C4 with kinked stem: still safe?

So I've got a nearly-new set of cams (shiny!). Unfortunately, on the first lead with the new rack, my 0.5 C4 was bent where the metal head meets the plastic/wire stem. Since no one fell, I assume this was due to an overenthusiastic follower, but I haven't been able to bend it back straight.

As far as I can tell, none of the metal cables of the stem are harmed, but I can only see a tiny bit of it around the plastic cover.

Is this common? Still safe?

c4 stem #1

c4 stem #2

c4 stem #3

One more detailed pic:

c4 stem detail

there is nothing wrong with your cam. good to go.

bevans wrote:there is nothing wrong with your cam. good to go.

+1

Yeah i have 3 or 4 of them like that.

Kinda normal for it to bend like that after a fall on it or it weight in that position for a long time.

There fine

WTF? That's the exact same color scheme I use to mark my gear: Blue with thin yellow on top. And all this time I thought I was being clever and original so no one else would have the same marking...

Oh- and your cam is fine.

Your cam is fine. Don't try to bend it back tho. That will only add to the fatigue of the cable.

SkiNowWorkLater wrote:WTF? That's the exact same color scheme I use to mark my gear: Blue with thin yellow on top. And all this time I thought I was being clever and original so no one else would have the same marking...

I once climbed with a guy who had identical gear to mine that was marked exactly the same way! Our draws were the same Mammut dyneema slings with Mad Rock wiregates and all our hardware was marked with pink and navy blue strips of nailpolish. And I thought I was being clever and unique...

Totally normal. All my cams look like that after doing aid in horizontals...

caughtinside wrote:That cam is brand new. Maybe we should have a thread where you post photos of manky wonked out crap that guys still climb on.

No doubt... that would be a great thread to see.

Everyone should share pictures of there manky ass cams with bent stems deformed lobes. Unfortanlly my cams havent been destoryed or manked so i can only posted pictures i found on the interweb.

!!!!!!!!! I would love to hear the story behind that obliterated #2 six photos down. Holy lobe-ripper, Batman!

Daryl Allan wrote:!!!!!!!!! I would love to hear the story behind that obliterated #2 six photos down. Holy lobe-ripper, Batman!

Hell yes! a blue whale took a lead fall on that #2. I'd still use it....

John R. Williams wrote: Hell yes! a blue whale took a lead fall on that #2. I'd still use it....

Works great as a NUT!!

How convenient, I was just going to ask the same question.

I dropped this near new cam down a 200ft slab, it bounced around alot and landed in the dirt.

I'm sure it should be retired, I hear cams get micro cracks and can just snap at any moment?

Other than the obvious, there is no other visual damage, it still operates as smooth as it was before. It looks like one of the axles was bent/stretched. There is some play between the lobes but everything seems to be intact.

What do ya'll think?

c4 canked!

I saw a guy do a very similar thing as the #2 to a BD #3, he took a 15-20 footer off of the 5.9 pitch of Reed's Pinnacle Direct and seriously mangled the cam though it did hold the fall. I went up latter and couldn't get the thing to budge, would have needed a rock or a hammer to get the thing out.

Matt J wrote:How convenient, I was just going to ask the same question. I dropped this near new cam down a 200ft slab, it bounced around alot and landed in the dirt. I'm sure it should be retired, I hear cams get micro cracks and can just snap at any moment? Other than the obvious, there is no other visual damage, it still operates as smooth as it was before. It looks like one of the axles was bent/stretched. There is some play between the lobes but everything seems to be intact. What do ya'll think?

The Axles on the cams float, to compensate for cam rotating during a fall, or something like that. If you lay the cam sideways and push on the higher axel it should even it out. you may need to use a hammer and a block of wood to get it flat again.

I have 3 thoughs on this.
1. Personally i would not climb on this cam.
2. If climber gear will break that easily we would all be dead right now.
3. Its kind of like climbing on aliens you never know if its going to blow apart

Ultimatly it will be up to you to dieciede if you want to retire the gear or climb on it.

"Micro cracks" = mental retardation

Have to object to the pic of the RE Durango being in the list of mangled cams (5th one down), as I had replaced the lobes with a new design I was working on at the time and failure of the stem came a good bit above rating (~15kN or so, IIRC). Not sure if the U-stem Camalot pic is one of mine or not, but won't complain since I'm of the opinion BD should do a general recall/stop use on them due to an inherent design flaw that allows them to pull out well below rating when placed above 50% expansion.

-a.

Ray Pinpillage wrote:"Micro cracks" = mental retardation

This.

Aric Datesman wrote:I'm of the opinion BD should do a general recall/stop use on [Camalots] due to an inherent design flaw that allows them to pull out well below rating when placed above 50% expansion. -a.

Could you elaborate on that? What would make them more likely to fail under their rated strength than any other cam?