Reconditioning Hobie 18 Rudder Castings
By Matt Miller, Hobie Cat Company
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Old style 18 rudder castings were designed to be a "kick up" . They had upper and lower castings that look similar to the current ones post '87. There is a metal cam that is spring tensioned and it does not rotate like the other style.
The old style Hobi 18 castings require some filing once in awhile. Don't file the cam. File the area that is forward of the cam flat again. This is where the roller pin causes a dent in the aluminum casting. There is a slight aftward tilt to the "ramp" that the roller pin rides along. Each time the rudder hits the beach the roller pin impacts this area and after a while it dents the casting. This prevents the vertical movement of the roller pin when the rudder contacts the beach. The roller pin sorta gets stuck in a rut and can't roll.
Grease the area also. You can now get good wax / Mountain Bike Chain Lubricant , that does not hold sand. Best also to avoid placing any weight upon the tiller cross bar such as resting your hand on it when hitting the beach. Best to lift and unlock the rudders of these older models before hitting the beach.
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