Help!!! Threaded screw seats on new sidis

Anyone??????

superclimber said:

Anyone??????

You could try to get a slightly larger screw and force thread but it may not work at all. Depending on how soft the thread seat is you might get to re-thread it with a tap-and-die set and use a larger screw.

As they are new you could try bringing them back to the LBS and see what they can do. Or email Sidi customer care.

Not very helpful really

Dave N

superclimber said:

I thave threaded the screw seat on the left foot shoe, front screw (the most important one)

What do you mean? Are you trying to say that you have messed up the left shoe front thread ?

If that is the case, remove the screw. Bring it to a good hardware store and have them pick out the right thread cutting tap for you. Gently use the tap to clear the threads, be careful to get it to track/align properly when you start working it through. Get a new screw, maybe a bit longer too, hope that you have enough thread depth left and assemble. Loctite may be prudent.

If the thread is completely buggered you will probably have to remove the sole from inside the shoe to be able to replace the insert that makes up the screw seat. They are usually not thick enough to take to rethreading.

Yeah, I wrecked mine, although I'd doubt you'd do what I did -- but mine are only the cheaper, $150 type.

I was shimming up my cleats with some hard rubber, and I think the screws were gripping on the rubber, even though I'd made holes that I thought were big enough........anyway, I stripped both of the nut things in the right shoe.

I was then trying the drill out a larger hole, and was going to ram a larger screw in there (what a butcher! 😄 ), but I pushed the drill-bit and the nut thingy right through the sole!!! :eek:

So, I thought, "stuff it". Under the removable inner sole, the "permanent" inner sole is just cardboard, so I dug a small hole in the cardboard, pulled out the damaged nut things, then got new ones from the bike shop (several, infact) -- slipped them in and gaffered up the hole. THIS IS NOT A JOKE 😄

I look at things like shoes, and, infact, most cycling equipment, as more of a tool than an ornament, so if it works it works.

A number of things may work. I will emphasis the may. Unlikely you will be able to tap a new thread as tap sets need to pass through the threaded area completely and that would put it inside your shoe. Also there probably is not a lot of spare metal there to thread. You could try a lead shim made from a thin sheet of lead it is soft and you place a small piece in the hole and work your screw in. You could try flattening some solder with a hammer if you have difficulty finding sheet lead. Another option is a product called plumbers epoxy this stuff gets as hard as steel once dry. Its like a clay epoxy and is very handy but the area is so small it may not work. If you know where your cleats need to be exactly you could try a shim in combination with glue. Another great product is Marine Tex it is also an epoxy that is really tough made to repair boat hulls. Place some around in the hole with the lead shim screw together and let dry file off excess. I used this method to attach a buckle on my sidi's shoes that was attached via a screw. It has been there for years now. Good luck.

gubaguba said:

..as tap sets need to pass through the threaded area completely and that would put it inside your shoe.

If you need to cut threads in a hole that isn't straight through you just need to get the full set of taps, and the better ones are available in threes. The first one has a very tapered tip, then there's an intermediate one, and then there's the bottom tap, which is basically cylindrical. By using them in sequence you can cut threads "all" the way to the bottom even if the hole is drilled into a solid object.

you blokes are a bunch of legends.😉

thanks for the feedback, very much appreciated. taking the sidis down to a small metalwork engineer tomorrow and will glean his advice before attempting to ruin the shoes myself. Otherwise, new insert from sidi perhaps if it can be done. I know i can't remove the base plate myself.
Of all the things on a bike you'd think that the one thing that would come standard in titanium is the cleat seats in the shoes (for people like me you know😄 )

P.s In addition as i threw out my old sidi tecno's when my new ones arrived (i am a moron) can someone tell me if the sidi screws are longer than shimano ones. The shoe manufacturers tell you to use their screws only and the pedal manufacturers tell you to use their screws!! It was the shimano ones that i stuffed up with, any help?.

superclimber said:

you blokes are a bunch of legends.😉

P.s In addition as i threw out my old sidi tecno's when my new ones arrived (i am a moron) can someone tell me if the sidi screws are longer than shimano ones. The shoe manufacturers tell you to use their screws only and the pedal manufacturers tell you to use their screws!! It was the shimano ones that i stuffed up with, any help?.

I'm under the impression that most companies use the same thread. When I was shimming up my cleats I obviously had to get longer screws, which are available at speciality hardware shops, often located in industrial areas. I got some in a variety of lengths in 5mm increments, but the only bummer is that i couldn't get them with a 4mm Allen key hole -- the smaller Allen holes (2 or 3mm) seem to stuff up easier.

531Aussie said:

I'm under the impression that most companies use the same thread. When I was shimming up my cleats I obviously had to get longer screws, which are available at speciality hardware shops, often located in industrial areas. I got some in a variety of lengths in 5mm increments, but the only bummer is that i couldn't get them with a 4mm Allen key hole -- the smaller Allen holes (2 or 3mm) seem to stuff up easier.

I know this is a very old thread but I have just stripped my relatively new $200 Sidi's as weell. Has any one tried using Helicoils to repair the threads in shoes after they have been stripped?

Helicoils are basically a spring, they're great for some applications but I think the lack of depth in the threaded hole would be too shallow.

Have you considered a thread insert? here's an example....
http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/24461 they can be loctited in place which means that if you use anti-sieze on the cleat Bolt/screw thread they should stay in place when the time comes to change your Cleats 🙂 They are made for blind, shallow holes.....

And by the way, a rule of thumb is that the depth of the screw should at least equal the diameter.

Hope this helps....