Has anyone discovered any cheaper alternatives to the $2.50 ea Hobie rudder bushings. They work really well but that seems a lot to pay for a tiny piece of nylon. Especially buying them 4-8 at a time. I tried some nylon bushings from lowes but the wall is a little too thick and they don't have a shoulder.
oil up the pin and then pack the gudgeon with thickened epoxy. You can use the old bushing to help hold the pin centered if you barely insert it into the gudgeon. You can create a shoulder with the epoxy as well so it wont fall out just in case it ever comes loose. Using stainless pins also helps maintain a tight fit over time as they don't really wear thinner like the aluminum ones can. But that's a lesser problem that the nylons that always wear out.