How to Replace Baskets on Ski Poles

Oftentimes while skiing, the basket at the bottom of a ski pole will break, making the pole ineffective. Instead of buying new poles, pop the broken basket off and put a new one on.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Ski Pole Baskets
• Ski Poles
• Telemark Bindings
• Telemark Boots
• Telemark Skis
• Crescent Wrenches
• Mallets

1. Buy a new basket at a ski store. Baskets are universal to poles and they are cheap.

2. Get a friend or a vice to secure your pole.

3. Place an adjustable crescent wrench directly on top of the old basket, or whatever is left of the old basket and tighten the wrench so it's a little wider than the ski pole.

4. Whack the wrench as close to the pole as possible, with a downward swing from a rubber mallet. Repeat until the basket slides off.

5. Flip your pole upside down and place the new basket on.

6. Place the wrench on top of the basket and gently tap the wrench with a mallet, until the basket is snug on the pole. For this step the pole will remain upside down.

Tips & Warnings

• Some baskets have a connector ring permanently attached to the pole and in between the pole and basket. Look to see if your poles have this extra piece, and then follow the steps after adjusting the wrench to fit around the basket only and not the connector ring.

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on 3/11/2006 On my LL Bean poles a quick slice with a box cutter cut the old broken basket off. The new one slides right on.

on 11/22/2005 Do not squeeze a cross-country pole in a vise or whack it with a wrench. Modern cross-country ski poles have their baskets held on by glue. This glue holds firm while it is at room and colder temperatures. You can change a cross-country basket by heating it with a hair dryer or hot air gun for a short period of time; until the glue softens. Then pull and twist the basket off. Be careful of the basket being hot. To attach the new basket, check that there is still glue left on the pole's shaft. If not, then scrape some out of the old basket. Now warm the shaft lightly and press the new basket on. Heat the new basket to warm the glue. Now press the basket on as far as it will go. Be sure to align the larger part of the basket to the same side that the handle's strap is on. Now let it cool.

on 11/22/2005 Most newer models of ski poles have plastic baskets that are glued on to the bottom of the pole. In order to get these kind of baskets off, you need a heat gun or hairdryer and a hot glue gun or hot glue stick. Take the end of the pole and heat it with the heat gun or hairdryer. Eventually you can pull off the basket (with your hands or pliers if the plastic is too hot), it won't melt.
Now squirt some hot glue onto the end of the pole or melt the glue stick with the heat gun and put the molten glue on the pole. Before the glue melts, put the new basket on the pole, making sure it is on straight.