Steering Wheel

jsserene · Post by **jsserene** » Sun May 16, 2004 11:17 pm

I am planning on getting a larger size steering wheel for my 2001 26X. I do not like the feel of the small wheel. What size works best and who carries them.

Jeff Serene
2001 Mac 26X
Phoenix, AZ

mike · Post by **mike** » Mon May 17, 2004 5:08 am

I have an 18" wheel, purchased from go2marine.com. It's a Destroyer wheel, and was around $60, I think. You can probably go even a bit bigger if you want, but keep in mind the bigger you go, the more it will block your passage back to the helm.

--Mike

dclark · Post by **dclark** » Mon May 17, 2004 7:46 am

I also have the 18" wheel and find it to be an improvement. I don't think I would go bigger. But I've heard of a lot of people that have gone up to 22" with no regrets.

Arthur Kelly · Post by **Arthur Kelly** » Mon May 17, 2004 8:03 am

Dave/Mike:

Went over to the website and they have a ton of 18" wheels for sale in that price range. Do you recall the make and model of the one you purchased? Also, how difficult was the installation?

Chuck Healey · Post by **Chuck Healey** » Mon May 17, 2004 9:27 am

I installed a 20" Destroyer wheel and I think it's a big improvement. It does restrict movement forward a little and you give up a little knee room, but I think it's worth it. It also looks a lot cooler.

Chuck

mike · Post by **mike** » Mon May 17, 2004 11:03 am

Arthur Kelly wrote:Went over to the website and they have a ton of 18" wheels for sale in that price range. Do you recall the make and model of the one you purchased? Also, how difficult was the installation?

Here's what my order confirmation e-mail listed for the wheel I bought...

66139, 18" x 10 Destroyer Wheel, Marine Hardware
1 @ $61.45 Each

Installing the wheel was easy, though removing the old wheel was very difficult (at least on my boat... some people have said their wheel pops right off... I had to use a gear puller, and even then it was a struggle).

--Mike

norbert · Post by **norbert** » Mon May 17, 2004 2:18 pm

i have the 21 1/8 vetus ks55 wheel (an old version without the plastic cover). it is a big improvement for steering, more sensitive and you can reach it when sitting on the edge. enough space for your fingers if mounting a autohelm 4000. it still allows a (narrow) passage between the wheel and the cockpit seat.

dclark · Post by **dclark** » Mon May 17, 2004 3:14 pm

Arthur Kelly wrote:Dave/Mike:

Went over to the website and they have a ton of 18" wheels for sale in that price range. Do you recall the make and model of the one you purchased? Also, how difficult was the installation?

What Mike said sounds right...Basically you want they destroyer style (or something like what Norbert suggests). You need a 3/4" tapered shaft. You have a 10 degree dish now (the stock 15" wheel) and that's probably what you want (relatively flat with the spokes going slightly forward as opposed to a deep dish with the spokes agled sharply forward looking more like a go-cart).

Kenoten · Post by **Kenoten** » Mon May 17, 2004 6:46 pm

I have the 20 inch as well destroyer type... one of the best mods I have done. Mine old one wasn't too easy to get off.... but I managed without special tools.

dclark · Post by **dclark** » Tue May 18, 2004 11:21 am

The black cap comes off. Under that there is a big nut that comes off. After that is when you pull like hull. I've heard you can get/rent a steering wheel puller but I've never needed one. There is a windsor key (half circle brass thing) that will come out with it. Don't loose it. It slips into a grove on the shaft and a slot in the wheel slides over it. It's what makes the shaft turn when you turn the wheel.

Duane Dunn, Allegro · Tue May 18, 2004 11:26 am

There is a set screw that you remove then the black cap.

I recently pulled mine off to install my autopilot.

The local dealer suggested not using a puller as they tend to bend the light wheel material. He instructed me to back off the large nut (it's under the black cap) until it was just to the end of the shaft so it protected the threads. He then said to have one person get a good straight direct pull going with their feet on the pedestal and have another hit the nut/shaft with a hammer to break the wheel loose.

I tried this for a while alone, hard to get a good pull and hammer at the same time. Then I had my wife hammer, but she really didn't hit to hard and I was using a rubber hammer. I decided to try a puller. I borrowed one from my mechanic neighbor. It didn't work either. The shape and angle of the wheel made it hard to use correctly.

I then went back to the hammer method. I got out a metal hammer, pulled hard and really hit the end of the shaft like I meant it and the wheel popped right loose. Once loose you then back the nut the rest of the way off and remove the wheel. Be sure to keep an eye out for the woodruff key when you remove it as it will probably drop out.

Arthur Kelly · Post by **Arthur Kelly** » Tue May 18, 2004 11:59 am

Dave/Mike:

Thanks for the info. Just put my order in. It should be much better than the current wheel. Has always felt like I was driving a go-cart instead of sailing.

Art

dclark · Post by **dclark** » Tue May 18, 2004 2:50 pm

I don't remember mine having a set screw.

amnesia · Post by **amnesia** » Tue May 18, 2004 4:55 pm

I remember my original wheel had a set screw because the dealer used the wrong size screwdriver and put a sharp bur on the screw that badly cut my son's finger-- ruined the day! I also have the 20-inch wheel and find it to be one of my favorite mods. The stock wheel looks goofy ( in my opinion). The 20 -inch wheel fits fine and is easy to get around.

Bill M · Post by **Bill M** » Wed May 26, 2004 11:18 pm

I have recently fitted a 24 inch wheel. This still leaves enough room to get past in the cockpit and makes steering very much easier.

I had to use a puller to get the old wheel off, but the new one fits perfectly on the taper shaft.

Bill M

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