New Aluminum Tiller

[derekcjackson]

How has everyone attached the new aluminum tiller to the rudder? In our huge box of tools, I cannot find a socket wrench that fits in the pre-drilled holes and on the nut/bolt head, or a standard wrench that will fit inside the aluminum tiller (and will move).

It is shocking to me that this has proven to be so complicated. I cannot imagine assembling the rudder requires purchasing a new tool. Is there something I am missing?

 

[Wayne]

How has everyone attached the new aluminum tiller to the rudder? ... Is there something I am missing?

Considering the aluminum tiller is fairly new on the Sunfish market, you are probably only one of a handfull who has retro-fit so far. I'm surprised and dissappointed to hear LP and/or the dealer didn't supply detailed instructions or give you some pointers. I'd be on the phone tomorrow getting their guidance.

Can you post some pictures so we can better understand what the difficulty you have come up against is?

 

[The Unknown Master]

It is shocking to me that this has proven to be so complicated. I cannot imagine assembling the rudder requires purchasing a new tool. Is there something I am missing?

I was at a regatta today, and a fellow competitor told me to use a nut driver. He said that is what he had used to assemble his. I did not realize a nut driver was slimmer than a socket, but he said it is. At my age, I thought I knew everything, but apparently not.

T.U.M.

 

[derekcjackson]

Unfortunately I am no longer near my boat and tiller. So pictures are not an option.

Having googled "nut driver", I think I tried that. Although what we have that looks like a nut driver had removable heads that resemble a socket. So maybe it was a socket and not a nut driver. Regardless, it was a screw driver like tool with a removable socket head. I had no idea that was called a nut driver.

Anyway, the only thing I can think of is that the hole drilled by LP and nut head are actually metric which is making my standard sockets a little too big.