# Floating Yokes



## SteveID (May 6, 2008)

I find myself reading this forum much more than anything else, I think you field guys have a good understanding of the game so I will ask questions here. 

I'm getting a Contender Elite in a couple weeks. I want to shoot it at Redding if I can get enough time with it. 

My question is what do you guys think of floating yokes on the Hoyt? I haven't been a fan of them, but I like to hear both sides of the argument.


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## Brown Hornet (Aug 8, 2002)

They both work fine....in my experience it really doesn't matter. I usually shoot whatever the string maker sends :wink:


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## Tim M (Dec 17, 2009)

Agree with BH. they both work fine. Have the stocks on with 300 shots on them and the bow is really good, peep rotation has not changed, but new strings on the way from BowGod cant wait to get them on:smile: The stock stuff should work fine for you. Enjoy the new bow.


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## hbclub (Jun 20, 2007)

I use floating because my current bows are Hoyts, and even with aftermarket strings - I keep em the same way.

But, I think a floating yoke settles in where you can twist one side just like static.

One thing I do like about floating is that there are more strands per side equal to the string, not half of the string split.


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## hoytexpress2004 (Dec 23, 2006)

The bow is designed for a floating yoke.. If you were to talk to the engineer at hoyt (Gideon) he will strongly caution you against a static yoke. With split limbs if you were to make a static and one of your sides of the yoke were slightly off you could cause one side to be lower than the other. The floating allows it to find its own center and be right every time.. Stick with a floating yoke it is what the bow was designed to work off of. Good luck you will love the contender. 

Clinton


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## JayMc (Jan 4, 2005)

hoytexpress2004 said:


> The bow is designed for a floating yoke.. If you were to talk to the engineer at hoyt (Gideon) he will strongly caution you against a static yoke. With split limbs if you were to make a static and one of your sides of the yoke were slightly off you could cause one side to be lower than the other. The floating allows it to find its own center and be right every time.. Stick with a floating yoke it is what the bow was designed to work off of. Good luck you will love the contender.
> 
> Clinton


Gideon is a GREAT guy. I've shot with him before in a group at tournaments and visited with him again at nationals last weekend. He's crazy helpful :thumbs_up

He knows I shoot with a static yoke though  :tongue:


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## CherryJu1ce (Feb 25, 2005)

If they were designed to be shot with a static yoke, they'd come with them stock. 

Stick with the floating yoke. :thumbs_up


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## SteveID (May 6, 2008)

Interesting stuff guys. I really thought more would lean towards a static yoke. I know I'll probably go to the static yoke but I'll shoot it with the stock strings for a while before I make the switch, maybe I'll like it and stick with the floating yoke.

Man I'm excited to get this bow. It will be the first time I've had a bow that truly fits me.


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## jim46ok (Oct 9, 2008)

*a contraire"""*



hoytexpress2004 said:


> The bow is designed for a floating yoke.. If you were to talk to the engineer at hoyt (Gideon) he will strongly caution you against a static yoke. With split limbs if you were to make a static and one of your sides of the yoke were slightly off you could cause one side to be lower than the other. The floating allows it to find its own center and be right every time.. Stick with a floating yoke it is what the bow was designed to work off of. Good luck you will love the contender.
> 
> Clinton


If the floating yoke made it "right every time" we would not be hearing all the horror stories of CAM LEAN. In a perfect world, with a perfect bow and identically matched split limbs, that would be so. But it's not. 

And, that Hoyt engineer, Gideon or any other Bow engineer will NOT say CAM LEAN is engineered into a Bow's design intentionally.

If you tie a static yoke and one side is off "slightly.." then you would have CAM LEAN. Isn't that what this thread is about? Except that with a static yoke it is easily corrected, stays put (does not slip as a floating yoke does) so we always know that the limbs are balanced...jmho


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## jim46ok (Oct 9, 2008)

*Cam Lean Pic*

Please don't tell me this AM 32 Cam Lean was designed into the bow.

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=869990


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## Heliman21 (Mar 7, 2005)

hbclub said:


> One thing I do like about floating is that there are more strands per side equal to the string, not half of the string split.


That's my reason also for using the floating yoke. :thumbs_up


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## mdbowhunter (Oct 22, 2002)

I understand the theory behind the floating yoke...but in most cases found it was impossible to add twists and eliminate cam lean. So, whenever I purchase...or make my own strings...it always has a static yoke.


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## CherryJu1ce (Feb 25, 2005)

jim46ok said:


> If the floating yoke made it "right every time" we would not be hearing all the horror stories of CAM LEAN. In a perfect world, with a perfect bow and identically matched split limbs, that would be so. But it's not.
> 
> And, that Hoyt engineer, Gideon or any other Bow engineer will NOT say CAM LEAN is engineered into a Bow's design intentionally.
> 
> If you tie a static yoke and one side is off "slightly.." then you would have CAM LEAN. Isn't that what this thread is about? Except that with a static yoke it is easily corrected, stays put (does not slip as a floating yoke does) so we always know that the limbs are balanced...jmho


Yeah those guys at Hoyt don't know crap! :doh:

If there was a benefit to a static yoke (being able to cancel out cam lean), why wouldn't Hoyt offer a static yoke on their bows? It's not like it's harder to make a cable with a static yoke vs. the floating, so what's their rationale behind it?


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## mdbowhunter (Oct 22, 2002)

*Just a thought...*

I wonder if the floating yoke cable design is cheaper to produce? Believe you me...plenty of Engineers are forced to make concessions when the 'bean counters' get involved. Been there...done that.


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## FS560 (May 22, 2002)

The likely reason Hoyt uses the floating yoke is because it will balance the load on the limbs without the assembly technician having to press the bow several times to get the static yoke just right.

Also, many shops will not go to the trouble to fine tune the static yoke and many shooters have no idea how.

The bottom line is that the floating yoke is safest for the factory.

If you have a good set of limbs, the floating yoke is great.

I never assemble a Hoyt without hand picking the exact location on the bow for each of the four limbs. Even a new bow, I take it apart and rearrange the limbs. Therefore, usually I can get equal results between floating and static.

I, too, prefer the additional strands of the floating but have never had any trouble with the static but I do use 28 strands. I may try a 32 strand just to see how it fits the tracks.


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## Jr. G Nockman (Mar 1, 2010)

mdbowhunter said:


> I wonder if the floating yoke cable design is cheaper to produce? Believe you me...plenty of Engineers are forced to make concessions when the 'bean counters' get involved. Been there...done that.


A float is more work. Float is stronger. A float is more idiot proof. When i order a custom cable it will always be a floater


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## reylamb (Feb 5, 2003)

Jr. G Nockman said:


> A float is more work. Float is stronger. A float is more idiot proof. When i order a custom cable it will always be a floater


And it takes more material to make a floating yoke, so cost is not the deciding factor there.


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## reylamb (Feb 5, 2003)

jim46ok said:


> If the floating yoke made it "right every time" we would not be hearing all the horror stories of CAM LEAN. In a perfect world, with a perfect bow and identically matched split limbs, that would be so. But it's not.
> 
> And, that Hoyt engineer, Gideon or any other Bow engineer will NOT say CAM LEAN is engineered into a Bow's design intentionally.
> 
> If you tie a static yoke and one side is off "slightly.." then you would have CAM LEAN. Isn't that what this thread is about? Except that with a static yoke it is easily corrected, stays put (does not slip as a floating yoke does) so we always know that the limbs are balanced...jmho


Any bow that does not have a shoot through cable system does indeed have cam lean designed into the system. The very fact of having a cable guard, or roller guard for that matter, induces some amount of cam lean.


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## mdbowhunter (Oct 22, 2002)

reylamb said:


> And it takes more material to make a floating yoke, so cost is not the deciding factor there.


In most cases material is cheaper than labor. If it takes more time to make a static yoke cable...or as FS560 suggested...easier and faster to install a floating yoke design...then there is your answer.


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