Bear Mag Takedown weirdness

[CrookedStick]

Sooo, my first post!

Thanks for all your help so far guys, been lurking here for a while. And now that I am seriously hooked, I have even more questions, but today I ran into a weird one.

Last week I purchased a B riser that was missing parts.  I already have an A,B and C, but since the new B looked like it had a much better paint job than my current bows.  I figured I could piece things together for a nice shooter.

Well, first the new bow has the original adjustable rest which none of my bows have, score! Second the new riser really does have much much better paint than my current 'beater bows', score! Something not shown in the auction was two holes drilled for a sight/quiver...not so good, but doesn't look so bad if you don't know they are not supposed to be there, no score! there. Any chance they really were drilled at the factory on such an early riser? (no strut)

Finally it was really only missing a grip (I had a spare) and limb clamps.  I figured I could just steal the limb clamps from my little-used C riser until I could find a set.  WRONG! The upper clamp is too tight to clamp down on the limb. I tried that C riser clamp on my other B riser as well with the same result.  Weird.

So now I stole the clamps from my old, ugly shooter to get this new, pretty shooter working.  Does anybody out there have a  complete set of limb clamps that you really want to get rid of?

And why don't the C riser clamps operate properly?  I can't believe they have different specs.

I can see myself falling into the quagmire on this--buy a new riser, switch the clamps; buy a new riser, switch the clamps!

Sorry for the too-long first post.  Thanks for reading.

[shaft slinger]

I don't know much about them, but 3rivers sells a kit to rebuild them, top clamp, latch, screw and spring.
 should be cheaper than buying a riser, but not near the fun

[CrookedStick]

Thanks, but they don't have the complete clamps, just the latch/top part. You are right, it may be fun to just keep nailing risers!

[Tom I.]

The catalog literature says that all limbs and risers are interchangable.....so I don't understand why the clamps from the C riser wouldn't work.  My left handed B riser has two dimples on the left side of the riser, a little in front of the large coin slotted screw, that look as if they're starter holes for drilling and tapping for some purpose...not sights, maybe a bow quiver. The dimples still have factory paint in them.  
Tom I.

[d. ward]

Cs those latches and yokes are all the same.If the latch will not latch it may be bent or you may have to remove the little piece of leather glued to the latch ?? But all bear socket yoke and latches are all the same.Got a couple pics of the latch ??? bd

[bearmagtd]

All latches and yokes are the same. First try by removing the locator screw in the pocket. It may be high in the riser. If this is the case you can take a little of the top of the screw or counter sink the screw hole a little. If you have more then one set of limbs try a different set. Make sure that the latch keeper spring is down all the way. If you have a latch arm without the leather try it first before you remove the leather on the other one. Make sure if the riser has been repainted that the yoke or base is the right fit. If it also has the  two rubber  pades you can take them out and see if it will fit better. The pades can be sanded down alittle to fit. I have may sets of risers and limbs. And some just drop in and others have to be adjusted a little.As Don pointed out a close up picture would be of some help.

[shaft slinger]

I would love to get a set of latches, THE whole thing for a wood riser.
I would like to build a riser of my own design and use the latch system, but so far havn't had any luck.
  I even contacted a man that works as a repairman in the bow section at ganesville plant, he said "there is no way that bear will sell the whole latch set" .
    It anybody thas a broken or other wise junk wood riser i would be interested.

[CrookedStick]

Tom...Those dimples mean my holes are sorta, almost factory! Yippee.

Doc and Bearmagtd and Tom...Thanks for reinforcing the idea that all the limb brackets are the same.  I was afraid to peel the leathers off because the latches are original to the bow, complete with serial number sticker and patent number sticker, and I didn't want to remove the leathers unless I was sure it would work.

So, upon removal they work...actually they would work without leather, but that would probably leave a line on my limbs so I made new leathers of really thin buckskin.

I do think the chrome of the C latches is the problem. They mic at almost .010 thicker than the regular black latches, so they are thicker AND less flexible on clampdown. And that extra thickness almost doubles because the latch wraps around the riser.

Weird thing is 5 sets of limbs work fine in the C riser with the chrome latches, those same limbs work fine in A and B risers with the black latches.  But they wouldn't work in the B riser with the chrome latches until I removed the leathers.

Shaft Slinger...you'll probably have even less luck finding the brackets you want - the wood riser brackets are different than the magnesium riser brackets, they have an extra section. You and I may end up in the same boat, someday we'll be saying 'I have 49 bear takedown risers and one without brackets!

Thanks again.

[Tom I.]

Here's a pic of the dimples.....
 
Tom I.

[PAPALAPIN]

"ALL RISERS AND LIMBS ARE INTERCHANGEABLE"

Try putting a set of black limbs w/white tips into a green stripe '80's model TD.  THe limbs fit in but loose.  Try putting a set of green tip limbs in a '70's B riser.  NO GO.

I tried to unload a Green Strip riser on RAINMAN.  He was going to use it with his white tips.  He sent the riser back because the limbs fit too loose.

I have tried to put my green tips into my ;70's B riser.  The clamp won't even close on the lower limb.

[bkupris]

Tolerance issues with the latches, how they are attached to the risers or the limbs themselves?

[bearmagtd]

The two prongs  on the Bear leather top quiver fit the holes. The later models did not have them, they where very hard on wood riser bows.