SabresfortheCup wrote:
The mounting hardware for the wings is a must have, you can't get those anymore.
Not too sure about that. I was loaned a set of wings last year that didn't have all the hardware and I was able to order the parts I needed. That being said, it would make much more sense to pull all the hardware off of the old boat rather than buying new parts (they're expensive).
For the long "slug" in the rear crossbar, you will have to drill out the corner casting to remove. You also probably want to look into getting the reinforcement plates that rivet to the outside of the crossbars if they aren't there. These prevent the crossbar extrusion from cracking out around the slug. On my boat, I modified these plates by bending them slightly to better fit the contour of the crossbar. The rear ones I also trimmed a little shorter and re-drilled the holes so that the whole assembly could move outboard more (the wing wasn't lining up right over the outboard crossbar bolt).
A couple other things I did on my boat. When I set up the wings the first time and got everything where I wanted it, I put a dab of silicone caulk on the slugs to hold them in position. That way if I want to sail without the wings, I can completely remove the threaded studs from the slugs and just put in a regular hex bolt so there is no stud sticking out of the crossbar to get banged up on. Without the silicone the slug would rotate and you'd never get it aligned to re-install the stud.
Another thing I did was ditch the fully threaded "set screws" that Hobie uses for the studs. The problem with these screws is that the threads chew up the end casting on the wings. Instead I used a stainless steel "double ended setup stud" which has threads on both ends and a smooth section in the middle for the casting to ride on.
Also be wary of the thread pitch on the studs/slugs. The parts that were loaned to me, some of them were fine thread and some were coarse thread, so if the stud won't easily go into the slug, don't force it.
sm