Riser length differential

[theonlyski 3]

A jumper at the dz has been complaining about somewhat weird openings on her Pilot, and asked me to give it a look.

The lines didn't look bad, new kill line and PC installed last week. She did notice that it seemed to have an asymmetrical flare... turns out, her right rear riser is about 3/4" difference from the front. The other riser group didn't have this differential.

Time for new risers? I thought so... but another (more experienced rigger) said that risers don't need to be changed, and that they have risers with over 1000 jumps on them that still work just fine.

What do you guys think?

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[pchapman 261]

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A
another (more experienced rigger) said that risers don't need to be changed, and that they have risers with over 1000 jumps on them that still work just fine.

If we both own the same type of car and you say yours broke down, it doesn't do much good if I say, "Don't worry, my car is working fine!"
Certainly that much difference in a riser is wrong, whether or not that is the thing affecting the openings.

[RIGGER160 0]

Mistake in the manufacturing process? What are the allowable tollerances for risers?

[theonlyski 3]

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Mistake in the manufacturing process? What are the allowable tollerances for risers?

Doubt it. I think it was a hard opening or a few that stretched out the front riser on one side. I figure that much differential would cause the canopy to act out of trim, account for the asymmetrical flare, and open like shit.

Just making sure I'm not going crazy or anything.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[GobbleGobble 0]

A 3/4" difference on unloaded webbing seems excessive. I'm not sure what the elasticity is of the material however. I'm completely ignorant of what the acceptable variance is in line lengths when rigging a canopy though.

[davelepka 4]

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She did notice that it seemed to have an asymmetrical flare... turns out, her right rear riser is about 3/4" difference from the front. The other riser group didn't have this differential.

First off, those risers are F'ed. Second, you can't ignore the fact that after setting her brakes, and lining up her risers to run up the lines, she never noticed one being almost an inch off from the other.

That aside, just swap in another set of risers and see if the canopy behaves better. They don't have to be new, just confirm they're the same length and in good working order and have her put a dozen jumps on them.

In terms of putting 1000 jumps on a set of risers, it can be done, but why? It's a heavily loaded, integral part of the cutaway and brake system, and they can be replaced for under $150 and without the need for a rigger or a repack.

[theonlyski 3]

She dropped the rig off with her rigger for the week, getting line trim checked... Hopefully they agree that the risers are jacked and due for replacement.

(preferably with enough time to get her a new set ordered before the weekend)

As for her missing it on the packing... It would've been an easy over look, but something she will check for in the future.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[Nutz 0]

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As for her missing it on the packing... It would've been an easy over look, but something she will check for in the future.

I disagree with that, it is something she should have been looking at all along. There are a lot of other things that she should be looking at when she packs as well.

"Don't! Get! Eliminated!"

[Unstable 8]

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Time for new risers? I thought so... but another (more experienced rigger) said that risers don't need to be changed, and that they have risers with over 1000 jumps on them that still work just fine.

I harp on this plenty, as I assume a lot of folks do, but I have yet to see a pair of Type-17 risers is reasonable condition. Risers are not lifetime investments, although some folks think they are...

=========Shaun ==========

[Electronaut 0]

Better the main risers be off, unlike the camera flier I know jumping a tiny Wings who's reserve risers had an inch or so difference from one side to the other. Guess how he found out, hint it wasn't on the ground during a repack.

[theonlyski 3]

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Better the main risers be off, unlike the camera flier I know jumping a tiny Wings who's reserve risers had an inch or so difference from one side to the other. Guess how he found out, hint it wasn't on the ground during a repack.

Canoy had a little built in turn?

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[mjosparky 3]

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Mistake in the manufacturing process? What are the allowable tollerances for risers?

Doubt it. I think it was a hard opening or a few that stretched out the front riser on one side. I figure that much differential would cause the canopy to act out of trim, account for the asymmetrical flare, and open like shit.

Just making sure I'm not going crazy or anything.

How does the one riser compare to the other one as far a length? If 3 of the 4 risers are the same length than it would be a manufacturing defect and has always been that way. I have never seen on riser stretch due to a hard opening. The lines will start to pop first.
Riser sets should be replaced about every 500 to 600 jumps.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[theonlyski 3]

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Mistake in the manufacturing process? What are the allowable tollerances for risers?

Doubt it. I think it was a hard opening or a few that stretched out the front riser on one side. I figure that much differential would cause the canopy to act out of trim, account for the asymmetrical flare, and open like shit.

Just making sure I'm not going crazy or anything.

How does the one riser compare to the other one as far a length? If 3 of the 4 risers are the same length than it would be a manufacturing defect and has always been that way. I have never seen on riser stretch due to a hard opening. The lines will start to pop first.
Riser sets should be replaced about every 500 to 600 jumps.

Sparky

It looked like that was the case. These risers have upwards of 800ish jumps and she recently started having the weird openings.

I will see if I can get my hands on them tomorrow to actually look closer. This was just a packing floor observation.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[riggerrob 558]

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Mistake in the manufacturing process? What are the allowable tolerances for risers?

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Risers should vary less than 1/2 inch left to right.
The smaller the canopy, the tighter the tolerances.

When I worked at Rigging Innovations, the tolerance - for MLW assymetry - was a half inch, but the vast majority of harnesses had less than 1/8 inch difference left to right.

Your friend needs a new - symmetrical - set of risers.