Mechanical Steering Failure
02-28-2008, 06:24 PM
#41
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I ran a set on my old 22 scarab and they did make a big difference in handling. Usually ran that boat on the edge and it was definately a drivers boat. I have full hydraulic now and there is no comparison. Still have a drivers boat though. I love it. 
02-29-2008, 09:39 PM
#42
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Why don't boats use a mechanical linkage setup, rather than cables or only hydraulics? We would never accept either one for steering our cars at these speeds.
Michael
Michael
03-01-2008, 10:43 PM
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Look Ma no Hands !!
The real important message here is SAFETY!! Don't be pennywise and pound foolish! IF you want to know why its important to equip and performance boat thats going to be traveling in excess of lets say 60mph with either full hydraulic steering or a hydraulic assist system on the stock Mercury Bravo or Alpha system all you have to keep in mind is that the direction of the boats travel after a steering system failure is the critical item! If a boat is traveling along at lets say 70mph and the Bravo steering link breaks (its about the thickness of your big finger in cast aluminum) the drive will instantly do a hard right or hard left swing depending on prop rotation direction. If you want to know what that feels like in a boat ( I absolutly don't reccommend anyone actually ever do this!!) just take the boat up to 70mph and whip the wheel hard starboard or hard port and kiss you A** goodby and most likely some of your passengers GOODBYE! Its going to be just like a side throw ejection seat and the injuries can be deadly if not just catistrophic ! Ruin a perfectly good weekend !
As speeds increase in a boat the thrusts and side loads also greaty increase on the drive and the steering arm is put to even greater stresses.
Why did someone sell me a boat without hydraulic steering if they knew it would go over 65mph. I hate to say it and I know I will catch some flak for this but here it goes anyway.
THEY EITHER DID NOT KNOW THE DANGER, OR THEY WERE TRYING TO KEEP THE COMPLETED COST LOWER SO YOU WOULD BY THE DAMN THING!! There I said it!
How can this be you say, my Bravo drive has hydraulic steering. No, not quite, it has hydraulic power steering assist ahead of this steering arm at the Brazil valve. Just get in your trusty boat and take a good look at the Bravo steering link arm that controls the actual location and direction of the Bravo or alpha drive on the boat. Now imagine that arm broken or damaged to the point where there is nothing really steering the drive!
This is why those who know and drive high performance boats over 60 mph or so would never leave this steering control strictly up to that little arm. They have hydraulic steering or hydraulic assist steering cylinders outside the engine compartment back right on the drive so that they are not relying totally on that steering arm for control and if there were a steering system failure of most standard types the drive would remain in the direction it was pointing prior to the steering failure an allow the operator to slow and stop the boat without ejecting himself, his passangers or slamming into an unexpected impediment or obstruction after a steering system failure.
Enough Said, Going to go over 60 MPH in your boat on a regular basis, get it equipped with hydraulic steering or at least hydraulic steering assist. Think it can't happen to you, don't be a fool and push your luck!
Hope this helps add to the general performance boating safety future!
Best Regards,
Ray @ Raylar
As speeds increase in a boat the thrusts and side loads also greaty increase on the drive and the steering arm is put to even greater stresses.
Why did someone sell me a boat without hydraulic steering if they knew it would go over 65mph. I hate to say it and I know I will catch some flak for this but here it goes anyway.
THEY EITHER DID NOT KNOW THE DANGER, OR THEY WERE TRYING TO KEEP THE COMPLETED COST LOWER SO YOU WOULD BY THE DAMN THING!! There I said it!
How can this be you say, my Bravo drive has hydraulic steering. No, not quite, it has hydraulic power steering assist ahead of this steering arm at the Brazil valve. Just get in your trusty boat and take a good look at the Bravo steering link arm that controls the actual location and direction of the Bravo or alpha drive on the boat. Now imagine that arm broken or damaged to the point where there is nothing really steering the drive!
This is why those who know and drive high performance boats over 60 mph or so would never leave this steering control strictly up to that little arm. They have hydraulic steering or hydraulic assist steering cylinders outside the engine compartment back right on the drive so that they are not relying totally on that steering arm for control and if there were a steering system failure of most standard types the drive would remain in the direction it was pointing prior to the steering failure an allow the operator to slow and stop the boat without ejecting himself, his passangers or slamming into an unexpected impediment or obstruction after a steering system failure.
Enough Said, Going to go over 60 MPH in your boat on a regular basis, get it equipped with hydraulic steering or at least hydraulic steering assist. Think it can't happen to you, don't be a fool and push your luck!
Hope this helps add to the general performance boating safety future!
Best Regards,
Ray @ Raylar
03-01-2008, 11:51 PM
#44
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Michael
03-02-2008, 08:43 AM
#45
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the photo earlier in this thread is my AT 28...the Drew Marine add-ons were on the boat when I bought it. Also, the gimbals were worn out. I replaced the gimbals last year, and pretty much everything inside as well; bellows, cables, etc. I decided to put the steering dampeners back on until I go Full Hydraulic. I would say they help, but I would not want to go any faster w/o Full Hydr. I run 72 as is & feel comfortable, but the Hydr. will be nice. Drew Marine Sidewinder is O.K. for stabilizing/dampening; it certainly is not a replacememt for hydraulic.my.02
BTW, when re-building a 1978 Switzer I had a steering cable come loose and @ 55....we did a full 180....I cracked my ribs and my passenger was on the floor, but I managed to hang-on. My seat came out of the floor...& that was @55mph; I can't imagine 75+!
BTW, when re-building a 1978 Switzer I had a steering cable come loose and @ 55....we did a full 180....I cracked my ribs and my passenger was on the floor, but I managed to hang-on. My seat came out of the floor...& that was @55mph; I can't imagine 75+!
03-24-2008, 10:49 AM
#46
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I recently purchased a Chirs Cat on OSO classifieds. The boat has a Hynautic closed "Manual" external hydraulic steering system.....which means no pump. The steering is somewhat tough and not easy to steer the boat.
Does anyone have experience adding a pump to a system like this to make the steering any easier?...My motors (HP 500's) have the power steering pump brackets, I just need a pump, a few hydraulic lines and it apprears like it would work....
Just thought I would check before damaging something...
Does anyone have experience adding a pump to a system like this to make the steering any easier?...My motors (HP 500's) have the power steering pump brackets, I just need a pump, a few hydraulic lines and it apprears like it would work....
Just thought I would check before damaging something...
03-24-2008, 11:13 AM
#47
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The real important message here is SAFETY!! Don't be pennywise and pound foolish! IF you want to know why its important to equip and performance boat thats going to be traveling in excess of lets say 60mph with either full hydraulic steering or a hydraulic assist system on the stock Mercury Bravo or Alpha system all you have to keep in mind is that the direction of the boats travel after a steering system failure is the critical item! If a boat is traveling along at lets say 70mph and the Bravo steering link breaks (its about the thickness of your big finger in cast aluminum) the drive will instantly do a hard right or hard left swing depending on prop rotation direction. If you want to know what that feels like in a boat ( I absolutly don't reccommend anyone actually ever do this!!) just take the boat up to 70mph and whip the wheel hard starboard or hard port and kiss you A** goodby and most likely some of your passengers GOODBYE! Its going to be just like a side throw ejection seat and the injuries can be deadly if not just catistrophic ! Ruin a perfectly good weekend !
As speeds increase in a boat the thrusts and side loads also greaty increase on the drive and the steering arm is put to even greater stresses.
Why did someone sell me a boat without hydraulic steering if they knew it would go over 65mph. I hate to say it and I know I will catch some flak for this but here it goes anyway.
THEY EITHER DID NOT KNOW THE DANGER, OR THEY WERE TRYING TO KEEP THE COMPLETED COST LOWER SO YOU WOULD BY THE DAMN THING!! There I said it!
How can this be you say, my Bravo drive has hydraulic steering. No, not quite, it has hydraulic power steering assist ahead of this steering arm at the Brazil valve. Just get in your trusty boat and take a good look at the Bravo steering link arm that controls the actual location and direction of the Bravo or alpha drive on the boat. Now imagine that arm broken or damaged to the point where there is nothing really steering the drive!
This is why those who know and drive high performance boats over 60 mph or so would never leave this steering control strictly up to that little arm. They have hydraulic steering or hydraulic assist steering cylinders outside the engine compartment back right on the drive so that they are not relying totally on that steering arm for control and if there were a steering system failure of most standard types the drive would remain in the direction it was pointing prior to the steering failure an allow the operator to slow and stop the boat without ejecting himself, his passangers or slamming into an unexpected impediment or obstruction after a steering system failure.
Enough Said, Going to go over 60 MPH in your boat on a regular basis, get it equipped with hydraulic steering or at least hydraulic steering assist. Think it can't happen to you, don't be a fool and push your luck!
Hope this helps add to the general performance boating safety future!
Best Regards,
Ray @ Raylar
As speeds increase in a boat the thrusts and side loads also greaty increase on the drive and the steering arm is put to even greater stresses.
Why did someone sell me a boat without hydraulic steering if they knew it would go over 65mph. I hate to say it and I know I will catch some flak for this but here it goes anyway.
THEY EITHER DID NOT KNOW THE DANGER, OR THEY WERE TRYING TO KEEP THE COMPLETED COST LOWER SO YOU WOULD BY THE DAMN THING!! There I said it!
How can this be you say, my Bravo drive has hydraulic steering. No, not quite, it has hydraulic power steering assist ahead of this steering arm at the Brazil valve. Just get in your trusty boat and take a good look at the Bravo steering link arm that controls the actual location and direction of the Bravo or alpha drive on the boat. Now imagine that arm broken or damaged to the point where there is nothing really steering the drive!
This is why those who know and drive high performance boats over 60 mph or so would never leave this steering control strictly up to that little arm. They have hydraulic steering or hydraulic assist steering cylinders outside the engine compartment back right on the drive so that they are not relying totally on that steering arm for control and if there were a steering system failure of most standard types the drive would remain in the direction it was pointing prior to the steering failure an allow the operator to slow and stop the boat without ejecting himself, his passangers or slamming into an unexpected impediment or obstruction after a steering system failure.
Enough Said, Going to go over 60 MPH in your boat on a regular basis, get it equipped with hydraulic steering or at least hydraulic steering assist. Think it can't happen to you, don't be a fool and push your luck!
Hope this helps add to the general performance boating safety future!
Best Regards,
Ray @ Raylar
I had a thread going about 496 HO/Bravo 1 steeering problems.
Merc still using a small steering arm inside the transom assembly, and the steering peg and pin can wear out.
I talked to them about the design at the Miami show and while they are aware of the problem, no major changes. The ITS system or full hydraulic is the way to go. Period.
My boat was going everywhere with the lose steering and I felt unsafe. Now I spent the $ for the ITS set. If I have my way, I put in a few back up steerings also. I has the boat going 90 deg. port. It's like dropping an anchor full speed.
Just courious... any thought on interior tie bars? as well as ext ?
03-29-2008, 02:31 PM
#48
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I recently purchased a Chirs Cat on OSO classifieds. The boat has a Hynautic closed "Manual" external hydraulic steering system.....which means no pump. The steering is somewhat tough and not easy to steer the boat.
Does anyone have experience adding a pump to a system like this to make the steering any easier?...My motors (HP 500's) have the power steering pump brackets, I just need a pump, a few hydraulic lines and it apprears like it would work....
Just thought I would check before damaging something...
Does anyone have experience adding a pump to a system like this to make the steering any easier?...My motors (HP 500's) have the power steering pump brackets, I just need a pump, a few hydraulic lines and it apprears like it would work....
Just thought I would check before damaging something...
I also have the Hynautics system and was told by several people that is isn't designed to take the psi of a pump. I've also heard there are different helms available that would improve the performance. However, as it has been mentioned before in this thread, saftey has no price and I am now shopping for a new full helm systems.
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