ART Positioner Replacement Cam

This is the replacement position cam for the ART Positioner, the lanyard adjuster many climbers run on their flipline. When the cam's gripping surface wears, swapping it brings the adjuster back to spec without buying a whole new unit.

When to replace the cam

The cam is what grips your lanyard rope, and it wears every time you adjust. Signs it is due include slipping under load, polished or flattened gripping surfaces, and a lanyard that creeps when you lean back on a spur climb.

Because the Positioner is life-support gear, do not wait until it slips badly. Replace the cam when the wear starts to show and keep the old one out of the kit.

Dirty rope speeds up wear. Sand, grit and dried sap act like sandpaper on the cam every time the lanyard slides through it. Climbers who work in sandy soil or heavy pine sap often see wear sooner than those in clean hardwoods, so set your inspection schedule by your conditions, not by the calendar.

Fitting and checking

Install the cam exactly as ART describes, using only genuine parts. After the swap, test the adjuster close to the ground with full body weight before you climb on it. Life-support gear has to meet the applicable standard and the manufacturer's instructions, get inspected before every climb, and be used only by trained climbers.

If the body, axle or spring of the Positioner itself shows cracks, wear or deformation, a new cam will not fix it. Retire the unit and look at our rope grabs instead.

Keep the old cam out of circulation once it is replaced. Mark it or bin it so it cannot end up back in a kit by mistake, and note the date of the swap in your gear log if your company keeps one.