How To: Shorten your stock pole -PICS-

[SJBrit]

Why through bolt?

Ideally the epoxy is what holds the pole to the bottom end, the rivets or bolts should only be to hold the pole/bracket in place while the epoxy dries.

Am I missing something?:dunno:

It won't hold forever. If the epoxy held it alone, you wouldn't need rivets, but the rivets come loose and that allows you to crack the epoxy free. Through bolting is the only way to go - put some nice big washers on each side.

Good post. One other tip: to make sure you cut the end square, you can just put a wide piece of tape the right width around the pole, touching the bottom bracket all the way round. That way the bracket gives you a nice reference.

 

[aqua]

nice post with good pics. :biggthumpup:

 

[eastbay]

i also wraped the botom bracket an pole with extra fiberglass!!!!

 

[madoyster]

Great Post, very clear. Now has anyone got the bottom piece of a stock pole because I broke mine.

 

[yamaslut]

i also wraped the botom bracket an pole with extra fiberglass!!!!

yeah, good point... I wrapped one w/ carbon and it came out awsome (both top and botom) I think thats the way to go... either glass or carbon, it doesn't matter...

 

[eastbay]

It Really Makes The Diff.....the Stocker Can Be A Real Stronge Pole If You Do This To It An Its Cheap!!!!

Im With You Slut I Love Carbon That Stuff Is All Over My Superjet

I Layed It Down The Center Of The Pole An Just Cleard Over It, So I Ahd A Carbon Rally Stripe Down The Center

 

[227]

Great write up! and it came at a perfect time, I'm shortening my pole this week! I'm going with the SS bolts though-Can't be to strong in my book. Question-has any body done this with with the pole bracket and pole base still attached to the ski? Is it more of a hassel? I was thinking of doing this so I can make sure the pole isn't crooked with I put it back together or is that not possible?

 

[nickt916]

I think there is always room for improvement ofcourse, bolts, or wrap with fiberglass for more strength. For me its back to stock strength, and since im not doing backies and jumping 40 feet in the air of the surfs yet im not worried about it im sure by then they will have hover crafts that you can do tricks on without using the ground.

The pole goes into the bottom bracket piece very very tight!!, the resin epoxy would have no problem holding it in place, i think the pole will break or the bracket will crack before the pole will slide out.

 

[CarFanatic]

Man I did this mod today, and I have no idea how you cut that fiberglass out of the bracket with that knife. I tired everything! I broke most of it out, but had to dremel the rest out with a sanding bit. I got it all back togeather and I used the bolts instead of the rivits. I"m letting it dry overnight, tomarrow I will bolt it all back up. I used jb weld with the bolts, I hope the jb weld will work ok... its bolted down nice and good! Now just waiting on my xmetal stearing to arrive this week!

 

[CarFanatic]

also I pulled my SJ sticker off the pole when I did this.. I cant get the dang residue off even goo gone didn't work... anyone know what will take it off with out hurting the paint?

 

[nickt916]

a good sharp screw driver works too, you just gotta hit is between metal and fiberglass and it will start seperating, and just keep moving into different areas and eventually it will keep spliting further and further. It was a pain, some of it was left over and i had to use a dremel on my "second pole" project... on my white one, it was much easier second time around.

 

[infamy]

Great write up! and it came at a perfect time, I'm shortening my pole this week! I'm going with the SS bolts though-Can't be to strong in my book. Question-has any body done this with with the pole bracket and pole base still attached to the ski? Is it more of a hassel? I was thinking of doing this so I can make sure the pole isn't crooked with I put it back together or is that not possible?

you dont need to remove the pole from the ski to do this. i used a dremel with a disc on it and cut right through it. just use a bungee cord or something and attach the pole to your rafters in an upright position so when you cut all the way around the pole it will be held up. you dont really got to worry about cutting throught the cables because they are encased in an inch of styrofoam.
if you use bolts , the hardest part is just getting the nuts on the the bolts on the inside of the pole. i just got my finger sticky from the drying resin and stuck the nut to the end of my finger which made it easier to reach inside the bracket and get the nut onto the bolt.

 

[joecapp]

anyone know if this would work on a sxr or if there's another write up on how to do this on an sxr. i was also thinking about trying to make a carbon fiber handle pole. yeah i know i've got too much free time, but hey if i can save some money and have something unique why not try. any advice on that would be really helpfull.

 

[2nd nature]

you dont need to remove the pole from the ski to do this. i used a dremel with a disc on it and cut right through it. just use a bungee cord or something and attach the pole to your rafters in an upright position so when you cut all the way around the pole it will be held up. you dont really got to worry about cutting throught the cables because they are encased in an inch of styrofoam.
if you use bolts , the hardest part is just getting the nuts on the the bolts on the inside of the pole. i just got my finger sticky from the drying resin and stuck the nut to the end of my finger which made it easier to reach inside the bracket and get the nut onto the bolt.

you can also wear nitrile gloves and superglue nuts to your finger works great.

 

[Shrivel]

Great write up! and it came at a perfect time, I'm shortening my pole this week! I'm going with the SS bolts though-Can't be to strong in my book. Question-has any body done this with with the pole bracket and pole base still attached to the ski? Is it more of a hassel? I was thinking of doing this so I can make sure the pole isn't crooked with I put it back together or is that not possible?

I cut mine yesterday and tried it first with the pole attached and it wasn't too bad, but could never get the pole all the way into the base. Taking it completely off and disconnecting the stuff up top allowed me to bang the base on with a mallet so I was sure it was all the way on. Disconnecting the top cables allowed me to easily flip it over with the cables still inside the pole.

 

[Danny Kay]

very nice write up...

I agree w/ Mark, drill out the rivets and thru-bolt them w/ 1/4"-20 SS bolts for more strength

slutty,
when using the right rivet you will have more sheer and tensile strength thent the pole bracket, fiberglass, and alum backing plate could ever dream of having. just my 2 cents

toeveryone else:
I used rivets, but kepts the pole on. I found it extremly easy to cut the pole with it attached. getting it it to slide back in the bracket, nothing a sanding drum could handle.

Just fyi: I used 2500lb epoxy, SS rivets rated at 1680lb sheer, and 1300lb tensile, along with 1/8th inch t6061 aluminum backing plates.

 

[Boris]

yeah, good point... I wrapped one w/ carbon and it came out awsome (both top and botom) I think thats the way to go... either glass or carbon, it doesn't matter...

and that pole is still holding strong. :biggthumpup:

 

[yamaslut]

slutty,
when using the right rivet you will have more sheer and tensile strength thent the pole bracket, fiberglass, and alum backing plate could ever dream of having. just my 2 cents

toeveryone else:
I used rivets, but kepts the pole on. I found it extremly easy to cut the pole with it attached. getting it it to slide back in the bracket, nothing a sanding drum could handle.

Just fyi: I used 2500lb epoxy, SS rivets rated at 1680lb sheer, and 1300lb tensile, along with 1/8th inch t6061 aluminum backing plates.

if you say so... I was just speaking from what I have seen people do w/ good results... your method definitely sounds good, just a bit more work.

 

[yamaslut]

and that pole is still holding strong. :biggthumpup:

yeah... that's a solid mo-fo

 

[CarFanatic]

Well I road MY SJ with my new shortened pole! Man was that worth the work! so much nicer to ride, and I did a few subs for the first time yesterday because of the shortened pole!!!