TOPIC: Mechanical Steering Options, Which One?

I am going to change my pulley system to a mechanical steering for safety reasons. But, there are 3+ Teleflex systems that work.

I think I have narrowed it down to the following 3. I have a 1966 100HP Johnson on a 16ft Funliner and a 15" steering wheel. This thread isn't about what I need to do to make it work, just if anyone has any experience/recommendations about the following products.

SS147- NFB 4.2 Steering System (4 turns lock to lock)

SS132- NFB- Safe-T II (Only 3 turns lock to lock)

SSX176- NFB Extreme (Probably 4 turns, but haven't been able to confirm)

Thanks for your help.

Hi,
I don't know part numbers well so I'll break down my opinion this way:
Rack helms and cables are easier to deal with and in my opinion a better design if room allows behind dash.
Rotary systems are to save space more than anything. Since you have cables I think the rack style should be OK.
The turns lock to lock are so close prob does not matter and the boat will never have that sports car feel or response so no need to have lock to lock as a decision criterion. The motor may hit a stop long before the helm does anyways.
If going with the the rack style BEWARE of the clutch type no feed back helms, they are way hard to initiate a turn, particularly annoying when going slow and needing to make frequent corrections.
You motor is relatively small and will not produce much torque steer so the clutch style helm is not really needed.
My 2 cents.
Randy

I've driven and/or installed several Teleflex, and the Uflex, both rotary and rack/pinion. Also hydraulic systems.
Hands down my personal favorite for small boats is the Accura by Uflex, with the planetary gearset and zero torque (no feedback). Uflex has a great site for steering system selection.
uflexusa.ultraflexgroup.com/easyStore/index.asp?CategoriaCOD=050051
I installed an Accura on a 1968 Johnson 100hp with the 4bbl carb, converting it from original cable/pulley. On trials we set the heading, walked aft to pour a cup of coffee, and back to the helm. Nobody could believe the difference going from tfx to uflex. Used the Uflex A75 clevis and S39 clamp block/tube/transom mount on the old V4. Have used Accura on Merc inline six applications too.
uflexusa.ultraflexgroup.com/easystore/schedevedi.asp?schedaid=799

One additional feature is if you use a Uflex steering wheel you can center it perfectly with their nice hub system. Really slick piece of kit.
uflexusa.ultraflexgroup.com/easystore/schedevedi.asp?schedaid=865

Personally, I would only use a rack system if you don't have the room for a rotary system. Rotary systems allow a much easier initial bend from wheel to underside of gunwale since the cable exit point is closer to helm centerline. Sometimes this is important on a small boat. Further, the planetary gears make a difference in operator feel at the wheel. This is stated on the Uflex site, their recommending rotary over rack systems.
A friend installed the NFB 4.2 rotary and after he drove the exact same boat with an Accura (mine) and he was disappointed. My steering effort was noticeably less. Both 20' boats running 115hp prop rated motors, top speed 39mph +/- on gps light load.
I have Accura on 2 of my 4 boats at present, I bought the Uflex tilt system for the Power Cat and will install that over the next month or so. They make tilting wheel helm for the Accura too.
The first Accura I drove was on a 1960 or so Dorsett San Juan with a new 2002 115hp Suzuki four stroke.

I have a Teleflex no-feedback 2 rotary helm on my Reinell. They are really small and fit into cramped spaces. It works beautifully, but I'm not fond of the tight feeling and effort it takes to turn the wheel. It took some getting used to, and it still bothers me that the wheel takes the effort to turn. The issue is apparently the friction caused by the clutch. This system was new technology about 15 years ago, so maybe new models aren't this way. Regardless, I would not trade it for a clutchless sysem. No feedback is the way to go.

Maybe Bill can tell us if the U-flex models or newer NFB models from Teleflex continue to have the "tightness" that I am referring to.... It just makes the wheel a little harder to turn, and I don't care for it.

Hopefully he will let us know.

Thanks for everyone's feedback. It was really helpful. I was on the phone with Uflex for about a half hour and the guy seemed very knowledgeable. The gentleman's recommendation was to just get the regular steering and forgo the NFB. He said the torque on my size boat and motor is not going to be a problem. The trade off is that I can't leave the helm unattended, however, docking the boat shouldn't be a problem at all because there is no clutch.

It does seem all the systems require a rather large whole in the dash of 3 1/4" regardless of whether it is Telflex or Uflex.

I'll let you all know how it goes.

Sincerely,
David

Great that you called Uflex, you will like their steering.
Bruce,
The first time I ran a boat with the Uflex planetary I was really surprised at the low effort. It reminded me of the old Dodge/Plymouth power steering where the effort was almost too low! I'm convinced the planetary gears make a difference. I have not compared recent Uflex vs TFX, I've never been disappointed in the Accura though. Uflex can do two station mechanical steering too, we were thinking of doing that with my Dolphin as a lower station would be nice with the weather up here.

I have a TFX 4.2 NFB setup which I don't like. Would the TFX cable I already have fit into an Accura helm? The helm cable end looks the same but is it?

JerryF

Jerry- I would call uflex. They will patch you through to a guy in tech support who can talk you through it. I got the rotech, the accura is the next step up NFB. Mine won't have it, if I ever get it installed. :-0

damartinca wrote:

Jerry- I would call uflex. They will patch you through to a guy in tech support who can talk you through it. I got the rotech, the accura is the next step up NFB. Mine won't have it, if I ever get it installed. :-0

David, thanks for the suggestion, I will check that out. I really want to hear how well that rotech works out for you. BTW with your original cable and pulley steering, how much feedback do you get? If you let go of the wheel, does it stay straight or turn by itself?

JerryF

Well, I haven't driven it enough to really answer your question as I never left the helm if I was anything above an idle.

I didn't notice it wildly turning, that is for sure. And I have to say, my boat motor when on the trailer favors one side, so I think there is also a tension adjustment on my engine that I could adjust.

I'm hoping I can get this done before Shasta. Or at least a running version before Shasta. Bruce gave me some great ideas on how to implement it and still look vintage, I just don't think I'll get to that yet.

Centering of the steering wheel-

So, I hvae my helm installed and I'm getting ready to install the cable. However, no where in the instructions or when I called UFLEX support could they answer the following question.

Which way does the top of the steering wheel have to face when you are trying to center it?

And B. if you are wrong, how do you correct it? Uflex answered, trial and error, but I'm not entirely sure what that process looks like. Teleflex has great instructions on how to start the wheel so that it will be centered.

Any insight would be awesome.

It seems that you are going on the right track by getting a mechanical steering system mechanical steering system[/url] for better safety. I've had experience with the Teleflex systems you mentioned. A boat like yours, which is small and requires precision, would find it useful to have the SS147 NFB 4.2's lock to lock 4 turn feature for smoother operation. Certainly the SS132 NFB Safe-T II, only boasting 3 turns lock to lock, is nevertheless a very simple and reliable boat steering system, so you may choose it if simplicity is your preference. Speaking of the SSX176 NFB Extreme, it’s a good idea to check the turn ratio, but the fact that it is long-lasting and performs well makes it a strong option. Ultimately, think about what makes you feel most at ease when steering and the amount of feedback you desire from the boat when going through the water. Good luck with the new season!