Tough steering

[uglyokuma]

I have a 16' Tracker with a 40hp Merc and the steering has always been stiff but this season it takes two hands just to turn the steering wheel.

Any suggestions to make steering a bit easier would be greatly appreciated, thanks guys.

[InTheBox]

sound's like the steering cable needs to be replaced. We had a similar problem.

Pat

[Jax]

A quick thing you can try before the cable, lubricate that slide that is in front of your engine with marine grease and turn the wheel back and forth till it loosens up, if thats not the fix then I would reccomend the steering cable get replaced also, it should be around 120-150 bucks for the replacement. If you are considering an autopilot this would be the time to make that decision! You can do it yourself for cheap just make sure you get the right cable...... If is rack and pinion or rotary

West Marine should have your cable in stock, if not they can order it for you

[Iceman]

If you replace the cable, make sure it is a "No or zero Feedback" type. When under power, you can let go of the wheel & the boat maintains course. Not true with the others.

[ERABBIT]

To get a extra season or just a little more time you can take the cable off at the motor and pull it out. The get a hose that will fit over it and clamp it off , load the hose with degreaser or penatrating oil and put air pressure in hose. Move streering wheel as much as you can then repeat till it get a little easer.

You are still going to have to replace it more than likely. When I did mine I had to replace the throttle and shift cable a year or so later so you may want to just do it all now.

Good Luck

[uglyokuma]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I had greased it up real good and it didn't help at all. Do these cables just get corroded inside or what?

But I guess I will have to replace the cable. I was just hoping there was some sort of adjustment on them that I could loosen up, wishful thinking I guess.

Is it fairly straight forward to replace that cable?

Thanks again for the feedback.

[ERABBIT]

uglyokuma just disconect it where it hooks to the motor...... see if the motor moves with just finger tip effort.

Try the steering to see if it is still hard to move while it is unhooked.

If the motor moves free unhooked and the streering is still hard unhooked it's time to replace it.

Each time the grease is added over the years some works into the cable if you try my hose idea above with just WD-40 it should help some but it only a temp fix.

[skipper19]

What Ed said....do the hose and pressure trick but I used PB Blaster, that stuff is phenominal on everything from loosening bolts and nuts to doing this trick. Then I mixed PB with lithium grease, (the white stuff), and hit it again. Turn the wheel back and forth (alot) and it will loosen. Pull it hard stop to stop to force air in and out, and THEN if it doesn't work....new cable

Mark