Cam spring

Hi everyone!

Does anyone know what I can do about this spring that popped out of my .4 wild country friend?

It's almost brand new. I've placed it a handful of times and my partner weighted it once while following on TR. I noticed that the spring action was pretty bad when I first got it, but I don't think the spring had popped out yet. It's kinda disappointing for a cam to fail so quickly

Have any of you dealt with this problem before? What'd you do?

That happens from time to time.  I have fixed quite a few.  Just to getting it back in place is easy with needle nose pliers, tweezers and /or a bike spoke.  It probably pop again so try a little tweek on the angle of the wire bend.  Super-glue wont cut it because parts rotate.  GL

Ah, damn. That sure looks properly knackered time to retire it.

Fortunately I run a failed cam testing service and I can run it through the gauntlet of tests that we have designed to help you avoid similar failures in the future. If you just pm me I’ll give you the address to send the cam to if you’d like a post mortem done. You seem new to climbing, so I’ll run the tests for free if you cover shipping! 

g s wrote: Hi everyone!

Does anyone know what I can do about this spring that popped out of my .4 wild country friend?

It's almost brand new. I've placed it a handful of times and my partner weighted it once while following on TR. I noticed that the spring action was pretty bad when I first got it, but I don't think the spring had popped out yet. It's kinda disappointing for a cam to fail so quickly

Have any of you dealt with this problem before? What'd you do?

It's RUINED!
Send it to me and I will make sure it's properly disposed of.

;-)

Return it to the store you bought or the manufacturer for replacement.

Look at the not broken spring, then make the broken spring do what the not broken spring is doing. The cam is fine. 

Not sure if it'll help, but I once did this same fix (re-wound the spring and got it back into the cam lobe) on a #00 Master Cam in a car on the way to the crag. The tool that was most useful was a pen (a clicker pen, take the ink tube and spring part out of the pen). You then take the tip of the pen and put that on the part of the spring that sticks out, then wind it back around and then push it back into the hole on the cam lobe.

I've been trying to carefully fit it back in the hole using some dental tools and very tiny pliers, but it feels like I'm going to unwind the spring even more when I pull it over the side of the lobe. I emailed wild country for suggestions; I'll see what they say

g s wrote: I've been trying to carefully fit it back in the hole using some dental tools and very tiny pliers, but it feels like I'm going to unwind the spring even more when I pull it over the side of the lobe. I emailed wild country for suggestions; I'll see what they say

You shouldn't have to pull it over the side of the cam lobe.

g s wrote: I've been trying to carefully fit it back in the hole using some dental tools and very tiny pliers, but it feels like I'm going to unwind the spring even more when I pull it over the side of the lobe. I emailed wild country for suggestions; I'll see what they say

Well, we know what the problem is.

I don't think this was communicated correctly.
The hole that the spring goes in is on the side of the lobe. In order to put the pin in the hole that's on the side of the lobe
I first have to position the pin
Over the hole
That's on the side of the lobe.

I guess every face of the cam lobe is "a side" so I can see where the confusion is.

Currently the spring is being prevented from unwinding further by the bottom face of the lobe. If I move it away from that, I lose that safeguard, and it could unwind further if I slip. That's all.
No reply from wild country yet

You may get it back in.. but you can definitely get WC to give you a brand new cam. Just ask nicely and explain the cam has seen very little use since being purchased. Springs should not just come out like this... hence 40 year old friends still operating just fine. I suspect the lateral movement of the lobes on the axle are the cause for the spring slipping. Had it happen to some sloppy C4s of mine. 

g s wrote: I don't think this was communicated correctly.
The hole that the spring goes in is on the side of the lobe. In order to put the pin in the hole that's on the side of the lobe
I first have to position the pin
Over the hole
That's on the side of the lobe.

I guess every face of the cam lobe is "a side" so I can see where the confusion is.

Currently the spring is being prevented from unwinding further by the bottom face of the lobe. If I move it away from that, I lose that safeguard, and it could unwind further if I slip. That's all.
No reply from wild country yet

You need to wind it further, not unwind it. The spring should get tighter as you move it all the way around back to its destination hole.

Backwards Eric wrote:

You need to wind it further, not unwind it. The spring should get tighter as you move it all the way around back to its destination hole.

Yea, this^

You need to wind it further, not unwind it

Yes. I know. That's what I'm trying to do.