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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: J. Cook on December 29, 2015, 08:52:00 PM

Title: Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?
Post by: J. Cook on December 29, 2015, 08:52:00 PM
On take down recurves, are the top and bottom limbs interchangeable?  I know there are some that aren't if they are tillered for a specific release.  But in general - are they the same?
Title: Re: Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?
Post by: Biathlonman on December 29, 2015, 08:56:00 PM
Not usually.
Title: Re: Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?
Post by: M60gunner on December 29, 2015, 09:24:00 PM
Depends, on how the bow was ordered. If ordered with "0" tiller then yes. ILF limbs are. I have a riser that likes the limbs reversed.
Now my Bear TD limbs are not. Check with the bowyer.
Title: Re: Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?
Post by: Al Dean on December 29, 2015, 09:53:00 PM
No  because you do not shoot the bow dead center, so bottom limb is stiffer.
Title: Re: Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?
Post by: on December 29, 2015, 10:32:00 PM
No! It would more than likely jack your tiller all up!

Bisch
Title: Re: Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?
Post by: ranger 3 on December 30, 2015, 09:09:00 AM
Just for fun try to shoot it up side down and see how it shoots.
Title: Re: Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?
Post by: Doc Nock on December 30, 2015, 09:28:00 AM
Sounds like a specific bowyer question, but I see no fault in what's suggested above...
Title: Re: Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?
Post by: J. Cook on December 30, 2015, 09:39:00 AM
Quote
Originally posted by ranger 3:
Just for fun try to shoot it up side down and see how it shoots.
Now that's funny!!!     :biglaugh:

I'm getting a set of limbs film dipped - that's what got me wandering.  How will I know which is which when they send me the limbs back?  They look identical - tips are the same, etc.
Title: Re: Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?
Post by: Hermon on December 30, 2015, 09:43:00 AM
The folks film dipping them should be able to either mark them, or prevent the original limb markings from being covered up.  Ask them how they can help you.
Title: Re: Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?
Post by: on December 30, 2015, 09:43:00 AM
If it is tillered for split, then measure the tiller. The top limb measuremwnt should be about 1/8" to 1/4" more than the bottom limb measurement. If it is tillered for 3-under, they should both be the same, and there will likely be no issues.

If you limbs have not gone in the tank yet, I would call them and have them mark one limb somehow.

Bisch
Title: Re: Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?
Post by: ChuckC on December 30, 2015, 09:52:00 AM
I would say the above responses are correct.  Not only are they not the same, but of all the bows I have had the top and bottom limbs are different in some way so that they are not transposed.

That is just my guess.
CHuckC
Title: Re: Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?
Post by: ronp on December 30, 2015, 10:03:00 AM
I shoot three fingers under.  I bought a set of ILF limbs and didn't realize they were marked top and bottom, so of course, by chance, I put them on upside down.  The bow shot fine.   :archer2:
 
Then I noticed they were marked top and bottom, so I switched them.  And I could not get them tuned at all.  Arrows were slapping the rest and had poor flight.  So I switched them back to being upside down and that's the way I shoot it now.  It must be due to my fat fingers and shooting three under    :dunno:
Title: Re: Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?
Post by: ronp on December 30, 2015, 10:05:00 AM
Oh, my nocked arrows sit pretty level with the setup I mentioned.  I don't need to have my nock higher up on the string like I do with my other bows.
Title: Re: Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?
Post by: ranger 3 on December 30, 2015, 10:42:00 AM
ronp, maybe that's because they are wrong.
Title: Re: Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?
Post by: Orion on December 30, 2015, 11:05:00 AM
A number of ways to affect tiller on a td bow-- by how the limb is layed up (lamination thickness and taper), by how the limb is worked/sanded after it's made, and by using different limb pad angles.  

If the tiller is created by the limb pad angles and the limbs are made the same, they're interchangeable (if they're drilled the same). If they're layed up or worked differently, they're probably not.
Title: Re: Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?
Post by: ronp on December 30, 2015, 11:08:00 AM
Quote
Originally posted by ranger 3:
ronp, maybe that's because they are wrong.
That could very well be what happened.
Title: Re: Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?
Post by: Orion on December 30, 2015, 11:25:00 AM
ILF limbs are most likely to be identical to each other ( and interchangeable top to bottom) because tiller on an ILF bow is adjusted/created by turning the bolt adjustments in or out, (changing the limb pad angles, in effect). I wonder if they really are?

I suppose as a general rule, the lower limb could still be made a little stiffer. There isn't general agreement/consistency of riser limb pad angles from manufacturer to manufacturer or even from the same manufacturer across riser lengths, so a slightly stiffer limb might still be the most universal way to go.
Title: Re: Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?
Post by: Mark R on December 30, 2015, 12:01:00 PM
The tiller can be made into the riser therefore the limbs could be made the same.Meaning the grip can be off centered on the riser to get a positive tiller,or whatever you want.Not all limbs made the same come out the exact same,there can be slight material differences especially with natural materials,some wood from the same tree maybe different from lamb to lamb.If you think about it it really makes you appreciate the art and science of the Bowyer's craft.
Title: Re: Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?
Post by: McDave on December 30, 2015, 12:36:00 PM
I can't see where it would harm the bow to experiment, if the physical mounting and limb lengths are the same.  If you have tuned the bow to shoot a bare shaft, then try the limbs either way and see which way shoots the bare shaft correctly. If swapping the limbs has no effect on the bare shaft, then I think you have your answer.
Title: Re: Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?
Post by: Crooked Stic on December 30, 2015, 07:28:00 PM
My takedown drilling jig is just a tiny bit different on one end in line up pin placement. No doubt which limb goes where even though they are marked.
Title: Re: Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?
Post by: highlow on December 30, 2015, 07:30:00 PM
Never thought about it so I checked mine. Other than the tiller question, all my TD limbs look like they could be reversed except my Blacktail Sitka T2 and Stalker Wolverine FXT. That is due to the way the way the riser and sight windows are cut.
Title: Re: Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?
Post by: Cody Greenwood on December 30, 2015, 07:39:00 PM
I am not sure about all bows, I do know with a DAS Dalaa you can swap the limbs to change tiller. The bottom limb is stronger, interchanging it with the top limb gains the result of positive tiller.  

David Soza has written a thorough review of tiller that you can google. He discussed swapping limbs to tiller tune his bows. I would not try this with anything other than DAS or ILF risers and limbs.