i worked really hard to find the cheap answer for a tiller extension. I had a 96" aluminum rod that came with my boat. i then went to a ronstan extendable that broke the first time out when the skipper forgot to clip in and just up and jumped off the boat and took the tiller out. I bought another one and found that with even the slightest amount of bending the extension action is useless. i broke down and bought a carbon 2 piece that i love. it has sustained a lot of abuse too. if you try aluminum 2 piecers you will be frustrated despite their lower price. good luck with your experimenting.

cc