Dave M

I did have to replace my gimbal ring but that was before adding the hydraulic helm. My mechanic told me the gimbal was worn when I first bought the boat. Before going to the full system, I think the steering unit in back of the motor was wearing out. I could move the drive from side to side and hear air being pushed out the PS reservoir. The drive is rock solid now, and the steering works great. I thought about adding another ram. The trick will be to find another identical ram and hardware for a 8 yr. old setup. Plus, I think I am done spending $$ on this boat. I'm saving for other projects.

Pat McPherson

You will certainly have a much stronger steering system with an external ram vs. the crappy stock tiller arm. But to quote Lightspeed, the load is only from one side...
JC told us a racing story last spring; while racing the gimble on their boat broke but they were able to finish the race because the two external rams held the drive in place.
Like I said earlier, upgrading your steering is a vary wise decision...

HuntingtonBeach

I can vouch for what Pat just said... I watched a circle boat break a gimbal during a race but dual rams held it on while the boat slowed. Single ram could have made for one hell of a crash. IMHO the speeds we go in these type of boats warrents all the safety measures we can muster. The second ram is a big chunk of cash but well worth it.

I'll try and dig up the pictures of the transom after they pulled that boat up on the trailer!!!

Superbabi

with the 600 sci package and bravo xr,,,,,,,,,,,,one year from merc. no ext. avaiable