Rudder Alignment Question

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carl
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Rudder Alignment Question

Post by carl »

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Last edited by carl on Wed Jul 10, 2019 12:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Busia
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Re: Rudder Alignment Question

Post by Busia »

I wondered when you were going to get to this. Got all your parts cleaned up and now lets put them all together. If like mine your helm or wheel controls ( or is linked to ) one rudder, and you have a tie rod to the other rudder, this is what you do. First only worry about the rudder that is controlled by the helm. Center the wheel. ( How many turns from stop to stop? ) Center is half of that. ( do this so you can turn left or right the same amount. You don't want to be able to turn really hard one way and barely turn the other. ) Unless it is for Nascar. Put the wheel in the center of it's travel. Now don't touch it. Now the wheel thinks you are going straight. Make the rudder straight, fore and aft, or parallel to the keel. You might have a line or mark on top of the rudder shaft, or measure the rudder blade for parallel. Adjust this by adjusting the length of the steering cable. The linkage or control arm, or bellcrank on top of the rudder should be keyed to the shaft so no adjustment there. When that rudder has you going straight, adjust the tie rod length so the other rudder is parallel to the first one, so it will make you go straight too. ( just measure the distance between the rudders, at the front and the back of the blades ) If the distance is the same and nothing is bent or crooked, they are parallel. You can put a very slight amount of toe-in between the rudders like the steering on a car, but at least have them parallel. Or I'm at 907-247-2874 if you have questions---Ed
BUSIA
located in Ketchikan, Alaska. Gods country
32 foot Marinette (no fly bridge)
twin 350 Crusader (Chev 350) engines
1:1 Borg Warner velvet drive transmissions
Closed cooling (antifreeze in the engine)
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EWRice
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Re: Rudder Alignment Question

Post by EWRice »

If your rudders are straight, it is possible that your tillers will be pointed slightly inward. Its actually a good thing. Google "Ackerman Angle". Although this is geared towards wheeled vehicles, it still pertains to twin engine boats. I see it more in high performance boats.
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1972 32' Express flybridge
"AL13"
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1963 Thompson Super Sea Lancer
Graymarine 327
1961 Alumacraft 12'
'55 10hp Johnson
Fastjeff
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Re: Rudder Alignment Question

Post by Fastjeff »

I've been told that you need about an 1/8 inch toe IN. Set mine up that way and the boat worked fine.

Jeff
"We live at the bottom of an ocean of air, not at the top." General Marvage Slatington
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