Steering slop, whats normal?

[vfrkent]

I have a 2005 Blue Water Mirage 20' Wakeboard bowrider boat with about 100hrs on it, the steering has about 2" of play measured at the rim of back and forth movement, the play seems to be in the steering box as the cable at the back of the boat is not moving when I move the wheel in the slop zone, the steering box says "Safe-T" on the back, I assume this is from TeleFlex a rotary box I believe, is this a normal amount of slop for these boxes? Is there any adjustment on them? and is there any benefit to a rack and pinion set up in place of the rotary? What are the pluses and minuses to both styles of steering set ups?

Regards,
Kent

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Steering slop, whats normal?

I installed a brand new Teleflex rack system on my last boat and felt it was fairly sloppy. I put a uflex rotary system in my current boat and feel it's much less so.

 

[dlngr]

Re: Steering slop, whats normal?

I have the same system,I bought it new .. I am not thrilled with it because it has a lot of slop,[as much or more than yours]but it works.

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Steering slop, whats normal?

Yeah it's pretty common with Teleflex. My boat has 860 hrs on the original Teleflex steering and at least it hasn't ever gotten worse. Remember you've got lots of other things happening back there besides the steering like gimbal joints and such that can add to wander. No biggie.