PDA Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions)

PPC

Are you a Preferred PDA Customer (PPC)?

The PDA online ordering process is simple and efficient. Preferred PDA Customers (PPCs) have it even easier. What's a PPC? A PPC is an active customer on file. If you are a PPC just email us, identify yourself by name, mention your desired item(s) and the instruction to use your billing and shipping data on file, and we will take it from there. We will follow up to complete the order and verify any necessary details. This bi-passes our normal online order process of using the cart and can expedite your order!

Finishes

Finish Facts and Recommended Maintenance

Bare Carbon Steel surfaces offer a low initial cost and are great for lifters who enjoy maintaining their equipment. These items appear just as they are delivered by the fabricator - they may have shop fluids, weld heat marks, etc. Bare steel must be treated just like a pistol - keep it oiled to keep the corrosion in check. Many lifters wipe down their equipment with a cloth sprayed with WD-40 or 3-in-1 oil. Do so when rust becomes visible or the plates do not glide on. Better, do it on a preventive periodic schedule. The presence of discoloration is not as important as keeping corrosion in check. Always wipe moisture off immediately. The world's finest bar manufacturers recommend this maintenance method for their best bars, including chrome-plated models.

Painted surfaces offer moderate cost, pleasing appearance and easy maintenance. When it is time to touch up, simply lay the equipment on newspaper or support it in any convenient manner, spray paint one side, come back in an hour, flip it over and spray the other side. Frequency will vary depending upon how your use pattern scrapes or chips the bar. Once a year in the spring is a common schedule. We use an epoxy coating. You can obtain similar results with Rustoleum 7886 Appliance Epoxy.

Polished Carbon Steel surfaces offer the sharp appearance of blue steel and extended corrosion protection for 6 to 12 months or longer, depending on conditions. There is no magic formula that will make carbon steel 'like' stainless steel; maintenance will be required at some point. There are two options for maintenance. One is to apply any common automotive wax on a regular basis. The other approach is to oil as described above. Always wipe moisture off immediately. The world's finest bar manufacturers recommend this maintenance method for their best bars, including chrome-plated models.

Polished Stainless Steel surfaces offer the near-mirror finish of white steel and near-perfect corrosion protection. The higher initial cost more than pays for itself in avoided maintenance expense over the life of the equipment. The primary maintenance activity will be wiping off accumulated body oils with any mild fluid; Windex works fine. Always wipe moisture off immediately. The world's finest bar manufacturers recommend this maintenance method for their best bars, including chrome-plated models.

Stainless steel facts: stainless steel is 'rust resistant', not 'rust proof'. ANY steel remaining in high moisture conditions for an extended period of time will rust. This can be demonstrated by wrapping a piece of stainless steel in a periodically dampened rag.

All steels and steel finishes offer a balance among initial cost, appearance and upkeep. Bare carbon steel is down and dirty - often a hardcore preference. Polished stainless steel is the opposite end of the spectrum - highest initial cost but lowest upkeep and finest appearance. Painted carbon steel is the most popular by far - minimal cost that provides pleasing appearance and easiest upkeep.

There is no 'free ride'. Conditions vary and all physical systems require maintenance. Use common sense. We want you to understand and enjoy your equipment.

Sleeve and Plate Hole Sizes

"OLYMPIC" PLATES AND BARS ARE NOT "TYPICAL"

Be aware that all Olympic bar sleeve and plate hole diameters are not the same. Most lifters are under the assumption that Olympic bar sleeves are all 2" or 1-15/16" in diameter. In fact, York does build their bar sleeves to 1.9375" in diameter. Ivanko, Eleiko, Leoko, and other officially accepted Olympic equipment manufacturers build their bars to the official Olympic standard - that requires the sleeves to be within a tolerance of 1.945-1.951" in diameter. These manufacturers also use tighter plate hole diameters both to fit the bar snuggly and to meet the official Olympic specifications. Their plates are very accurate, cast and machined, and cost nominally $1.00 per pound. Less expensive off-the-shelf, garden-variety Olympic plates usually cost $0.50 or less per pound and have hole diameters greater than 2". Which plates do you have? If in doubt, measure the hole diameter.

To reduce your equipment cost, PDA uses a full 2" Olympic sleeve diameter whenever possible. This sleeve size accounts for the large majority of users. To accommodate owners of the specific, more expensive bars mentioned above, we provide a '1.95" sleeve adder' as noted in our specifications and pricing. This represents the additional expense of machining the sleeves down to 1.95".

If you are using the inexpensive, large hole diameter plates, you will be fine with the full 2" diameter sleeves. If you have or intend to use any of the specific plates mentioned above, you must have the 1.95" PDA sleeves or your plates will not fit. If you do not currently have but are considering purchasing one of the finer plates mentioned above, 1.95" sleeves assure your plates will fit regardless of what you decide to purchase later. The machining charge represents a small fraction of overall bar cost. Many lifters select the 1.95 option as inexpensive insurance - doing so guarantees the bar will fit any plates they ever get, including that primo yard sale find. And, there is no need to measure their current plates.

Know your bar sleeve and plate hole diameters. You are responsible for ordering the correct equipment.