Removing Plastic Feet on Gitzo Tripods

[Peter De Smidt]

I have three Gitzo tripods which have "non-removable" plastic feet, two aluminum tripods and one carbon fiber. Has anyone removed these, preferably without damaging the tripod tubes? If so, how?

[Jeff Conrad]

Years ago, I removed the rubber leg tips from a Gitzo 212. As I recall, I simply pulled them out with a pair of slip-joint pliers. Markins have instructions (http://www.markinsamerica.com/downloads/TS_install_en_v1.pdf) (PDF) for removing the tips, though I've never tried that procedure and I haven't tried removing the tips from CF legs. Interestingly, Markins no longer list spike feet for the CF tripods with nonremovable tips, but appear to offer only equivalents to the Gitzo removable rubber and spike tips.

[Pete Roody]

They just slide off a CF tripod leg. Usually too easily and you end up loosing them. Use loctite when you replace them.

[Arne Croell]

Some years ago, I got the Markins replacement spike feet for both my 1325 and 1228. You heat up the feet with a heat gun, _slowly and carefully_, until the glue softens, then pull them out with pliers.

[Richard Littlewood]

Peter
They do really just pull out. After pulling mine out I found they had a bit of some sort of gunky glue on them, that if they were to go straight back in, would need re-glueing.
I did a bit of serious messing with my old series 3 alluminium tripod. I drilled an 8mm hole through each bung, then ground to a point 3 m8 screws about 60mm long, washer on the hex head, inserted through the back of the bung, another washer on the outside, run up a nut, push the bung back in the leg then lock up the nut that tightens the bung in the leg from the outside. Upshot is I have a permanantly spiked tripod thats going strong after over 10 years, well suited to landscape use in the soft boggy area I snap away in.

[Peter De Smidt]

Thanks Richard. I plan to do something similar.