Hotstick to tiller crossbar connector

I seem to remember last year someone posting about a device to install on the hinge yoke assembly that connects the hotstick to the tiller crossbar in order to remove slop and prevent wear in the hole in the center of the tiller crossbar. Can anyone refresh my memory? The hole that the yoke goes through in my crossbar is getting pretty worn. Maybe its just time for another crossbar, but anyway, thanks for the help.

Walter

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'88 Nationals Blue
Hobie Alter Signature Model
Sail #11

Hobie Mirage Classic

I've made a aluminium bush/tube that fits into the hole in the crossbar and the tiller extension mounts through it.

The tube is 10mm od and around 7mm id.

I cut it a little longer than the thickness of the tiller crossbar and flared the ends so it is effectively "rivetted" to the crossbar. There isn't any slop in the joint now where there was perhaps 5-6mm of slop when I started.

I've done it on both my H16 and 14T. Works well.

I am making this. $15+$5 for shipping.

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Based on your pictures, are you recommending that the black plastic piece goes on the underside of the tiller? I always thought it went on the top of the tiller just under the yoke?

Naw. I wanted to give a view of the bushing and the top one is upside down.

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Jeremy, I now recall it being you that posted this in the past I believe. Would it not be better to have a bushing on top AND bottom? Just wondering. I was was thinking of something like you describe zuffen. I could probably use a bolt a little larger in diameter and remove most of the slop.

_________________
'88 Nationals Blue
Hobie Alter Signature Model
Sail #11

Hobie Mirage Classic

It will work, but drilling a larger hole in the x bar will significantly weaken an already weak spot.

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I thought about a larger bolt to take up the slop but in the end the larger bolt will just keep chewing up the crossbar so I figured a bush would give me quite a few more years of wear before the bush needed replacing.

If I went with the larger bolt the crossbar would eventually get so weak it would fail.

Care to share a pic? I'd like to do this and am wondering how best to go about it. My extension has a metal bit in the end that connects to the swivel (My set up is almost like Jeremy's, just without the extra little bushing). Most of the slop is in the part where the clevis pin and extension connect. Was thinking of having another metal bit milled up and swapping the old one out, but can't see how it is connected to the carbon inner tube of the extension.

Cheers, PT.