TOPIC: steering alignment

i'm replacing the steering cables on my boat and i was wondering if there were any tips/tricks to getting the wheel/motor aligned correctly. i could eyeball it but i'd be afraid that i'd end up having to cock the steering wheel over at an angle in order to go in a straight line. i'd rather avoid that or the trial-and-error method, if possible.

thanks
Chris

Chris,
I would pretty much mimic the same way your system is now if possible. i.e. same amount of turns on each pulley groove and same length of cable, maybe a little longer. write down how many times each is wrapped around each pulley. You basically take up the slack at the transom using the clamshell clamps on the cable, after it's run through the springs. Just make sure your wheel is centered how you want it once you run the cables through the springs then clamp the ends with the clam shells clamps.

Bob

Bob -

I've got it all wrapped and ran just like it came off. somewhere i saw that someone recommended compressing the springs to about 3/4 of their normal size before tightening the clamps. i'll do that too. looks like, by what you said, i'm just gonna have to eyeball the alignment of the motor though.

the steering wheel isn't hard to eyeball. not too worried about that end. just trying to make sure the motor doesn't turn out 5 degrees out when i'm done clamping it all back together.

Unfortunately I don't know of any special way myself, other than eyeball. Get it as close as you can out of the water then you may have to tweak it once your on the water and can check how straight it is. Have someone else with you to drive it slow, stop loosen the clam and then have them twist the wheel to center while you make sure the cable doesn't pull out f the pulley. Need to make sure you leave enough cable to be able to do this and not run short .

Bob

Darn near impossible job. The springs in the system almost guarntee it will not be perfect.

Thanks for the replies! I figured eye-balling it would be the way it had to be done... oh well. At least it doesn't have to be done often, eh?

i had an after thought on this. i mocked up my idea with stuff i had laying around the garage, so i know i'd need to button everything up. i just wanted to see if anyone had tried a setup like this:



with the adjustable components on each side, you'd eyeball everything for alignment, and then could fine-tune on the fly until it was perfect and then throw some loctite on the threads. so long as there was room enough that the springs wouldn't hit the pulleys on the sides of the boat when at full turn, i think it'd work... thoughts?

I need to replace my cable and my plan is to get it as close as I can on land and not fully tighten the clamps. Leave 2 feet extra on both sides and cut it to length after I am comfortable with the fit. I will do a SLOW speed run on the water to fully set the position, turning fully both ways and when I am happy crank the clamps.

riceman wrote:

i've had some time to try this system out and i wanted to report back on my experiences. first off: REMEMBER THE LOCTITE. or a locknut. or a tack weld. or anything to KEEP THINGS FROM FALLING APART AT WOT. i, of course, would never in a million years ever ever ever forget something like that, so i must only assume that the results of this would be bad.

90 degree turns at WOT all of a sudden and not intentional are not particularly pleasant, IMHO.

second off: this made fine tuning adjustments a piece of cake, and the tensioners don't interfere with the transom bracket of anything. so long as you lock them in place once you're done, i'd give this setup a thumbs-up.