Soft links do they have a jump # limitation

[airborne82nd 0]

i have seen some swoopers and baby swoopers and teenage swoopers using softlinks and some not.

i have heard lots of good and bad.

are there any bad considerations on softlinks and is their a jump life to them?

thanks
c

[marks 0]

I remember hearing something like 250 jumps.

I got over 500 on mine then I decided to switch them out.

[davelepka 4]

Inspect them on a regular basis, and if they look fine, they are. I switch mine out when I get a reline. Seems to work for me.

[airborne82nd 0]

thanks i feel better now.

pd website on their slink part was informative.

i dont know why i have heard static on them but i guess its preference.

thanks again

[NewClearSports 0]

I know a guy that bought the steel links from a hardware store and had two of them break on his 1st jump on them. They were cheap china made ones. I know the grade used for skydiving is much better, but I would take soft links any day over steel links.

[davelepka 4]

I'm not even sure they need replacing when I get a reline, I just do it. I still have the old ones, and they look fine. I would use them on another canopy, or as a replacement if I needed it and there wasn't a new set laying around.

I been jumping Slinks since they first came out, and have never had any issues at all. Truthfully, writing this post is the most thought I have put into them in the last five years. Maybe six.

[airborne82nd 0]

sorry to invoke thoughts of the slinks i have no experience with them and now have them and i have heard two sides to them localy over the years.

i feel pretty damn good about them. anything can fail but we dont think about that.

[dharma1976 0]

I know a guy who has 1200+ jumps on his....

they look kinda ratty right now and they might need replacement :-P

Dave

http://www.skyjunky.com

CSpenceFLY - I can't believe the number of people willing to bet their life on someone else doing the right thing.

[airborne82nd 0]

wow.

[AggieDave 6]

The rule of thumb is a new set with a new set of mini-risers. In other words, every 500 jumps or so.

Its a good idea to swtich both your mini-risers and slinks at 500 jumps. Its also a great time to check your lines and line trim (if not before then). Its very likely you'll atleast new lower control lines. Even with lines that don't "shrink" or "stretch" they can still get FUBARed from twists getting built into the lines memory.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[swilson 0]

The thing about slinks is that they really only have one failure mode, as long as they are connected properly in the first place (RTFM).

They don't crack or deform, and in the highly unlikely event they come undone, you know about it right away, because the canopy is no longer safely landable - you will only be connected to your canopy by 3 risers.

If they fail due to wear or damage, it will happen during opening, not when you are landing.

They also don't damage your slider grommets.

Now compare them to steel links, which can can, but should not come undone without you noticing it, if they have not been properly torqued. On opening, the link will probably stretch open, but might still retain the lines. I certainly wouldn't want to take the chance and land that. Also, if you don't maintain some sort of bumpers at the line connections, your slider grommets can be damaged, leading to line damage.

Both systems work, both have their pros and cons. Personally, I don't see ANY problems with, and prefer using slinks.

(I am sure a search would have turned up plenty of reading on this topic too... )

[grue 1]

My way of thinking is that the canopy came with slinks, I should use slinks.

Dave, interesting point on replacing the links at the same time as the risers. I'll keep that in mind!

cavete terrae.

[frost 1]

  Quote

The rule of thumb is a new set with a new set of mini-risers.

Its a good idea to swtich both your mini-risers and slinks at 500 jumps.

I never heard of that. Where did you hear about such rule for risers? is there some kind of a statement from any of the manufacturers? I have been using my risers for well over 1500 jumps...

[AggieDave 6]

For the risers? I believe it was from RWS, I'd have to do some digging to find a link to a manual or SB or similar.

As for the Slinks, it was from a conversation with a PD rep.

Eitherway I've yet to have a set of mini-risers make it past 500-ish jumps without significant wear.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[frost 1]

no, just the risers.

interesting... I never heard of it... Again, i've had Mirage risers for well over 1500 and dont see any (major) wear and tear warranting replacement. If you do find that link - post it plz? thanks

[Sinister 0]

SLinks are superior to hard links I have read the they have a much higher breakage threshold than steel links they will also help keep your lines and slider in better shape for a much longer period of time. The slider gromets repeatedly hitting the hard steel links will put notches in the slider gromets which will ware on your lines more caulsing them to fray more rapidly and come out of trim much quicker due to the increased friction and heat. I have over 800 jumps on my slinks and are showing no signs of ware but then again I do not let them get in the dirt. SLinks are for winners

Shane Murphy
www.adrenalinegeeks.com

[hparrish 0]

  Quote

no, just the risers.

interesting... I never heard of it... Again, i've had Mirage risers for well over 1500 and dont see any (major) wear and tear warranting replacement. If you do find that link - post it plz? thanks

Yeah I've heard this too from several resources. I remember discussing this with Justin at Mirage. And of course my rigger and I have discussed it.

Mirage actually recommends replacing the Type 17 Mini risers between 200-400 jumps, which is in line with new Line Sets. You can find this info in Mirages Owners Manual.

And I'd agree with replacing SLINKS with the Risers. That's when I replace mine. I'd think that the SLINKS are taking more shock on opening than the risers are, since they are the true attachment point between the canopy and risers.

[grue 1]

  Quote

Mirage actually recommends replacing the Type 17 Mini risers between 200-400 jumps, which is in line with new Line Sets.

For YOUR lines, maybe

cavete terrae.

[Fast 0]

  Quote

  Quote

The rule of thumb is a new set with a new set of mini-risers.

Its a good idea to swtich both your mini-risers and slinks at 500 jumps.

I never heard of that. Where did you hear about such rule for risers? is there some kind of a statement from any of the manufacturers? I have been using my risers for well over 1500 jumps...

Meh, I am in the same boat. My risers and slinks both have like 1500 jumps on them. Neither are showing much wear. Maybe its a function of jumping in a place that doesn't have a constant problem with sand and/or dirt.

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[Tonto 1]

I've seen risers significantly out of trim with as few as 500 dives on them. The wear isn't a grit issue at all.

Having said that, I'm moving this thread to G & R. Slinks and riser wear have nothing to do with Swooping and Canopy control.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[riggerrob 643]

Genuine French links have "Maillon Rapide" stamped on their barrels.
Stainless steel French links also have "inox" stamped on their barrels.They also have safe working limits stamped on their barrels.

[swilson 0]

Yup, I was aware of all that, but I understand where confusion may have arisen.

Upon rereading my post, the part where I referred to "steel links" is not as clear and precise as it could have been. I was assuming that the OP was comparing genuine Maillon Rapide links to soft links (slinks), and answered as such.

In my post, instead of "on opening...", I should have said, "If the (Maillon Rapide) link comes undone, opening shock will probably stretch the link open..."

[AggieDave 6]

I did some poking around and I couldn't find 500 jumps listed in the Vector3 manual. Its listed in the Vector tandem manual, but that's a slightly different animal. When they're open again next week I'll call the company formally known as RWS, Sunrise and Sunpath and see what they say.

Just wanted to let you know I hadn't forgotten.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[billvon 3,087]

500 jumps on a set of risers is a good rule of thumb, and changing slinks at the same time makes sense as well. I wouldn't go over 1000.

Recently we had someone with close to 1500 jumps on a pair of risers. When we suggested he replace them, he looked at us blankly and said "why? They wear out?"