Anyone used mini tnt feet on Scoutmaster

VPI have now replied -- here's the advice:

"The down facing 1/4-20 bolt on your table is part of the original rubber
system. The whole rubber part can be unscrewed from the chassis by
pulling and turning the bolt counterclockwise. Pulling the bolt will make
the rubber smaller so you get less friction against the chassis parts and
turning it will unscrew the old rubber mount.? This should solve the
problem. "

OK... Pmotz seems to have hit the target right on here. I tried it, using the 2 nut idea mentioned above to gain traction on the bolt (rather than gripping the bolt tread with a pliers) and with the full force of my arm on a wrench I could not get this thing to budge, it only gave as the rubber bushing twisted with the force but not further so I am not prepared to force it. I believe the down stud is joined via rubber to the bolt/stud that screws directly into the plinth, so you really need to turn the rubber join more than the bottom bolt - look at the replacement foot's insert to see what I mean, it's two bolts joined by a rubber midsection rather than one long bolt which you can turn by gripping directly. As you turn one end, the mid section rubber join flexes a little before the other bolt turns. Fine on a loose connection, but straining on the rubber when the joint is tight. VPI told me it was ok to wreck the tread as they could send replacements, and maybe the rubber would rip leaving me a chance to catch the upper bolt directly with a pliers but to be honest, I prefer to keep my TTable in working order - I am going to return these feet, more hassle than I am sure they are worth. If nothing else, VPI needs to get the instructions on this added to the packet - it is definitely not a trivial job for this version of the table.

Oscar44- If it's any consolation I also upgraded my motor to the 300 RPM version and the instructions for that were pretty sad. VPI makes a great product but their instructions leave something to be desired. For a high end product that needs attenton to detail this is inexcusable. Hopefully the will acknowledge your e-mail and let you know the proper instalation.

thank you Pmotz -- you are certainly correct.

Given the size of the replacement feet it is almost certainly the case that more than screwing off the coned feet is required. I do indeed have a rubber isolator on the plinth containing a down-facing threaded stud to receive the original cones. It would seem these must come out too to make room but that is far more than is explained in the literature (see: http://www.elusivedisc.com/prodinfo.asp?number=HW-B4008, where it shows the foot and the adaptor). I did tug a little at these but did not want to tear them out (using either method you describe) without some confirmation that this was what VPI intended (they provide NO instructions) or that unscrewing this stud would leave a suitable threaded receptacle on the other side for the replacement feet.

As one looks at the underside of the plinth, there is no way of knowing what wrenching the existing stud out will reveal on the other side. If it 'is' just a threaded receptacle for the new foot, one then wonders what possible role the advertised adaptor plays since it is large enough to cover the replacement foot's stud completely (i.e., one could not screw the new foot onto anything else when the adaptor is in place). Perhaps the removal of the existing stud, as per one of your methods, reveals a larger receptacle into which the adaptor then fits? Who knows? the dealer certainly doesn't and VPI don't care to provide that info to either the dealer or the customer in the form of instructions. Sometimes it's just frustrating being a customer willing to spend $$ on specialist hifi. the time alone on this has killed the joy of the supposed upgrade.

I'll let you all know when I learn anything more from the various parties involved.

I have an original Aries, but have not tried the mini-TNT feet. I did replace the "isolators" between the plinth and the cone with just a stud though (this was an improvement VPI endorsed) and I think I know the solution. The isolators were a rubber bushing with a 1/4-20 threaded stud coming out each end. One end threaded into the plinth the other into the cone. To remove the isolator I just grabbed the rubber part of the isolator with pliers and unscrewed it. I would suspect what you are seeing is the stud from the isolator. In the event you don't have the isolators you must have the plain stud like I have. To remove the stud you have two options. The first is to get two 1/4-20 nuts (very common size) and thread both on the stud a few threads. Lock the two nuts together by simultaneously tightening one against the other. Then take a wrench to the bottom one and turning counter clockwise (keep your fingers crossed) the stud will back out. You may have to try a few times if the stud was locked in place with thread lock compound. If that fails you could just clamp some vice grips on the thread and turn, but you will destroy the threads this way so you better get the studs out or you have a real mess. I don't know what the "adapter" VPI provides is but it probably is just a stud or a coupler (a long nut to join two studs). Hope this helps!

Well I am glad I am not alone in having this problem - I was beginning to think I was mad! These are supposed to be a simple "screw out the old, screw in the new" replacement. Trouble is, the old coned feet screw off from the table leaving a down-facing threaded bolt for the replacement to screw onto, but the replacements, as you can see in the images online, come with their own bolt looking for a receptacle! The 'adaptors' for original Aries owners are not functional. Even if I could get a tight fit (which I cannot), the new feet are so much higher than the old cones that that they raise the table too high for the stand-alone motor assembly to drive the platter. Clearly they are not designed to work with the Aries original. Dealer seems to think I am imagining this! I guess it's time to have the dealer take these back until VPI sorts it out.

I have placed them on my superscoutmaster with improvement in background (lower noise floor) and what I feel is a touch more bass. If nothing else they add additional mass and to me look much better.

I have the same problem as stated by Oscar44. I have an Aries Extended and the feet to not thread into the bottom. I emailed VPI when I first bought them and was told that they would have a "fix" soon?! but I have never heard back from them nor have I seen anything about a retrofit for the Aries.

FYI VPI is closed till 4/17

No but I've tried to put these feet on my original VPI Aries 1, with no luck, even with adaptors that are supposed to enable this. Have an email into VPI and the dealer on this but neither have replied in 2 days......bah! Anyone out there have this problem? I tried to start a thread on this but it never appeared....