Stuck legs on EQ6 tripod

[iceman (Mike)]

Hi guys

I'm having trouble with stuck legs on my EQ6 tripod. I'm talking about the extendable part.

Even with the locking screw completely undone, I can't pull the leg out any further to extend it - I can only extend it an inch or two before it gets stuck.

Yesterday I tried spraying some WD40 up the tube to lubricate it, but it still didn't really help. I even tried using some pliers to grab the leg (with the foot cap off) and pull it out, with success only on one leg.

Speaking of the foot caps, they come off too. I don't think that's too big a deal though.

So how do I get my legs unstuck? Do I have to take the whole black part off? How do I get that off? There's 2 small allen key screws in the black cover, but I undid those and nothing happened.

Appreciate any advice. It's a real pain trying to level the tripod when you can only extend 1 or 2 out of the 3 legs.

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

I've had the same problem with mine too Mike. One fatal flaw in your thinking so far was to use WD40. That will only serve to attract field dust when you're out and about, and as that combines with the WD40 it produces a lovely gritty gunk that will never let your legs extend again.

I'd turn the whole contraption upside down, flush it out with metho (completely dries off with no oily residue) and the squirt graphite power down in between the tube walls instead.

Are you sure they're not buckled?

Cheers
Chris

[Glenhuon (Bill)]

Not having had a close look at one of these tripods and going by a photo, I'd say there might be a 3rd allen screw holding the black part. Spaced at 120 deg around the casting. The locking screw probably does not bear directly on the inner tube but has a pad in between. Pad has become stuck to the inner tube or has distorted the tubing through over tightening. Just a guess iceman, hope you can get it fixed.

[matt]

Originally Posted by Omaroo

Are you sure they're not buckled?

That's what happened to mine.

Those aluminium legs are quite prone to denting if you tighten up those clamps too firmly.

That buckles the tube.

Just ask Frank (spearo) about the trouble we had extending the legs on my tripod!!!!

You'll need to just force (pull) them all the way out and then carefully lower the tripod to the required height.

When you get them fully extended, you can see the buckling quite easily.

[h0ughy (David)]

I think you have buckled the leg , must have been the weight of that camera