fair enough. Just from my experience and my friends as well, we have noticed that markers break and become loose and jiggly pretty easy, and salomons pre release a lot. FKS definitely does have a weakness with the brakes though. All bindings have their strengths and weaknesses.
 
No binding can even come close to the strength of the s916/20, they are link the M1 Abrams tank of the ski world
 
This is super desperate and I have no idea why it is going here, but I need a pair of fks brakes. Halp! Will trade sexual favors
 
Yep, they are also great bindings. Kind of funny how most people feel so strongly about it either way- it's like the skiing Chevy vs. Ford or something. Some people like that solid CLUNK stepping into metal sollys, some like the elasticity of the FKS. Whatever floats your boat afaiac, both are sick bindings.
 
you sure about that? as far back as I can remember they along with 916s have been the most sought after bindings from my memory. i know as soon as they discontinued them (2006? 2007?), I started hoarding parts and i think they were extremely well discussed on NS including multiple petitions to bring them back. that's how I remember it anyways.

 
if you search ebay for slalom or gs skis from time to time you can usually find them for pretty cheap.

the way i see it, fks is good for lighter skiers who need a high din, reliability, and durability whereas the good ol steel 916s and 920s would be better for someone who's on the heavier side and is hard on their bindings.

the 18 din tyrolia/head/fischers have been great in my experience too. I have a pair on some donner parties that i pretty much never ski anymore, but they've been good to me while i've been on em.
 
Is there a difference between the 140s and 180s besides the din and plastic vs. metal?

and whats the difference between the old 155s and the 180s?
 
Articulating toe wings and vertical release on the 14's

15s and 18s are the exact same just different spring
 
The FKS is a good binding, but it's smaller footprint makes it less desirable on wider skis than something like an STH which has a larger mounting pattern.

And any binding can break, it just takes one unlucky hit on a weaker point. That's just the nature of equipment, especially when subjected to the higher stress of freestyle skiing. I've broken FKS's and STH16s, both are still good bindings, but shit happens.

 
Google dude,

180

rossignol-fks-180-xxl-ski-bindings-115mm-brakes-2013-fluorescent-orange.jpg


140

r-fks-140.jpg


the 140 as "wings" that move
 
The toe wings move when you click in and when you release. I have seen them snap off after a few years of use. You can also release vertically from the toe.

The 15/18 toe has no moving parts and is all metal. So it's pretty much impossible to damage
 
Been rocking my Pivots (same binding) for 4 seasons. Never had em release when I didnt want em to. I find em light and theyre so durable its ridiculous. Get emmmmmm, oh and save money and get the 14s unless you're some kinda pro hittin 100 footers. just sayin
 
Its just the standard px plastic toe piece. The 155 is a solid chunk of metal that could withstand being shot with an AK. Its as good of a piece of equipment as anyone could ever want. I love mine to death.

The only thing is the minimum din of 8 makes the 155 less marketable.
 
Looking at the pair i have sitting next to me. I am very sure that the minimum din is 6, thats why the binding is so insanely good. perfect toe piece and perfect din range.

on a side note, the px15 has a din range of 8-15, no clue why.
 
Actually the 155 is plastic but it has the same construction and release mechanism as the 18.

Basically the 155 is a lightweight version of the 18.
 
Personally I think a lot of binding incidents (outside of the park as I dont really ride park) are down to:

- Worn boots allowing the boots to wobble in the bindings.

- People on the wrong din

- Bad technique

- Incorrect set up / mounting and adjustment.

Im a big chap at 6'4 and weigh 96kg ish and im used to riding race skis so have no issues with control at speed, my piste skis only have Salomon Z12's on them and I have clocked speeds way in excess of a GS race on a daily basis on skied out sloped all over France, during one week in VT I had one release and it was not a pre release it was a case of ambition getting the better of adhesion. I would describe my style as a mix of skier cross and GS.

Over the last few years I have had Tyrollia peak 12's and Marker Jesters, I suffered a few early releases from the Tyrollias but it was down to an incorrect set up (not enough forward pressure), the Makers preformed faultlessly from bombing down pistes, smashing crud and holding me in while hot dogging and icy mogul field and smashing pow all week.

Im not saying the FKS does not work as it does, my folks had the originals and loved them, mother would use nothing else on her skis, but as others have said it does not make other bindings worse, I used to help build race and track cars specializing in suspension and in the cases of people suffering component issues it was in 99% of the cases the fault of the users abilities and not the part, it was usually down to a poor fitting and set up on the end users part. Much like bindings there was a distinct difference between lower and higher end

parts but when you reached the top tier 99% of the 'issues' were perception issues and people taking other peoples views as fact.
 
yeah fuck z12's, such a piece of shit binding. maybe if you never leave the ground they're fine, but still no. years ago, i broke the little cheap tab that holds the brake on in less than 2 months. toe wings are always moving. no thanks.

i come from racing FIS as well, and i would never suggest that binding to anyone, even a beginner. the px120 is a much better binding at that pricepoint/level.
 
Well they have held up to my weight landing them off rollers all day long, The original set I had were hire skis as I work in resort for one of the tour companies and we cant always bring our own kit out. The set I had were last seasons so had done a season and a half of use and not broken, however I have also broken a load of punter spec bindings over the years so its luck of the draw really. Once the ones on my current sollys break I will replace them with Looks as thats what I like too.
 
GAH! Correct.

The 155 is the aluminum body toe. It is exactly like the 18 and with the single pivot vertical release too, just lighter and lower DIN. Sorry, responding to threads first thing in the morning while laying in bed is not a good look for me.

 
I personally like the STH heel better than the FKS. I have FKS 14's now, hate them in the trees, they do not come off when I would like them to. Too much retention for pow / tree skiing for me. Excellent in the park, super durable. Shitty breaks that bend easily / are a bitch to replace. I would much rather use a salomon or tyrolia binding for a pow ski.
 
I want to clear things up a lot right now: Salomon bindings are amazing bindings if you know how to TREAT THEM. You cant just leave them alone for a season of use or even over a month of use unchecked like you could with markers or else you will have these problems. The STH bindings have to be checked on every 3 weeks or so to make sure everything is in check, like your heel piece being fitted, your toepiece wings being fitted, and any other screw(s) have not come loose. Yes, it is a pain to do this, but it is worth it for how amazing that toe piece is. THAT IS THE BEST TOE PIECE YOU CAN MAKE PERIOD! the simple technology put into the damn thing amazes me. Now for the pivots/FKS which I currently have and love to pieces: the 180s are heavier and are more bomber for the weight to durablity ratio out there, but they are beaten in durability by the salomon driver steel 16. The 140 is probably the best look binding you can get because of the toe piece. That toe piece is light, durable and is safer and more effective than the 180s. it hugs your toe and gives the safest release of that brand no matter what you want to think. The heelpiece in the pivot/fks is aweful for power transmission, but for park you will never notice unless you used to race. the heelpiece is actually very sloppy in terms of precision, but the 14 heelpiece makes up for it. The 18 is just not really a performer when it comes to power transmission and responsiveness in racing or faster terrain.

All in all, these are the two best brands to buy bindings from if you know what to do, but if you dont, just go with marker because you shouldnt be on these things in the first place.
 
Im having a major clusterfuck of binding problems this season.

My sths keep break. Broke 3 afd(WTF)

MY fks are having major release issues, anybody want to school me on why? I cant really tell if the forward pressure is off. (tabs right) And there are really no shops around me that i trust.
 
The tabs are horseshit. If you aren't sure how to adjust your forward pressure, I'd find someone who knows their shit and ask them to look at it and if you're prereleasing from them, that's probably why. It's pretty simple, but it's also nonexact. I'd feel better if you took it to a professional, personally.
 
yeah, don't rely on the tabs.

i do it two ways:

-by looking at the angle of the heel piece when the boot is clicked in. if your forward pressure is too tight the heel will be at a shallower angle, and if the the fp is not enough the heel will be at a steeper angle.

-by yanking on the heel piece with my boot clicked in. If you can move the heel a lot and easily from side to side than the pressure is too loose and if you cant move it at all than it's too tight.

You want to be able to move it just a bit so use these two methods together along with the tabs and you can get pretty close to your ideal forward pressure.

*I am not a binding engineer or ski tech, if your bindings fuck up and you get hurt, it's your own fault*
 
I reaaallly hate adjusting them myself. But i dont have any shop i trust anymore. My main tech moved away.

Thanks jeff, i'll check it out.(FUCKING CAREFULLY)

I'm also having a bit of play in one of the toes. Does that signal loose forward pressure?

last question, are the brakes supposed to move?
 
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