I replaced the hounds on Sin Tacha and, if I remember correctly, yes it's normal for them to hinge upward a bit. This allows for a bit of adjustment in the spreader angle. Once adjusted the wire should be clamped at the end of the spreader to prevent movement.The one thing I had to do on mine was to file a small amount off the hounds castings so that they went down far enough to make the spreaders sit at an equal angle to the wire both above and below them.Petermostlyaboutboats.ca
