squirrelly steering

[Glen Williams]

I captain yachts up to 100 feet for a living including sport fish. I've got a 1992 20' Predator, 350 Chevy, trim tabs and it seems to have squirrelly steering. Is this a common thing with Shamrocks. Not only at high speeds but also at trollingspeed. If you leave the wheel it goes where it wants but never straight. At 2500RPM's you cannot leave go of the wheel. It has a definite torque to the starboard side. It's similar to an outboard with the zinc tab misaligned.
Glen

[Tony]

I have one of the older 20ft cuddy's. Probably has the original non-hydraulic steering. Works remarkably well, at most speeds no torque steer noticed, is easier to turn the wheel than my chevy, and you can let go of the steering without wild changes. It will wander, but slowly. Sounds like you have some other issues to deal with.

[Leprechaun]

I'm not the one to ask about cable steering, having run hydraulic on my last two boats, but it sounds to me like maybe you have a bent rudder.

Just a thought.

rgds, Leprechaun

[Lucky Lady]

I saw Red Adair's, the oil well fire fighters, boat, Blow Out Jr. on the trailer the other day. It is a 1990 ish 26 open. He had installed a trim tab looking deal on the trailing edge of his rudder for the purpose I can only assume is to cut down toque steer feedback on a cable steering system.

Ill try to post a photo if I see it out again.

Cosmic Thing has hydraulic steering, so the only feedback I get is from my wife.

[Glen Williams]

My boat is new to me. Maybe someone changed the size of the rudder. Does anyone have the dimensions of their rudder?
Glen

[Tony]

Good point, discovered a couple of years ago that mine is not stock. For one thing mine is stainless steel, all brochures I have are of bronze rectangular rudders. Mine appears to be smaller, with radius'd corners. I wonder if all size boats take the same size rudders?

[grreatdog]

My boat had some high speed steering problems issues that turned out to be a bent rudder shaft. When turned it would pivot at an angle and would jam against the hull hard over. I had it straightened this winter and will test it out as soon as I put the rest of the boat back together.

[Billt]

If you have Hydrolic steering check the fluid level and there is a little air fitting and guage - the system is pressurized. My 22 does not pull at all in any direction at any speed. I fish alone a lot and can leave the wheel while trolling for a minute or two if the wind and waves do not have other ideas.

[Hawkeye]

Also, with mechanical steering check for slop in the steering lingage between the cable end and the steering arm. Mine had some play which caused rudder flutter. Once I took the play out she was smooth as silk and no pull in either direction.

[Glen Williams]

Hawkeye
Can you explain how that adjustment is made?
Thanks
Glen

[Hawkeye]

Glen, I'll give her a try.

The connection is as follows: A "U" shaped bracket is attached to the end of the steering cable. With an open side of the bracket facing down a bolt passes through the bracket and through a hole at the tiller end of the steering arm. The bolt is captured by a lock nut beneath the steering arm.

Two areas of slop exist primarily because the hole in the steering arm is larger than the bolt. Since the bolt does not fit snug in the steering arm it rocks in the bolt hole and it pivots in the "U" bracket. To eliminate the slop, you have to tighten the bolt against the "U' bracket and in the steering arm bolt hole.

Tighten the bolt against the "U" bracket by placing a washer on top of the bracket and stacking several washers over the bolt beneath the bracket, thread a nut up tight against the washers on the bottom before running the bolt through the hole in the steering arm and you effectively clamp the bolt to the "U" bracket. Use a nylon lock nut and she won't come loose.

Tighten the bolt against the steering arm by threading a lock nut from the bottom except this time place a washer between the first lock nut and the top of the steering arm and a second washer between the bottom of the steering arm and the second nut. Clamp the steering arm between the two washers with the first nut being your backstop. This clamp cannot be too tight however because the washers have to slid against the face of the steering arm when the steering cable is extended and withdrawn. Tighten that second nut so that she is snug but does not bind.

All componants are stainless steel, washers are one size over, and all is coated with high temp drop marine wheel bearing grease. This will definately take the flutter out of your rudder. You know you've got flutter if you can move the trailing edge of the rudder back and forth appreciably by hand without moving any of the steering componants.

Hope this helps.

By the way, I had the "U" bracket break away from the steering cable (cable was rusted) just after my wife and I got through the inlet late one afternoon last year. With two plastic wire ties I was able to cinch the bracket back to the end of the cable good enough to get us home. But I was prepared to have to steer by hand at slow with the wife operating the throttle and the tranny and telling me gee and haw for the next seven miles at night on the river. Point is that the cable end and the cable needs to be lubricated on a schedule.

[MC]

Has anyone tried Hawkeye's repair. Did it work. I have the same problem on a Shamrock I just took ownership in.