Limb bolts out of sync

bear-outbreak

New member
Hi, basically I think my limb bolts have been turned independently of each other (long story) and so not only have lost track of the turns but I do not know what poundage I'm shooting and I'm worried that because one is probably turned out more than the other it will be affecting my shooting. To make matters worse the top one is now stuck. If I can un-stick it, is there a way I can "reset" my limb bolts so they are in unison and find out the poundage? Do I need to send it to a shop? Or can I fix it at home if I have a portable bow press? Thanks.
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
Is this a compound bow? I am guessing that it is.
A quick check is to examine the ends of the limbs where the bolts are. If one is wound in more than the other, the under
side of the limb, at the end, will be higher compared to the other; you will see a bigger gap between the lower edge and the end of the riser that it moves towards when tightening the bolts.
Sometimes limbs stick when the limb is wound fully down and the gap I mentioned is closed. The bolt will only turn one way and that is outwards. Sometimes when bolts stick, it's because the limb bolt has been wound out too far and the bolt is forced against one side of the threaded portion of the riser. so winding that one in is the best way to go on that bolt.
Some limb bolts are locked down with a separate lock screw. Those screws will be going in from one side of the riser, so they can pin the limb bolts in place. If your bow has those, unscrew the lock screw a little. If the other limb bolt is loose, its lock screw may have come slack.
If you use a bow press, the press needs to allow you to remove the string and then to allow you to unwind the press to a point well beyond the starting point, so the limbs are only lightly under pressure. Be careful not to unwind too far or the bow can fall apart and getting the cables back can be tricky unless you know exactly where they go. Some presses allow you to press the limbs just enough to remove the string, put another back on , and then unpress. That is no good for this job as the press remains on the bow (under pressure) so the bolts remain as tight as before.
 

KidCurry

Well-known member
AIUK Saviour
If you can free the stuck bolt all you need to do is wind both bolts in until both are set fully in. This will set the bow to peak draw weight. If you count the turns each one needs to set fully in it will tell you if they were out of alignment.
Now to reduce the draw weight just wind out each bolt the same amount :) I normally dot a small amount of paint on the bolts which tells me if they drift over time.
 

bear-outbreak

New member
If you can free the stuck bolt all you need to do is wind both bolts in until both are set fully in. This will set the bow to peak draw weight. If you count the turns each one needs to set fully in it will tell you if they were out of alignment.
Now to reduce the draw weight just wind out each bolt the same amount :) I normally dot a small amount of paint on the bolts which tells me if they drift over time.
Genius, it seems obvious when i think about it. i think the top bolt is on max and the bottom one may be wound out half a turn or maybe a full one. so if i can get the top one loose, i should tighten the bottom one fully and then wind them out one turn at a time each until i reach desired poundage? Marking with paint is also a great idea, thanks! I dont have the bow with me at the moment but I will check this weekend to see what the difference in distance is between the riser and the bolts but i think its marginal, suggesting its on max poundage. If i wind the bolts out that gap will grow, correct? and the distance should be equal on each? Brillaint thanks guys.
 

KidCurry

Well-known member
AIUK Saviour
... i should tighten the bottom one fully and then wind them out one turn at a time each until i reach desired poundage?
WARNING, WARNING :) You should check the user manual for the max. turns you can back out the bolts. And as Geoff said check for any locking screws. Half a turn is not much to be out and some will get to this point by tiller tuning. However, the bow is designed to be shot with both limbs set the same.

If i wind the bolts out that gap will grow, correct? and the distance should be equal on each?
Yes and yes.
 

bear-outbreak

New member
There are no locking screws, its a simple alan key job, anti-clockwise to loosen it etc. the manual says not to back them out any more than 3 full turns so i will probably just back them out one as the poundage is just on the edge of my limit, and its 2-4lb per turn. I basically just want them to be on identical turns and synchronized.

Now that i think about it im not sure how the limb bolts move, as in, do they move up the limb away from the riser the more wound out they are, as though they were sliding up the limb? or do they move up and away from the bow like a screw being un-screwed from a peice of wood, if you get my meaning? so if i was to measure in mm how far out the limb bolts are where would i measure to and from? i cant seem to find a picture on google of a bow with the limb bolts wound out and then another with them wound in to compare. Thanks for your help.
 

KidCurry

Well-known member
AIUK Saviour
I think this is your bow. Youtube screen shot of limbs wound out. Note the gap between the limb pockets and riser :)

 

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