C4 Bent Stem, Not the Axle or Cable?

Wondering if anybody has seen this before. I took two good falls, back-to-back on a .3 C4. The placement was not ideal, not the best or the worst I reckon, and the piece held in twice in a row in the same general placement.

Scenario: about forty feet then forty-five feet of rope out, the .3 was the last of three pieces. I was about eight feet above and about 1 o'clock to the right on the first fall and ten feet above and a bit right on the second fall, coming down maybe 20 feet and 20+ feet. The rock was maybe 80 degrees, and the fall was not all air. The crack was not flaring but relatively shallow and off-vertical by about 30 degrees, so the stem was facing about 45 degrees down off the plane perpendicular to the rock and aligned generally from about 1 to 7 o'clock. After the first fall, I climbed back up to the piece, checked it and reset it slightly but generally the same. The lobes were retracted about eighty percent. This was in desert sandstone at RR.

It really doesn't look like the axles are bent but rather the metal stem where the axle runs through. I noticed it when I got home and felt some resistance on retraction, which I realized is one inner lobe rubbing against the metal stem piece where the cable runs through. If you look at the metal piece, you can see it appears bent. The axles seem straight, as in on the same plane with each other on either side of the stem. I don't know what this part of the stem is called? It does appear the the cam lobe on the inner side that doesn't touch the stem got bent as well, on the left in second to the last pic you can see this. You can also see the nice on the outer lobe on the left. This I've seen before, the bending of the lobes themselves in less than ideal placements. At the same time, the last pic still seems to capture the off-alignment nature of the axles. My eyes might not be seeing things right, though?

I called BD. The guy was pleasant, said generally he thinks that kind of deformation is pretty unusual. I asked about sending some pics, but he said that they would not likely be able to say much more than I have to use my own judgement about climbing on it.

I don't consider any of the C4s microcams. This sort of thing wold not surprise me so much with aliens, zeros, x4s, etc., but is more surprising with the c4. I couldn't find anything here that appears the same. I'm wondering if anybody has had this happen. It did do its job.
--- Invalid image id: 109431845 ---

I've got the same thing with a similar sized X4. Similar fall situation too. Been considering what to do too.

Hey thanks, Jake. I think the same with rotation. Indeed, as you say, it was a take what I can get placement. The bottome lobe or two were close to the back of the crack I believe as you mention it, which may have at least kept it from rotating out as the bottom (in relation to the ground) would have been stopped from rotating in such that the upper lobes stayed put without allowing any room for alignment with a fall.

Benn, I asked them about the x4s. The guy at BD said again he thinks that sort of deformation is rare...deformation that is that isn't related to the cable or axle. I must say I was a bit surprised that he wasn't particularly interested in seeing photos or the piece if it is indeed rare.

I have a 0.3 c4 that has the exact same issue. I don't use it because once I retract the lobes, one gets stuck on the stem, and prevents the lobe from engaging the rock (or returning to the resting position of the lobes). The three lobes are probably stable enough, but I am pansy so... its just hanging in my room now...

CareBear wrote:I have a 0.3 c4 that has the exact same issue. I don't use it because once I retract the lobes, one gets stuck on the stem, and prevents the lobe from engaging the rock (or returning to the resting position of the lobes). The three lobes are probably stable enough, but I am pansy so... its just hanging in my room now...

I am not certain when it happened. I first noticed it when I was aiding, but I whipped on it a good 5 times in a row the previous time... so I think it may have been the continued whips and I just happened noticed on aid because I looking a lot closer as placements then. It was a placed a tad straight out for the falls because it was in a pod...