Stiff steering

[dralex]

My current boat is new to me this season and I've not had to service wheel steering before. The wheel is lovely and smooth normally, but when the boat heels more and the weather helm increases, it suddenly loads up and becomes almost too stiff to turn. Is this worn bearings or just simple lack of lubrication. Are there any things I can do tho ease this without a liftout. There is almost no play in the steering ie it is generally positive and not floppy.

Thanks

Alex

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[Guest]

Post deleted by danfoley

 

[dralex]

There's no plumbed in autopilot- I have a wheel pilot which allows the wheel to run freely when disengaged. It's definately not hydraulic and I think it is rod from a diagram I saw once, though I'm not totally sure.

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[William_H]

I assume that your stiff steering is not just the weather helm asserting itsef. ie if it is easy to turn into the wind but hard to turn downwind when heeled that is just the weather helm. If it really is stiff steering when under pressure you would have to suspect the bearings of the rudder itself . You should say what type of boat as it may be a problem peculiar to that model. regards will

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[snowleopard]

a little more information needed- is it a spade or skeg-hung rudder? if spade, there may be some flexing in the stock causing it to bind in the bearings. have you contacted other owners to see if it's a common problem.

on the other hand it could just be something shifting in a locker as you heel!

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[dralex]

It's a spade rudder. The boat is a 1990 Dehler 34 nova Top. The weather helm is predictable and not excessive, but in about 20+kn of wind, with good balanced sail trim and 15-20degrees of heel, the wheel suddenly loads up and becomes "stiff" On reducing sail area and hence heel, it becomes easy again. It does not feel like any other weather helm I have felt- ie the steering usually just becomes harder work and takes more effort, but does not suddenly stiffen up. Is it possible that given enough lateral force on the bearings from weather helm, the bearings will suddenly not work?

Given teh makers spec, the boat is easily expected to hold full rig in 20kn.

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[Oldhand]

This has been a problem on Dehler 36's. Dehler used nylon plain bearings. Unfortunately nylon is hydroscopic (absorbs water) and swells and this has cuased rudders to stiffen up. It sounds like you need to replace your rudder bearings with PTFE ones which you will have to get specially machined. As a temporary measure you could try lubricating the bearings with a non-mineral oil based lubricant, even undiluted washing-up liquid might help for a time.

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[PaulR]

hi, we sail a dehler 34 nova with wheel steering and certainly don't have the same problem-little bit of play in steering which is common with whitlock pedestal system but certainly no binding up and no big loads even if heeled and hard pressed, one of the things we love about our delher compared to our freedom 35 which also had whitlock wheel steering and was shoulder aching heavy in a breeze - on the freedom the autohelm 4000 could cope on a calm day , motoring in sunshine but would slip if a sparrow had eaten beans the night before! by contrast on our dehler the autohelm is fine in a breeze albeit generally prefer to helm ourselves- excellent company for dehler spares we have found is http://www.marina-grossenbrode.de/ - good luck

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