Grip studs and washers
 

So I had a problem last year with grip studs leaning and pushing through the sole of my wading boots. So this season I added stainless washers based on advice from others. Everything worked fine until this week then I had the telltale feel that another one was coming through the sole. The augers on the studs are very sharp and when they come through your boot you know it quick! It seems some of the washers fell off when the body of the grip stud started to deteriorate/rust and can no longer hold the washer. Has this happened to anyone else?

I used 7mm washers and have not had any pop off yet. They are just big enough to go over the auger but not too big. What boots are they in? Some of the soles/felt out there are a lot denser than others. Mine are in Simms oceantek's and have not moved one bit.

Simms Freestone's Vibram sole. I could barely get the washers I used over the auger. I'll try and look for something smaller that will still fit.

I think the end result is inevitable due to electrolysis. A ss washer is harder metal than the GS. So the GS deteriorates. A zinc plated washer is softer than the GS so the washer deteriorates.

Lose lose situation but there has to be one that's better than another for duration.
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Good point - it only happened to some of the forward boot studs that take lots of stress. The washers on the heel are still in tact.

Good point by Linesider. These are the things I chock up to the price of admission. We beat up the gear pretty good, two seasons out of a set is acceptable in my mind. My wife asked my how much the studs cost when I was installing them back in May and gasped. I quickly reminded her how much gas I would use boat fishing. Conversation over.

Could cut a plastic insert for extra protection inside your boot. Might also try a nylon washer.

I'm going to monitor the studs more closely after each trip. Some were so far into the boot I couldn't remove them so I had to push them all the way through into the inside of the boot. Hard nylon might work. Maybe I'll add some as a second washer.

I just looked at nylon washers but I couldn't find one that seated with the GS, I'd love to hear the results if someone more patient than myself ordered ones that work.

Amazon has a ton if you search this- Nylon 6/6 Flat Washer, Off-White, Inch

Multiple thicknesses too. I wonder if they would be strong enough? Maybe Nylon then stainless?

One thing that made a huge difference for me this year was using gorilla glue, based on Stephen aka puppet's suggestion.

Worth the $6 bucks for a bottle, put a liberal amount where I indeeded the stud to go, let me dry for 2 days. Haven't lost one or had one lean over yet
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Galvanic action would still occur where steel washer contacts stud shaft, even if separated by a nylon washer.

You're right - its the head of the stud that corrodes and gets skinnier - then the washer falls off.

Need zinc tabs like boat motors on the boots.
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I know how to solve your problem....

WALK BACKWARDS !!

2.5 seasons in simms oceanteks and mine have pushed in big time. the soles blew out this weekend. but found some leftover oceanteks on backcountry.com and so going with them again. they were a good boot for the time being. not sure there is much you really can do to prevent them from pushing through, over time.

Interesting, with washers they still pushed through? This is my first season with them, only about 40 trips with them as I mostly fish the sand. I put 35 studs in to spread the load and only weigh about 180.

Washers never made sense to me with the design of the grip stud head 9despite people having success with them).

My studs are pushing through into the boot, but I very easily dealt with it by adding another insole (rubber/foam).

I added another insole just for comfort and fatigue and gives the Simms boots a tighter fit seeing they're so boxy
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Probably depends on the boot type. Some of mine completely disappeared into the sole, so far in they didn't connect to the surface anymore and too far to dig them out, so I had to push them all the way through. I think the lesson here is to keep monitoring them from time to time.

Dennis my apologies if I was one of the ones recommending stainless.

this is what happened to me this year.

I had grip studs paired with zinc coated washers and installed
with gorilla glue, last me 2.5 seasons before the washers corroded
and started falling off. Not all of them, but about 30-40%.

These washers were the cheapo Zinc coated variety you can get from lowes.

2.5 seasons is a good run.

This winter I started trout fishing ....and bought some 1300s to pair
with a vibram souled freestones. I paired these 1300s with a
stainless washer and fished them in the freshwater for 5 months. I
made the switch to stainless, as some guys suggested stainless.
Around May, I started a few outings with them in the salt, and then
fished them June and July.

The two dozen outings in the salt were enough to have the studs
oxidize to the point that they will not accept a 1/4 id washer. Pretty
much leaving the washer permanently f-ed....and litering washers
around the Northeast shore. Stainless steel washer experiment failed.

This is where it seems like the zinc coated are better. It was
explained to me that when two dis-similar metals are in contact it
can speed electrolysis. It was noted that the one material will tend
to oxidize faster than the other. Zinc is a less dominant material and
will oxidize faster....often referred to a sacrificial metal.

In the case of the stainless washer....the stud material is less
dominant and therefore oxidizes faster....in this case....much much
faster....and the actual stud casing material just dissolves.

I have always been a belt and suspenders kind of guy. With the felt
boots I use the gorilla glue....and the washers.

On those boots with the zinc washers....even with the washers
missing most of the studs have not been buried. A couple have, but
mostly they have not. I wonder if during the 3 seasons the felt has
compacted, is saturated with salt...making them more dense, or if
the gorilla glue has petrified the felt anchors so they cannot push
in...even without the support of the washer. Any or all may be
explanations. It does seem that the felt is a much harder material
than what it delivers brand new. My guess is compression and salt deposits.

Anyway, I hope it helps getting us all on a new path. Sometimes a
suggestion like stainless steel might seem logically correct
application for the surf, but in this case the weaker product actually
is a better choice.

If there is enough of us engaged- I wonder if we can get grip studs to retool some of their dies to have a larger flange so we would not need washers and the studs would not push in?

I'll send an email and see if it gets anywhere.

Look at this thread - solving problems of the Surfcasting World through discussion ;)

Plastic will burn through in one night of walking.
No to be rude,but the cheap prick that Iam I simply use 5/16 tech screws and cut them down with linesman cutters.

Also just to clarify how cheap I am, I use LL Been stocking foot waders and buy Keens water proof sandles and screw them bitches in.
Sandles cost is 76 clams.
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I am having the same problem. Going to get some Dr schols padded inserts. My nephew goes well over 300 lbs, he did the insert early in the season and hasn't complained since.

I use the superfeet inserts in green. Not for push throughs but for comfort. They are made of a tough material and are on their third season...still look new.
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