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Steering binding
69fastback
Member Posts: 951 ✭✭✭
'03 Captiva 232BR
350 MAG
Bravo 3
325 hours
On the last trip out last season, I had a steering issue. The boat has never been hard to turn, or had any any steering issues in my ownership (8years), and showed no signs of issues. We had been on the water all day, skiing, tubing, ect, when suddenly the steering started binding, but it didn't seem to do in a certain "spot." I would turn the wheel, and it would "catch," but I could kind of force through it and it would free up, and then catch again, all in the same turn. It would do it both directions, kind of in random spots. Since there was some time left in the day, we decided to just beach the boat and swim. The boat sat for maybe two hours before we decided to go in, and somehow the issue went away. I drove around for about 20 minutes making turns, and it didn't happen again. Power steering fluid level was normal.
Does this seem like it would be an issue in the column, or with the cables? 3 years ago, the boat had a whole new transom assembly installed, so everything back there is new, but it's my assumption the steering cables have never been replaced. In my previous experience, when the cables start getting bad, the boat is hard to turn in one direction, and pretty repeatable in that it's hard to turn. It's weird that this seems to be catching, and more sparratic, and stopped doing it after the boat sat a few hours. I haven't been able to get it on the water yet this year, but I'm sure the issue didn't magically cure itself. Thoughts?
350 MAG
Bravo 3
325 hours
On the last trip out last season, I had a steering issue. The boat has never been hard to turn, or had any any steering issues in my ownership (8years), and showed no signs of issues. We had been on the water all day, skiing, tubing, ect, when suddenly the steering started binding, but it didn't seem to do in a certain "spot." I would turn the wheel, and it would "catch," but I could kind of force through it and it would free up, and then catch again, all in the same turn. It would do it both directions, kind of in random spots. Since there was some time left in the day, we decided to just beach the boat and swim. The boat sat for maybe two hours before we decided to go in, and somehow the issue went away. I drove around for about 20 minutes making turns, and it didn't happen again. Power steering fluid level was normal.
Does this seem like it would be an issue in the column, or with the cables? 3 years ago, the boat had a whole new transom assembly installed, so everything back there is new, but it's my assumption the steering cables have never been replaced. In my previous experience, when the cables start getting bad, the boat is hard to turn in one direction, and pretty repeatable in that it's hard to turn. It's weird that this seems to be catching, and more sparratic, and stopped doing it after the boat sat a few hours. I haven't been able to get it on the water yet this year, but I'm sure the issue didn't magically cure itself. Thoughts?
Comments
I figure it's the cables too, but I want any other ideas before a throw a $250 set of cables and a full days work at it. Not to mention I hate doing steering cables. Lol