Pulley steering setup

[trex014]

I have a 50’s lone star Malibu that I am finally getting around to finishing up but redoing the steering system is the last thing stopping me from hitting the lake. This boat has both cables running down the starboard side.

My main question is how do you anchor the two cables and is there a preferred angle or location to anchor them?

And where do the spring(s?) go in the setup? I have seen some directions that say using two springs is bad but other directions that say to use two springs… not sure what to do.

By some magic I got the cables wound and moving the correct directions the first time around but any other advice on setting up this system is very much appreciated.

[Buccaneer]

Someone will have something better, and know more, but this is all I have on the subject.

Prepare to be boarded!

[crosbyman]

I had that set up on my Princecraft for 10 years plus no issues with a Merc 45 side pulleys were bolted and yes you needs springs at he back as shown in the diagram !

Joining AOMCI has priviledges 🙂

[amuller]

Not sure what you mean by “anchoring” the cables. Do you mean attaching them to the motor? Or securing the stationary ends of the cable? Of?

[trex014]

Securing the stationary ends of the cable. The steering system was in shambles when I got the boat but I know there is a loop made by a cable clamp at the end of the cables to secure them to the boat somewhere. I do not know what the preferred or correct way of securing the stationary ends of the cables is.

And I cannot figure out where the cable ends were originally secured on this boat.

I’ve circled the area of question in red on the picture attached.

[crosbyman]

on my rig the end of the cables were attached to the stretch springs with clips and the outer spring ends themselves were then attached to the boat side surfaces inches next to the pulleys

Joining AOMCI has priviledges 🙂

[frankr]

One spring, two springs. The idea against using two springs was to avoid high speed fishtailing. I doubt that will be an issue in your case. The cable ends typically are secured to the transom or side s of the boat with straps similar to the ones securing the pulleys.

[amuller]

Being a former sailor I’d think in terms of the hardware used to attach shrouds. Usually called tangs when up on the mast and chain plates when on the side of the hull. This stuff can be got from vendors of sailboat hardware. Another approach could be to carry the lines out to the sides of the boat and attach to an eyescrew through the topsides.

Cable steering hardware isn’t as available as it used to be and, IMHO, is not always of superb quality. Sailboat hardware is usually of good quality but excessively expensive.

am

[jdunham]

There was a good article posted a while back about removing the starboard spring from the system to reduce the amount of steering adjustment needed when accelerating or decelerating.
I tried it and there was a marked improvement, I am not going back.
To make sure I left the same stretch in the system I simply moved the starboard spring to the port side and put them in series.
Essentially the article discussed the changes in torque steer at different rpms as the prop tried to paddle sideways. With a RH motor, this meant the starboard side spring would compress as speed increased and the driver would need to adjust the wheel position to correct it.

[Author]

Posts