Boa absorber installation

[osku]

Hi

How people install shock absorber to boa ropes? With 2t it's not problem at all but with 4t it's almost impossible. Last time I did it today and at the end lubed rubber with grease from lift legs. Is there some trick what people use?

[Mr. Squirrel]

Don’t. Boa and Cobra are shite. As if that shock absorber actually does anything… get on to tree worker and use their bracing would be my advice, so much easier to install and a much better product in my opinion. Also sure it works out cheaper long term. You need to have a few extra bands lying about, sure, but that’ll hardly break the bank. 

[Andrew McEwan]

Seconded, and ask TW about the mbs reduction they found when destructive testing bracing with absorbers in, scary.

If you have to use the rubber wobbly bits, preload the union, install when slack, then release preload, but really look into the elongation and reduced mbs first...........then ditch them and use without or try using yale, TW, gefa, or allgear flat braids, miles easier.

[osku]

Never thinked about that absorber would weaken mbs. Just with fast googling doesn't find anything about this. If you have some more info I would like to read it.

[Andrew McEwan]

Shock absorber mbs reduction  was covered on the AA bracing day back in 2016 by Kev Moore, and Rob Knott at Treeworker may have a paper on his research, but I only have my notes and conversations to go on, I'd speak to either of those two if you need more info.

[Mr. Squirrel]

See I didn't even know about any strength reductions due to the absorbers. I was just highly dubious that they came anywhere near turning a static system into a dynamic one! Rubbish...