Add Tilt to existing steering

[Otis313]

We bought a new 2013 Princecraft Xpedition 170 last fall when the trusty old 99 Legend stopped being trusty and the engine died in the middle of a lake with kids on the tube.

Love the Princecraft - great boat. Well built, fast, stable... perfect for our needs, but lacking IMHO in some thoughtful design aspects. I'm not a big bells and whistles type, but the lack of tilt steering bothers me. This is mainly because the electrical toggle switches are mounted immediately under the wheel and there is very little clearance for fingers between the back of the wheel and the toggles.... Maybe its fat fingers, but Im constantly nicking the toggles when driving. This is particularly irritating when towing the tube and doing alot of turns.

Question is: Is it an easy matter to add tilt steering to this boat ? Suspect I will need to open the console in the spring and see what type of steering mechanism is in there now and then check if there is a compatible bezel that I can simply add. Failing that, I would need to buy a complete tilt steering package and replace the whole thing, cabling and all?

Failing both those options, could I add an extension to the steering shaft to move the wheel out an inch or two from the panel?

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks

 

[alldodge]

We bought a new 2013 Princecraft Xpedition 170 last fall when the trusty old 99 Legend stopped being trusty and the engine died in the middle of a lake with kids on the tube.

Love the Princecraft - great boat. Well built, fast, stable... perfect for our needs, but lacking IMHO in some thoughtful design aspects. I'm not a big bells and whistles type, but the lack of tilt steering bothers me. This is mainly because the electrical toggle switches are mounted immediately under the wheel and there is very little clearance for fingers between the back of the wheel and the toggles.... Maybe its fat fingers, but Im constantly nicking the toggles when driving. This is particularly irritating when towing the tube and doing alot of turns.

Question is: Is it an easy matter to add tilt steering to this boat ? Suspect I will need to open the console in the spring and see what type of steering mechanism is in there now and then check if there is a compatible bezel that I can simply add. Failing that, I would need to buy a complete tilt steering package and replace the whole thing, cabling and all?

Failing both those options, could I add an extension to the steering shaft to move the wheel out an inch or two from the panel?

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks

It's not very hard to change out the steering. You can pick up a kit here at iboats
http://www.iboats.com/Boat-Parts-Ac...g--search_in_category.f--session_id.555355780

Only issue you may run into is that the tilt wheels usually stick out a slight bit further. You can either replace the entire helm system including cable (probably best). Or you can find a helm which matches your steering cable. If you replace the system then just remove/replace the items, and note that the slots on the steering ram at the engine needs to be straight up and down when the nut is tightened on the cable nut

 

[64osby]

If your steering works good and doesn't need to be replaced, maybe you could trade out the toggle switches for some rockers.

This would get some extra clearance.

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Maybe a deeper dish steering wheel.

 

[jc turtle]

Is it possible to get a steering wheel with more of a dish? This would be an easy fix. Just a thought. John

 

[Otis313]

Thanks guys - good info all around. The Seastar module from iBoats looks an awful lot like the unit shown on the website that comes with the Princecraft when you get the option installed. Hopefully its that easy.

Deeper dish wheel is an interesting option too.... hahn't thought about that.

Only a few more months and I can unwrap the boat and check into it.

Thanks again for the tips.... Jon