Return to Hobie.com
Hobie Forums
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 8:23 am

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 97 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1 ... 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Author Message
PostPosted: Tue Oct 06, 2015 6:28 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:18 am
Posts: 3058
Location: Sarasota,Key West FL
My TI is a 2012 model year, and the AKA tubes are glued and riveted into the knuckles, I assumed this was started after a rash of complaints about the rivets coming loose on the early model boats. This seemed to cure the problem at the time. However gluing operations are expensive, and any manufacturer would actively look for the means to eliminate the need for the gluing operation by adjusting the tolerancing between the tube and the knuckle. On the early models there was a pretty large gap (at least 1/16) between the tube and the knuckle because of neccessary draft in the molded knuckles. By adjusting the manufacturing tolerancing and making the tube a press fit into a secondary machined (bored hole) in the knuckle, then adding the rivets, would also work (eliminating the expensive gluing operation), the actual press fit would only need be at the bottom 1/3 of the hole, a little clearance at the opening actually makes it stronger.and less prone to elbowing. Either solution would fix the problem, I only know what was done on my 2012 model year boat, exactly how Hobie is doing the knuckles now I have no idea. I'm a manufacturing guy, and only describe things in standard manufactuing terms, what Hobie does is their business, I just care that my boat works. I would be very suprised if Hobie was still gluing the knuckle joints.
FE


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Oct 06, 2015 8:17 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Mon May 18, 2015 2:49 am
Posts: 63
Location: Galway, Ireland (formerly CH)
Would love to hear from other 2015 AI owners.

Some of the reply my dealer got from hobie "....the akas are now glued at the factory...”
so it seems they should still glue them however as mentioned mine isnt...

_________________
_________________________________________________________
2015 Adventure Island
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-PHLN ... EKefepPXQ/
Blog: http://www.irishrockpoolaquarium.com


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Oct 06, 2015 9:10 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2015 8:50 am
Posts: 39
My 2015 TI is experiencing loose rivets and loose aka's and is currently under review by Hobie and my dealer. This was an area reps demo boat prior to my purchase in August of 2015. Looseness between the aka tube and the knuckle casting, probably results in an inch of play measured at the far end of the aka. Not real certain, but it appears to be SS rivets. These have not been disassembled, so I can't really determine if it was glued or not. There also seems to a lot of slop in the hinge pin joint when in the extended position. No apparent corrosion, but I believe that this unit has only been used in fresh water, not certain of that.
I really, really enjoy my TI. If I didn't have this boat I would not be able to sail nearly as often as I do. Solo launching and retrieval is critical to my increased sailing time. This boat really hits the sweet spot between kayaks and smaller sailing boats. It's the best!! Hobie has done a great job with the design and innovative engineering. While looseness of aka's and aka rivets seems to be a well documented issue, dating back nearly to the inception of the Island series, I'm certain that Hobie has their reasons for the current assembly method and will address this appropriately.
Full confession, I am an unabashed Hobie fan boy.

_________________
2015 TI Hibiscus " Bazinga"
Harbor Freight modified trailer with TI cradles
Heavy duty scupper cart with cradle
Hobie tramps- black


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Oct 06, 2015 10:29 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Sat May 09, 2015 8:53 am
Posts: 717
Location: Paoli Pennsylvania - East Coast USA
MariusMarinus wrote:
...wondering if other 2015 AI owners have glued AKA joints...
I think mine are glued.... because, even though each one has 4 pop rivets, I am pretty sure that I can see a little bit of black adhesive peeking out around the ama/knuckle body joint on one of them.

Does this ring true with others?

_________________
2015 AI in "Dune" - "The Grey Pig"
2017 Trailex 450 Trailer
Pre-September 2015 cradles
(anybody want to buy a slightly-used AI SpinKit?)
eMail: [email protected]


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Oct 07, 2015 9:05 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Admiral

Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2014 12:49 pm
Posts: 267
Location: Bethany, OK
My '15 TI knuckles don't appear to be glued. It's a pretty snug fit into the knuckle, but there is play. I can wiggle the aka tube in the knuckle when holding it in my hands. I can feel the rivets move a bit when I do that as well. It's only a very slight movement though, there's far more movement (at least up and down) in the knuckle-to-crossbar connection.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Oct 11, 2015 8:11 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Sat Nov 21, 2009 8:45 pm
Posts: 343
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Hi FE,

It's not so much a 'whistle' more a 'blooping' sound. Only noticed it from the front akas. It appears to be the sound of the water slapping on the front underside of the amas, where the akas are inserted. The sound travels up the open end of the aka end-cap and along the tubing to the open rivet holes. It took a while for me to figure out where the noise was coming from, but now I barely notice it.

I did purchase some 100% aluminium rivets to replace the s/steel ones, but I never got around to using them.

Mike.

fusioneng wrote:
Mingle:
Yea but the big question is.... Do the AKA bars still whistle, some guys said ( Might have been you), that when they glued the AKA bars and left the rivets out the AKA bars whistled (air rushing in and out of the holes), I thought that was kinda cool at the time.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 1:15 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2015 8:50 am
Posts: 39
Just got my newly repaired akas back from dealer. They re-glued and re-riveted all 4 of my aka 's where the tube is joined to the knuckle. Very nicely done, zero movement. I'll update next spring after I get some hours on this repair. Promptly and professionally repaired, no hassles, GOOD JOB HOBIE!! Still some slop around the pin that joins the 2 knuckle halves and a little where the knuckle assembly slides into the cross bars. I'll probably work on those a little over the winter. Dealer used the Hobie epoxy and stainless steel rivet repair kit. I'm strictly a fresh water guy so it should work just fine.[b][/b]

_________________
2015 TI Hibiscus " Bazinga"
Harbor Freight modified trailer with TI cradles
Heavy duty scupper cart with cradle
Hobie tramps- black


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 97 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1 ... 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Jump to:  
© Hobie Cat Company. All rights reserved.
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group