With prolonged use, a tripod can collect dirt on the inside of the leg sections, hindering their efficiency and reducing the life of the tripod. In this article we show you how to take apart and clean the tripod legs in the ALTA PRO 2+ Collection.
This includes:
- Alta Pro 2+ Series of versatile full-sized studio tripods
- Alta Pro 2 Series of traditional full-sized tripods (discontinued)
- Alta Pro 2V Series for video (discontinued)
This collection includes a type of twist lock that is designed to be the easiest to set up in seconds with a locking system that prevents it being unlocked in error, and that clearly shows if the leg is locked/unlocked. However, this means that the mechanism is more complicated to maintain, and if you plan to use the tripod in more challenging environments such as beaches, then we recommend you consider the VEO 3 Collection.
Before starting, you will need to ensure that you have a small Phillips screwdriver, which will be required to remove the twist lock.
Loosen the screw located on the back of the twist lock. If the hole of the rubber does not match the screw, you will need to rotate the rubber until it matches. You don’t need to remove the screw and if you do remove it, reassembling the legs can be a little harder. As a result, a couple of turns should be enough.
Slide the twist lock down, separating it from the serrated ring, then turn the serrated ring anticlockwise until it comes off the top section. Then remove the two plastic section stops, the inner ring, the serrated ring and the twist lock from the from the lower section.
We recommend you do not remove the plastic clip from inside the tube of the lower section. Cleaning this part has little impact on the smooth movement of the leg and, when removed from the tube, the release of pressure can result in this breaking and needing replaced, which will delay when you can next use your tripod (if this happens, please contact us and we’ll get the spare parts to you to get you back up and running as quickly as possible).
To clean, simply use warm water and a soft cloth, if necessary, use a little washing up liquid. If there are stubborn patches, use a soft brush like a toothbrush, but we don’t recommend that you use a hard brush or wire wool as this can damage the leg. Once clean, dry thoroughly and we recommend apply a little bit of lubricant (our design team recommends a tiny spot of moly grease, spread as finely as an expensive hand cream) to the screw thread, which will help keep the movement smooth and fine particles out.
To reassemble, reverse the process. Replace the twist lock, the serrated ring, the inner ring and the two plastic section stops. Holding the two plastic section stops, insert the lower section into the top section.
Please note, there are two ridges inside the top section that only allow it to be inserted in the correct position. Applying force if these are not aligned properly could damage the plastic section tops or inside of the top tripod leg. To find the correct position, you can feel the ridges inside the leg with a finger, or simply turn the lower section until you find the correct position.
Once inserted correctly, turn the serrated ring clockwise on the top section until it locks, slide on the twist lock so the ridge is aligned with the “Locked” symbol, tighten the screw on the back of the twist lock and you’re good to go.