Rigging mismatch

[mikebikeboy]

I recently sent an old 7/32 forestay wire with a 1/2 eye to be replaced. The rigging company said for 7/32 wire, a slightly smaller 7/16 eye was all they had. I said OK since I had already spent $20 shipping the old wire to them. They mentioned I could drill out the new eye to make it 1/2 inch and work with my existing pins / toggles.

Question is, what is the better option here.

• To use the smaller 7/16 pin with the toggles designed for 1/2 pins
• Drill out the smaller 7/16 eye to 1/2

Any insight greatly appreciated. Last thing I want is my forestay to fail!

[Cheechako]

Depends on how much meat there is on the eye. 7/16 is big enough for a 27 ft boat, but I don't like the misfit in the hole.
Can you get the brand of eye from them to get the specs? Ask them to drill it!

[mikebikeboy]

The eye is stamped with "ME7 HAYN"

I measured the thickness around the eye at the thinnest point along the sides, it's 0.25 inches thick.

small hole: 0.42 inch
large hole: 0.48 inch

If I drill the hole, the thickness would become 0.19 on the eye. Roughly going from 1/4 to 1/5 inch thick.

[mikebikeboy]

Too late to ask them to drill.

[sanibel sailor]

If you can find one, a bushing will shim out your 7/16 pin to fit 1/2 toggle. I use one to fit my inner forestay lever.

Yours might be a hard size to find. Drilling a good round hole in stainless is easily underestimated in difficulty. Need drill press, vise, sharp bit and lubricant.

[Cheechako]

So your stay is an eye... the chainplate is a double plate then? I like the idea of bushing the chainplate somehow, but... hmmm

Or does it have a formed metal toggle (not cast or forged) that goes on the eye? If so the 7/16 pin is probably fine. The toggle will conform I would think.

A piece of 1/2" SS tubing with 1/32" wall (.032) would be nice...

[mikebikeboy]

I have drill press, vice and sharp bit. And loob! I'm pretty sure I can get a good cut.

I like the shim idea. Will look into it.

What about using the 7/16 pin inside a toggle sized for 1/2? Is that bad? If so why?

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by mikebikeboy

I have drill press, vice and sharp bit. And loob! I'm pretty sure I can get a good cut.

I like the shim idea. Will look into it.

What about using the 7/16 pin inside a toggle sized for 1/2? Is that bad? If so why?

a formed metal toggle (not cast or forged) that goes on the eye? If so the 7/16 pin is probably fine with the toggle wrapped around it. I like that better than drilling for sure. Some 7/32 rigging even uses 3/8 pins.
Like this? 1/2" pin left? 7/16 right?

[Thumbs Up]

You only need to enlarge the existing hole 1/16". A brand new bit and a handheld electric drill should do it. Drill halfway from each side.

[Thumbs Up]

Originally Posted by mikebikeboy

I have drill press, vice and sharp bit. And loob! I'm pretty sure I can get a good cut.

I like the shim idea. Will look into it.

What about using the 7/16 pin inside a toggle sized for 1/2? Is that bad? If so why?

It is considered bad. It puts a point load on the toggle

[mikebikeboy]

Yes, although i have the single jaw kind of toggle:





See the slight gap? Is that a problem?

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by mikebikeboy

Yes, although i have the single jaw kind of toggle:





See the slight gap? Is that a problem?

It's the blind leading the blind and we're guessing.
What does that toggle go on to? How does the looped end go onto the stemhead?
If it's as your pic shows I don't like the point loading of the pin. Although as I said it's oversized and it's been done many times.

[mikebikeboy]

Toggle goes onto a pin in the masthead, which is thick cast aluminum.

[mikebikeboy]

Somehow I'm learning towards drilling the 7/16 hole up to 1/2. Point loading sounds bad, even though I'm sure it's fine. After any deformation occurs to the toggle, the pin would then "fit"?

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by mikebikeboy

Somehow I'm learning towards drilling the 7/16 hole up to 1/2. Point loading sounds bad, even though I'm sure it's fine. After any deformation occurs to the toggle, the pin would then "fit"?

No. If the pin were in the bend end of the toggle it would probably be fine wrapping around a 7/16".