Gitzo loose leg

My gitzo 2540lVl has a loose leg where the carbon fiber goes into the metal at the top.Contacting Gitzo i was told this is not coverd under waranty as is (normal) wear.? Was wondering if others have had problem and how you repaired it. Does the leg need to be (pulled) out and reglued .Any ideas appreciated ,thankyou..

You didn't mention if you pulled out the leg yet. The older ones have fiber washers and, as I recall, two plastic rings (split to fit over leg and into groove). The new tripods (with G-locks) have two plastic half sleeves. The half sleeves have a button that goes in a hole in the CF. If these are broken, out of place, worn or missing, you will have looseness in the connection. They are readily available, and I think NSN sells them. You should not need to glue anything under normal circumstances. The leg is easily removed by unthreading the lock all the way and sliding it out. If this is an anti-leg-rotation model, be careful to align the groove to match and don't force anything!
There is a section on tripod maintenance in the NSN store. Some parts are available there, but I hope the price on the fiber washers is a mis-print!!!
SFJ

Thanks SantafeJoe ,No i havent pulled it out yet .Its right at the top where the carbon fiber leg meets the top plate where it goes into the metal hinge part.. Its only slightly loose but,,,,,,,,,

That's a whole different story! Probably needs to be glued, but for that I can't offer any suggestions other than a good quality epoxy. Archery shops glue CF arrows with a special cement, so maybe they might have a suggestion for you. Sorry, but maybe someone else will have some ideas for you.

SFJ

When that happened to my Gitzo 1348 I had to send it to Gitzo for repair. It was broken but the warranty covered it. They sell Gitzos at the NatureScapes Store so maybe they'll have a better idea.

I actually just got it back, was gone for more than two months. (bad mail delivery here)They fully serviced the tripod its as smooth as could be.But,they did not fix the loose leg, the reason it was sent,,Saying it was not coverd under warranty,,,So need to fix it myself.

"they did not fix the loose leg"

That's really great customer service. Took two months to get it back to you and didn't fix the leg. They could have easily notified you with an estimate of the cost of the repair and fixed it if you OK'd it. I think I'll buy some other brand next time I'm in need of a new tripod.

Did they offer to fix it for a price? If not, that doesn't seem right. If they won't repair it, then I'd look at an epoxy like Joe mentioned a couple of posts above.

I know when mine broke, the leg didn't pull out but was just loose so I don't know what's involved in separating the leg from the casting. Maybe just a good tug will do it. I don't think it can be unscrewed as suggested above. I think when this happens something breaks - as in the glue breaks the seal between the carbon fibre and the metal.

I had been using the tripod in -30C weather and someone suggested that that's when they will break.

No it was just sent back, no note nothing,but works really smoothly now and very clean,,maybe i should of taped a big arrow on the leg?

I had 2 1325's with loose legs and one of them came completely out. I only use Gitzo as my backup/saltwater/mud tripod. More or less a throw away tripod when you pick them up for $300 on FM. RRS has excellent tripods and customer service. I would highly recommend looking into them for your next tripod.

Jon, you had some really bad luck with your tripods! I have owned 6 CFs and at least 3 aluminum Gitzos with no problems.

Craig, you might try to contact David A. Fisher at Bogen Imaging (201)818-9500 ext. 283. He is (was) Product Manager. If he is still there, he may be able to help you get it fixed. I had a problem with a Gitzo adapter plate and he was very helpful in resolving my issue. There is no reason Gitzo shouldn't fix this under their lifetime warranty as long as it is a product defect.

SFJ

I have a gitzo carbon tripod and know what you are talking about. I tried to take the legs off my tripod in order to get it to fit into my carry-on bag (not the best decision I've made). I realized after I took the first leg off that it wasn't going to really help me so I put it back on... and quickly realized it was loose and it would not hold its position when the tripod was over my shoulder or being maneuvered.

I busted out the screwdriver again (with the star head) and cranked as hard as I could on it until it stiffened up enough... its not as tight as the others but no longer feels "loose"

Hope this helps

Dave has responded to posts about Gitzo tripods on NSN in the past you should be able to PM him and direct him to this post, here is a link to his profile:

http://www.naturescapes.net/phpBB3/memb ... ile&u=8242

I would think the leg coming loose should be covered under warranty.

Dave left Gitzo/Manfrotto USA a couple of years back.

Only with the gitzo's SFJ I am cursed with them it seems. I did pick up a 1548 (I think that was the number) for the mud and sand recently.

Any ideas of the type of epoxy i could glue it with..thanx all,,

Craig, from what I have read, the epoxy to use is the 24 hour epoxy. The quick dry epoxy apparently produces enough heat to damage the integrity of the CF. If you Google "archery cement for carbon fiber arrows" you can find some info. It seems that denatured alcohol is the solvent of choice to clean the joints first. Most importantly, you will have to ensure that the ferrule and tube stay in the correct position while drying. It may be best to remove the ferrule from the top of the tripod. I would also recommend taking the other leg sections off, and stuffing the leg with a paper towel in case any epoxy runs down the inside of the leg. I still would not give up on Gitzo! I feel that if you can get in contact with the right person, they will take care of the problem for you. If you bought it new, the store you purchased it from should be able to intervene on your behalf. That being said, if it were mine, I would fix it myself.

SFJ

Craig,
about a year ago I bought a carbon fiber manfratto, the head came off the column. The column is carbon fiber, the head is magnesium. I glued it using gorilla glue. I cleaned all surfaces, then roughed up all surfaces with a 600 grit paper. Cleaned all surface's with acetone, clamped surfaces till glue dryed. Results were very good, before using it again I tested, could not seperate
parts and thats been almost a year and it is still solid. I see no reason why it would not work on the Gitzo. clean surface's are the key to a good bond no matter the adhesive you choose. good luck!!

Hey guys thanks very much, Ile try the gorilla glue when the leg finally falls off,,and ile follow your cleaning instructions.thanx again,

I have a similar problem. Not sure if it's the same issue or not. One of my legs is loose and spins freely. I can tighten it to a degree but if I overtighten it pops free again and spins again. Seems like there's something broken in there. I think I'll try this glue option.