Shimano R310 shoes - repair threaded insert?

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eric01
Posts: 909
Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2006 1:06 am

by eric01

I have a pair of Shimano R310 shoes. Great shoes by the way... I tried replacing my cleats last night but could not unscrew the cleat bolts.

When I started unscrewing, it feels like the threaded inserts are spinning with the screw. Or in some of the holes, I'll feel resistance for a half turn, then it breaks free... then resistance for another half turn and breaks free again. In any case, I can't remove the screws.

Tried removing the insole to get at the threaded inserts, but it looks all sealed up. There's another layer sewn into the shoe. No direct access to the

I saw this plate on-line. Anyone know if it will work? How do I rip my old ones out and replace?

shimanospdsl-insert-med.jpg


Thanks in advance
Specialized Tarmac Sworks SL6, Moots Compact, Carl Strong Titanium

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thisisatest
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by thisisatest

your shoe probably has individual t-nuts inside them that are so stuck to the screw, the nut is spinning as well. when that happens, you feel the nut slip out of its recess, turn 90degrees or so, and fall back in.

Image
Image

you will probably need to drill them out and replace the nuts as well as the screws. they are available here and there.
next time, to prevent corroding together, use loctite or grease or anti-sieze on the threads.

edit: reread your post, looks like you got further along than i thought and need more info.
can you take a pic of the inside of your shoe? i know that's weird. most shoes have a perforated area under the insole that gives access to the space between it and the outsole. alternatively, once the bolt head is drilled out, just firmly push the nut through the interior wall of the shoe. it wont be hard to smooth out the inside once the nut is replaced.

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mattpage
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by mattpage

Anyone know if the captive nuts, similar to the above are available separately? They are similar, but don't have the spikes on them.

I have contacted the UK distributor, but no luck.

Seems crazy that a £250 pair of shoes are deemed useless because the threads are not replaceable.

spud
Posts: 1261
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 5:52 am

by spud

if the bolts are running around, it's not a nut plate, it has individual t nuts. First soak the bolts with penetrant. Then take a sharp exacto knife and cut a U shape in the bonded insole directly above the T nuts, with the flap towards the back. Then pry up the insole and replace the t nuts. You may need to dimple the top of the nuts so you have a place to restrain them.

Once you put the flap back in place and insert the insole you will never feel where you cut.

11.4
Posts: 1095
Joined: Tue May 23, 2006 4:33 am

by 11.4

mattpage wrote:Anyone know if the captive nuts, similar to the above are available separately? They are similar, but don't have the spikes on them.

I have contacted the UK distributor, but no luck.

Seems crazy that a £250 pair of shoes are deemed useless because the threads are not replaceable.


Sidi sells a slight variant on them that works fine and most substantial Sidi dealers have them. If they don't, they can get them for you.

The ones with the prongs are really only for when you're doing a major repositioning of your cleats and your original holes simply are in the wrong place. They need a lot of midsole to hook into, and your midsole is usually cut out where your current cleat mounting holes are located -- all you have there is the carbon fiber of the sole, which doesn't take much to sharp prongs. Those are actually hardware made for woodworking projects. The correct ones are the ones with the flat lands, not the prongs.

The bolts are really spread out for Look-pattern cleats. For SPD and for SPDR cleats, it's one stamped plate with both holes on the one plate. You don't use the individual threaded studs for anything but Look, and even for Look there are some shoe manufacturers who make a larger plate that holds everyone together. They aren't better -- probably faster when someone is building the shoe but after that, use the studs.

When you install them, you may have to trim around them a little with a knife so they fit neatly in the midsole. Be sure they sit square and don't project up into the foot compartment at all, nor project past the bottom surface of the carbon fiber sole. (Shoe makers made these fittings originally when you had deep fiber or leather soles and they still haven't figured out that better fittings are needed.) I use some marine epoxy caulk around the stud to hold it in place.

mitchgixer6
Posts: 225
Joined: Sat Sep 22, 2012 2:22 pm

by mitchgixer6

If you can't find the exact one to fit your shoe you could buy some inserts designed for MTB shoes and cut to size. I did this recently for my Giro shoes.

A dremel really makes the job easy.

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11.4
Posts: 1095
Joined: Tue May 23, 2006 4:33 am

by 11.4

mitchgixer6 wrote:If you can't find the exact one to fit your shoe you could buy some inserts designed for MTB shoes and cut to size. I did this recently for my Giro shoes.

A dremel really makes the job easy.


OP says these are R310 shoes but shows a MTB mounting plate. Then the discussion goes on to address road cleats. Can you clarify which cleat you are trying to mount on these shoes? I'm assuming road. If so, those plates definitely aren't the ones.

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