Really Dangerous Calf Cuff Problem

[Kanga Man]

I bought a pair of the calf cuffs because I thought they looked a lot more comfortable than the knee bar. They were much more comfortable. It only took 2-3 jumps before I noticed a major flaw with them though.

With the knee bar the two downward poles are two ends of the same piece of metal. Tightening the bolts that holds them only has the effect of preventing them from sliding up or down. With the calf cuffs the two downward poles are two seperate pieces that are bolted onto the sides of the same cuff.

Tightening the bolts that hold the downward poles of the cuff not only prevents them from sliding up and down but also to stop them from twisting. The flaw is that regardless of how tight I make the bolts, there simply is not enough pressure to prevent the downward poles from twisting when I bounce.

The result was that I could bounce maybe twice normally. After the second bounce, the poles on either side of each cuff had twisted outwards (away from my centre of gravity). When I hit the ground for the third time, my knees were no longer directly above my feet but had shifted outwards. Basically this means that the stilts did not bounce me straight upwards but rather each stilt thus tried to bounce away from each other.

Luckily I recognised the feeling of what was happening and was able to cancel the bounce and prevent a possible injury as my knees tried to bend sideways rather than front to back. I tightened the bolts holding the downward poles as far as they would tighten without breaking but still found there was not enough pressure to prevent a repeat of the problem.

Has anyone else found this problem and more importantly, has anyone found a solution? I have not tried the cuffs again since but have also not returned them to Pro-Jump as I am sure there has to be a solution if I can just figure out what it is.

[XDvandalDJ]

Sounds like you've fitted calf cuffs on a set of stilts that you previously had bars on. You're probably missing the clamp assembly and still have the old one.


You need this.

[Jason]

Hi Kanga Man

There are two types of plastic clamps

The early thin type that are still fitted to 7's and were fitted to very early Projumps and most other stilts

The later Projump plastic clamps are a much thicker section and if you put a washer under the bolts and really tighten them down they hold very well

The ally clamps above are excelent and do work very well but no one seems to sell them seperately anymore

Jason 

[Kanga Man]

My ones look like the ones I drew below. I take it they are the old kind? They only go around 3 sides of the central column of the stilt and the pad that pushes up against my calf fits onto the front of them.

If those ones are better but no one sells them separately then what am I supposed to do? ProJump sold me a set of cuffs I cannot use. I have noticed that there are lots of bits on my stilts that either cannot be replaced or have been made cheaper, such as the brass bushings being traded in for thin plastic ones.

[Bbmthbloke]

i got 'cuffs  that twist....tho fitted to my 7's.   r the latter style brackets now available to buy? So im back on bars at mo

ooo un high Kanga man  not seen u since CB o7  and then u were planning to go work abroad...fab to see ( even under these circumstances) still bouncing about

[webmaster]

Hey there, nice to see you on the forums even though its with a bit of a problem...

It seems you have a very old set of Pro-Jumps if you still have the ones with the brass bushings, unfortunately as much as we try to control the stock that comes in ultimately we like you rely on the manufacturer to continue to make the product better, like with any products changes are made as per need basis and ultimately there is only so many parts we can continue to supply once a particular version or part is discontinued. We have where possible tried to carry as many parts as possible however with PoweriZer and Fly Jumpers both discontinuing their lines we have had an increase in older parts selling out a lot faster than anticipated and they are no longer produced.

You could either try buying  a pro-jump bracket which is still plastic or try PoweriSer for their metal brackets which may be a better option for you - both of which should solve the problem with you.

[Kanga Man]

Bbmthbloke, yes I am still about. I loved the big day out in London back in summer 07 and then I went to work in the Alps in France for a ski season. Once back I got into the social care industry and have been trained up as a Support Worker helping young people with learning difficulties. I love the job but it didn't pay well prior to getting fully qualified.

Webmaster, that is why I am running around on a 6 year old pair of bocks. Almost 7 now actually. I took a look at the PoweriSer site for the metal bracket. I think they might be a bit pricey to waste buying for such an old pair of stilts. I became fully qualified in my profession and started a new job recently which has a much higher salary so I think I might just give up trying to resurrect my old stilts and take the plunge and buy a professional pair.

Thanks for the input though.

[wiimii]

Heyy,

I've had the same problem lately, and also cannot find anywhere that sells the parts, and the hoof part is outdated so does anyone know where I can buy either?

Thanks