Most bow repairs fall into a handful of common categories: worn strings, timing issues on compound cams, loose or damaged components, and cosmetic wear. Many of these you can handle at home with basic tools, while others (like cracked limbs) require professional attention or replacement parts from the manufacturer. Knowing which is which can save you money and keep you safe.
Assess the Damage First
Before you start fixing anything, give your bow a thorough visual inspection. Run your fingers along the limbs feeling for rough spots, cracks, or areas where the surface layers seem to be separating. Check the string and cables for fraying, fuzzy patches, or broken strands. On a compound bow, examine the cams for chips, bent axles, or loose screws. On a recurve or longbow, look for delamination along the limb edges and any twisting in the limbs when you sight down them from the tip.
If you find cracks in the limbs, stop right there. Compound bow limbs are under enormous pressure even when the bow is sitting undrawn in a corner. A cracked or delaminating limb can fail catastrophically, sending sharp fragments in unpredictable directions. Don’t draw or shoot the bow again until a qualified technician examines it. As long as the manufacturer still produces replacement limbs for your model, the bow can be restored to full working condition. If they don’t, it’s time to retire that bow.
Replacing or Repairing a Bowstring
Strings are the most common wear item on any bow. On a compound, you’ll typically get 2,000 to 3,000 shots from a quality string set before it needs replacing, though this varies with maintenance and conditions. On a recurve or longbow, strings wear faster because there’s no cam system absorbing energy.
Signs your string needs replacing include visible fraying (individual fibers poking out and not lying flat), serving separation (the wrapped thread around the center or cam contact points unraveling), or a noticeable stretch that’s changed your brace height or draw length. A single broken strand on a compound bow string means immediate replacement.
For compound bows, string replacement requires a bow press to safely relax the limbs and remove tension from the string and cables. Bench-mounted presses are the safest option, especially if you’re not experienced. Portable field presses exist but require more practice to use without risking damage to the riser or limbs. If you don’t own a press, most archery pro shops will swap a string for a reasonable labor fee, and it’s worth the investment over risking a limb crack from an improvised method.
For recurve and longbow shooters, string replacement is straightforward. Unstring the bow, slide the new string’s larger loop over the upper limb, seat the smaller loop in the lower limb’s nock, and use a stringer tool to flex the bow and slide the upper loop into place. Never “step-through” string a recurve. It puts uneven lateral stress on the limbs and can cause twisting over time.
Waxing to Extend String Life
Regular waxing is the single easiest maintenance task that prevents string failure. String wax keeps the fibers lubricated, repels moisture and dirt, and provides a barrier against UV damage. If you shoot frequently, wax every two to four weeks. If you shoot occasionally, do it whenever the string looks dry, dull, or slightly fuzzy. The older a string gets, the more often it benefits from waxing.
Apply wax by rubbing the stick directly onto the string, then working it into the fibers with your fingers. The friction heat from your fingers softens the wax and helps it penetrate between strands. Avoid waxing the served sections (the tightly wrapped areas), as wax buildup there can cause the serving to loosen or shift. On a compound bow, also wax the cables using the same method.
Synchronizing Compound Bow Cams
If your compound bow suddenly feels “off” at full draw, hits inconsistently, or makes unusual noises, the cams may have fallen out of sync. On a dual-cam bow, both cams need to rotate at exactly the same rate so they hit their draw stops simultaneously. When one cam arrives before the other, you get a spongy back wall, inconsistent arrow flight, and extra stress on the limbs.
Checking synchronization requires drawing the bow (ideally on a draw board, not by hand) and observing whether both cams contact their draw stops at the same moment. If one cam hits first, you need a bow press to make the adjustment. Twist the bus cable end-loop on the cam that’s arriving early. Each half-turn of twist shortens that cable slightly and slows that cam’s rotation relative to the other. After each adjustment, shoot the bow a couple of times to let the newly twisted cable settle across the string peg, then recheck. Repeat until both cams rotate in unison.
One important detail: after adjusting cam timing, recheck your draw length. Twisting cables often shifts draw length slightly. If you need to correct it, only twist or untwist the main bowstring, or adjust the cam’s draw length modules. Don’t alter the bus cables again, or you’ll throw the cam sync back off.
Fixing Loose or Worn Components
Vibration from repeated shooting loosens hardware over time. Check all screws and bolts on your bow periodically, especially sight mounting screws, rest screws, limb bolts, and cable guard bolts. Use the correct size Allen wrench and snug them firmly without overtightening. Many manufacturers specify torque values in the owner’s manual.
Arrow rests take a beating and are a common repair. Whisker biscuit bristles wear down and stop centering arrows properly. Drop-away rest cords stretch or fray. Launchers bend from repeated contact. Most rest repairs simply mean replacing the rest, which is an affordable swap you can do yourself with an Allen wrench set.
On recurve bows, the shelf and strike plate (the padded areas where the arrow contacts the riser) wear through over time. Replacement adhesive-backed pads are inexpensive and easy to install. Clean the old adhesive residue off with rubbing alcohol before applying the new pad.
Straightening and Repairing Arrows
Bent arrows are a safety hazard, not just an accuracy problem. Carbon arrows that have taken a hard impact should be flex-tested: grip each end and bend the shaft in an arc while listening and feeling for cracking. Any carbon arrow that cracks, splinters, or makes a clicking sound during this test needs to go in the trash. Carbon doesn’t bend and recover like aluminum. It fractures internally, and a fractured carbon arrow can shatter on release and send splinters through your hand.
Aluminum arrows can sometimes be straightened with an arrow straightening tool, though arrows bent beyond about 0.006 inches of runout aren’t worth salvaging. Loose nocks and field points can simply be pulled and reglued with hot-melt adhesive or cyanoacrylate, depending on the component. Damaged fletchings are easy to replace with a fletching jig, adhesive, and new vanes or feathers.
When to Take It to a Pro Shop
Some repairs genuinely require professional equipment or expertise. Limb replacement, axle and cam replacement, full string and cable installation on complex cam systems, and any repair involving a cracked riser all fall into this category. Pressing a compound bow incorrectly can destroy limbs or launch components at high speed. If you don’t have a quality bow press and experience using one, the $20 to $40 labor fee at a pro shop is a bargain compared to the cost of new limbs or an emergency room visit.
Mysterious string wear is another signal to seek help. If your strings are fraying in unusual spots or wearing prematurely despite regular waxing, something on the bow is causing abrasion, and identifying the source often requires a trained eye examining the string path across cams, cable guards, and string suppressors.