Bockers (term used to describe people who own and use jumping stilts) who have become addicted to this new extreme sport/fitness product will eventually want to, or need to, change out their springs.
Whether they have the desire to try a heavier spring (higher weight category) or feel it’s time to install a fresh new spring, they will need to know how to properly change them out.
As bockers move through the initial learning curve (2-3 weeks or 10-15 sessions) they begin to realize how strong their legs have become. They sense a fresh level of fitness that they haven’t felt before. Once one becomes aware of this new feeling of strength and fitness, the desire to “crank” or become more free on the springs becomes very apparent.
After a few months, some bockers may make the decision to try a bigger spring. It is not recommended that one move up until you are very comfortable on your jumping stilts and your legs are strong, because a larger spring will be tougher to bend. Unless one is very fit, a larger spring will feel like wooden stilts, not jumping stilts.
Why try a bigger spring? A bigger spring will allow the same weighted person to jumping much higher, opening up the opportunity for many new tricks.
Mr. Boeck, the inventor of jumping stilts, states that the carbon fiber springs used on most jumping stilts, have a life of around 500 hours. Sure they can last longer if one isn’t very aggressive with them. Their life span can also be diminished if one falls alot and scrapes the springs, knicks the springs, or allows someone much heavier to use their units.
They are made with milliions of tiny carbon fiberglass threads fused together, so scraping or knicking the springs can break many fibers, thus weakening the springs and shortening their life.
Eventually you will need to change out your springs. Below is a short video that shows how to change the springs, and a short article, for your to print out and use as a guide when, or if, you do change your springs.
Tools:
1. 1 - 5mm allen wrench
2. 2 - 10 mm wrenches or socket wrenches
3. 2 - 13 mm wrenches or socket wrenches
a. With a 5 mm allen wrench and 10 mm socket wrench loosen the 4 bolts the keep the knee bar/calf cuff in place. Just loosen them. You don’t need to take the nuts completely off.
b. Slide the knee bar/calf cuff up and off the unit.
c. With 2 - 13 mm wrenches, loosen and remove the bolts that keep the spring/black brace onto the frame. Remove the nut and slide out the bolt. Perform this at both ends of the spring.
d. With the black braces still attached, pull the spring free from the frame at the top and bottom.
e. With 2- 10 mm wrenches, loosen and remove the 2 - bolts that keep the black spring brace attached to the spring itself. Each end of the spring has a black brace, and each brace has two bolts. Loosen and remove them all.
f. Slide the spring out of the aluminum frame.
g. To install your new spring simply perform the above steps backwards.
h. Slide the new spring into the aluminum frame.
i. Reattach the black braces to both ends of the spring using the same bolts and nuts.
j. Reattach the black braces (top and bottom) to the frame, insert bolts and tighten the nuts. Very tight!
k. Slide the knee bar/calf cuff back into the frame and tighten the 4 bolts.
That’s it.
Happy bocking.
PS…You can purchase replacement springs for your air-trekker jumping stilts here.
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