Questions about Northwave.900 Settings, springs and bootfit

[Hans]

In order to benefit other people too I put this email to the SWOARDteam on this forum

Yes, I got the last mondo 25.5 brand new Northwave .900 Ray could find at this moment for me. Got them yesterday within three days time. I am partially happy with it because I have to make some modifications before the boot will really fit me. This boot is something shorter than my Raichle AF 700 mondo 25.5 (it has a mondo 26.0 liner in it whereas the Northwave has mondo 25.5 liner in it).

Though they are a little bit too small for my feet so at first I am gonna be in it without insoles (tip from Rob) because the liner will become smaller after some usage. And I have to go to the bootfitter to lenghten them because I touch the front of the boot with my toes.

Question 1:
Is it a problem to heaten the Northwaveboots in the front in order to lenghten them?

I have some other questions about the settings and other things:

Question 2:
I feel that the forward settings are more to the front than my modified Raichle AF700. So more like a racingsetting. Can I change my backsettings at my Northwaveboot so that I can stay more upright? And how do I do this if it's possible.

Question 3:
In the forum I have read that there are yellow, blue and 'to buy' grey springs.

My boots have yellow and red springs. Is the red spring the same as the blue spring or else? And if they differ, is it advisible to change them.
I weigh about 82 kgs.

Question 4:
At the forum Rob changed his bails on his TD2 into Catekbails, front. And because there are some people among us who have some experience with the TD2 bails pushing through the snow when you are carving(SWOARDteam for instance), is it advisable to me to buy and wait for the Catekbails (as they were sold out recently)?

All these questions, I hope some one can help me out.

[nils]

Hans,
You can indeed gain as much as half a foot size with proper heating/pressure in a shop where they know what they are doing. My 28.5 shells gained .5 in the left shell and now works perfectly ( seems my foot is longer on the left). Same heating mods work for any painful points you may have in the shell. I have thin feet with a wide point in the middle, and that hurt until the guy pushed the pressure point out a bit. Then adding a sole under the heels also moved my foot higher in the shell, where it is wider.
When you take the sole of the NW 900/950 out, you notice how much heel lift you have, this expains also why we set them straight, in order not to have too much forward flex. (that is your question 2 !)
question 3: rob will answer, but yes the red seems stiffer than the blue.
question4: i haven't had the drag problem with the TD2 bail so will not do the mod.. I do lay frontsides all the way to the point where it touches, but it only digs the snow there too

Nils

[Hans]

Thanks
Nils for your clear answers.

Greets, Hans.