how do you know your tiller is strong enough?

hey guys just bought a hobie 16ft the rudder system was off so i put it back on with two pins. problem is when I am sailing into a little bit of wind the tiller feels like it wants to give out and sometimes does. is there a way to secure the tiller better? I looked at the pins that hold the cam shafts together and they are bent, I plan to replace them? second i have an extension on the tiller but I find that it is getting in the way of my main traveller when i come about any other reccomendations?