Hunter 356 strut removal

[sailor Martin]

Hi there

I need to replace the upper ball joints on y struts because of apparent cracking. I have new ones ready to fit.

Any knowledge on the procedure to remove these struts?

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by sailor Martin

Hi there

I need to replace the upper ball joints on y struts because of apparent cracking. I have new ones ready to fit.

Any knowledge on the procedure to remove these struts?

According to the diagrams you posted, just pull the pin!

[sailor Martin]

Originally Posted by pcmm

According to the diagrams you posted, just pull the pin!

Thats sound awfully dengarous
Just pulling a pin like that
Can end in disaster as I have not a great knowledge of the physics in place

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by sailor Martin

Thats sound awfully dengarous
Just pulling a pin like that
Can end in disaster as I have not a great knowledge of the physics in place

Yes, because your mast is a ticking time bomb. If there is any adjustment in the strut then just take the tension out of it. many of us have to drop our masts every winter nad raise them in the spring. Its not a specialist job to remove a strut if the mast is in place, that strut isn't whats preventing the mast from collapsing when its stitting at the dock.

If you read the instructions YOU posted it litterally tells you what to do.

[sailor Martin]

Originally Posted by pcmm

Yes, because your mast is a ticking time bomb. If there is any adjustment in the strut then just take the tension out of it. many of us have to drop our masts every winter nad raise them in the spring. Its not a specialist job to remove a strut if the mast is in place, that strut isn't whats preventing the mast from collapsing when its stitting at the dock.

If you read the instructions YOU posted it litterally tells you what to do.

The instructions are for placing the strut. Not for removal.

At the moment there is some tension in the strut. And there is no way of adjusting it while it is connected

[bensolomon]

You could take your main halyard to the toe rail for extra support.

[sailor Martin]

Originally Posted by bensolomon

You could take your main halyard to the toe rail for extra support.

Yes I can use a rope to pull down the area where the strut is attached to the mast. However, to really replace a strut I must also push, not just pull.

And the real issue is taking out the strut tention. I was playing with the shrouds and dimonds tention and I couldn't get the struts to be loose.

I dont even really know in which direction the current tension is applyed. Weather the struts are currently being stretched or are they being compressed....

[sailorboy1]

e taken mine off before. There really shouldn't be much tension/compression on the strunt with sails down. If there is it is because someone went through a lot of effort to put it in that way. Either way the only way is to knock out the pin going through the ball joint.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by sailor Martin

Yes I can use a rope to pull down the area where the strut is attached to the mast. However, to really replace a strut I must also push, not just pull.

And the real issue is taking out the strut tention. I was playing with the shrouds and dimonds tention and I couldn't get the struts to be loose.

I dont even really know in which direction the current tension is applyed. Weather the struts are currently being stretched or are they being compressed....

That's because the Strut is pushing UP against the weight of the mast. Loosening the jamb nuts SHOULD release the tension but looking at it now it looks like the threaded section has bee bent. That might be stopping you from being able to release the pressure to remove the strut.

Might also be the strut on the other side pushing against this side too. Did you loosen that one also?

[sailor Martin]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

e taken mine off before. There really shouldn't be much tension/compression on the strunt with sails down. If there is it is because someone went through a lot of effort to put it in that way. Either way the only way is to knock out the pin going through the ball joint.

Thanks

When the riggers are tensioning the rigg, are the struts the last element to be installed? Or is there sometimes tensioning being done after putting in the struts?

Im asking Because the local riggers who did the job a few years ago cant really remember how they did it and are generally not professional enough to do the research for a specific type of riig like this. Hunters arent common at all here.

[sailor Martin]

Originally Posted by pcmm

That's because the Strut is pushing UP against the weight of the mast. Loosening the jamb nuts SHOULD release the tension but looking at it now it looks like the threaded section has bee bent. That might be stopping you from being able to release the pressure to remove the strut.

Might also be the strut on the other side pushing against this side too. Did you loosen that one also?

Doesn't metter if you turn the stud. It will go out of one side and into the other. Looks like it was designed so that you wont be able to change the leangth after installation

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by sailor Martin

Doesn't metter if you turn the stud. It will go out of one side and into the other. Looks like it was designed so that you wont be able to change the leangth after installation

The instructions you posted indicate (without saying it) that the strut should be adjusted until the pin fits in easily. You're right, something really isn't right here. I wonder if the PO installed the struts as they were stepping the mast and it has a lot of compression on it now. I.E. they installed the struts before the step had the full weight of the mast on it.

At this point you might have to hammer the pin out or take it to a mast crane and use the crane to take up some of the weight of the mast in order to get the strut unpinned.

Though if you lock the 2 jamb nuts together, you might be able to use them to thread the rod into the strut far enough to get it to unthread from the ball joint at the top.

[sailor Martin]

Originally Posted by pcmm

The instructions you posted indicate (without saying it) that the strut should be adjusted until the pin fits in easily. You're right, something really isn't right here. I wonder if the PO installed the struts as they were stepping the mast and it has a lot of compression on it now. I.E. they installed the struts before the step had the full weight of the mast on it.

At this point you might have to hammer the pin out or take it to a mast crane and use the crane to take up some of the weight of the mast in order to get the strut unpinned.

Though if you lock the 2 jamb nuts together, you might be able to use them to thread the rod into the strut far enough to get it to unthread from the ball joint at the top.

Interesting idea that possibly the mast was only fully stepped after connecting the rods. Possibly a result of the riggers not reading the instructions (typical).

I suppose ill try to hummer it out lightly. Praying while doing so. Or maybe take it to the crain and holding it while hammering.

About threading the rod completely out of the ball joint.. i supposed that can be tried if the hummer cant do the job. But if the hummer cant do the job it might just be a crain job for sure since itll mean there is A LOT of tension.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by sailor Martin

Thanks

When the riggers are tensioning the rigg, are the struts the last element to be installed? Or is there sometimes tensioning being done after putting in the struts?

Im asking Because the local riggers who did the job a few years ago cant really remember how they did it and are generally not professional enough to do the research for a specific type of riig like this. Hunters aren't common at all here.

Yes, the struts have nothing to to do with adjusting the rig. They are just support struts.

You don't/can't adjust once installed. The threads are fine and you adjust so you can just get the pins through. on my boat with the sails down you can slide the slide the strut back and forth on the pin as they aren't under any force. I have hear of people going to lots of trouble to force a tension on the strut when installing, which to me is just a waste of time to think that 0.1mm etc. of movement makes any difference to the strut. The lock nuts on the strut do nothing near as I can tell, once install the thing can not loosen or tighten.

BTW I also once had a rigger "adjust" my rigging who did not understand the B&R rig. Don't mess around with the tension, it needs to be 20% breaking load! I ended up buying a tension gage and tightening mine later.

[sailor Martin]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Yes, the struts have nothing to to do with adjusting the rig. They are just support struts.

You don't/can't adjust once installed. The threads are fine and you adjust so you can just get the pins through. on my boat with the sails down you can slide the slide the strut back and forth on the pin as they aren't under any force. I have hear of people going to lots of trouble to force a tension on the strut when installing, which to me is just a waste of time to think that 0.1mm etc. of movement makes any difference to the strut. The lock nuts on the strut do nothing near as I can tell, once install the thing can not loosen or tighten.

BTW I also once had a rigger "adjust" my rigging who did not understand the B&R rig. Don't mess around with the tension, it needs to be 20% breaking load! I ended up buying a tension gage and tightening mine later.

Thank you!