Are top and bottom limbs interchangeable?

[J. Cook]

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?

[Biathlonman]

Not usually.

[M60gunner]

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.

[Al Dean]

No  because you do not shoot the bow dead center, so bottom limb is stiffer.

No! It would more than likely jack your tiller all up!

Bisch

[ranger 3]

Just for fun try to shoot it up side down and see how it shoots.

[Doc Nock]

Sounds like a specific bowyer question, but I see no fault in what's suggested above...

[J. Cook]

Originally posted by ranger 3:
Just for fun try to shoot it up side down and see how it shoots.

Now that's funny!!!    

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.

[Hermon]

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.

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

[ChuckC]

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

[ronp]

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.  
 
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    

[ronp]

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.

[ranger 3]

ronp, maybe that's because they are wrong.

[Orion]

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.

[ronp]

Originally posted by ranger 3:
ronp, maybe that's because they are wrong.

That could very well be what happened.

[Orion]

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.

[Mark R]

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.

[McDave]

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.

[Crooked Stic]

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.