On my 2000 Xstar...the steering wheel got really hard to turn since my last outing 4 weeks ago.....it loosened up slightly during the day but was nowhere near normal....is it only in need of lube or could it be something else? Has anyone else had this problem.?

Most of the time when the steering gets like that you just need to replace the steering cable. You can try lubing it & the rudder, sometimes it helps.

I just replaced my steering cable on my 2000 XStar. Pretty simple to do. You need to check whether it is the rudder or the steering cable. Unhook the cable from the rudder and see if the steering is still tight. If it is you need to replace the cable. The cable cost $120. Drop me an email for details on changing it. A couple of tricks that will get you through the bumps. <BR> <BR>

replace the cable. greasing will not solve your problem and only lead to more air bubbles being trapped and "popping" in the line. easy do it yourself job! e-mail Wilson on his experience and secrets....

steering cable good for about 300 hrs.

"steering cable good for about 300 hrs." <BR> <BR>That aint no hard &amp; fast rule.

I put a new cable in last april 02.Just had to put in a new one in mid july 03!The dealer said that Teleflex would warrant the cable but I had to pay up front until they have a look at it.

It lost some of the formatting <BR> <BR>Replacing the steering cable <BR> <BR>1) Preparation <BR>a) 2 wrenches <BR>b) Socket set <BR>c) Flat head screw driver <BR>d) Rubber gloves <BR>e) Paper towels <BR>f) Strong rope <BR>g) Grease gun and grease <BR>h) And of course duct tape <BR>2) Take out all the cushions in the back area <BR>3) Verify whether the problem is with the steering cable or rudder housing <BR>a) You can first try greasing the rudder and cable <BR>i) There are 2 grease fittings in the back of the boat near the rudder housing and also one on the steering cable, both in back of the boat <BR>b) Detach the steering cable from the rudder in the back of the boat <BR>i) You are able to use a wrench for this <BR>ii) Check the steering wheel and see if it is still stiff, if yes you need to replace <BR>iii) If it is the rudder, you can try greasing the rudder or it will need to be replaced <BR>4) Replace steering cable <BR>a) Purchase steering cable, I would call your Mastercraft dealer to make sure you get the right one <BR>b) Remove both sides of the engine panels to make accessibility easier <BR>c) Remove the nuts using a socket set that connects the cable to the steering wheel. Very easy to do <BR>d) Using a wrench, remove existing cable. You can reference your new cable connector to find the connector you need to remove. This part is the hardest part of the process because it is difficult to get any leverage because it is underneath the motor. <BR>e) After you remover the connector, wipe any grease from the cable <BR>f) Tie a rope to the end of the steering able where it was connected to the rudder <BR>g) Remove the front cushion in front of the driver side <BR>h) You can now start pulling the cable out from under the cushion and stringing it through to the dash <BR>i) If you are lucky, you can pull the cable all the way through. If it gets stuck at a section you need to remove the floor board. <BR>j) To remove the floorboard, take a screwdriver and pry up the carpeted floorboard. You will need to put some strength in it and pull the floor board forward to the boat to get it under and away from the ice chest area. Don’t crack your fiber glass while doing this. It takes a little elbow grease but it will come out. <BR>k) After removing the floor board you should see the hole where the cable got stuck, just push it through now. <BR>l) You should be able to remove the entire cable now. <BR>m) Take the new cable and tie the rope to it. Start stringing it through from the dashboard out. You can start pulling on the rope from the back to get it where it needs to go. <BR>n) When you finally get it to the back, untie the rope. <BR>o) Grease the tube thoroughly before inserting the tube. I filled it up with grease <BR>p) Shoot the steering cable through while moving it up and down in the tube to get it well greased. <BR>q) Attach cable to rudder <BR>r) Grease the fitting where the cable goes, grease the rudder housing <BR>s) Attach the bolts back to the steering wheel <BR>t) Check the wheel, it should be butter smooth now <BR>u) Put everything back in it’s proper place. <BR>v) Viola!!! <BR>w) Let me know how it goes…the duct tape was an insurance policy… <BR> <BR>I attached a word doc <BR><!--attachment: Replacing_the_steering_cable-76607.doc*mime_msword.gif*application/msword*22.5*Replace+Steering+Cable*Replacing+the+s teering+cable%2edoc --><center><table border=1><tr><td><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/icons/mime_msword.gif" align=left alt="application/msword">Replace Steering Cable<br><a href="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/Replacing_the_steering_cable-76607.doc" target="_blank"><b>Replacing the steering cable.doc</b></a> (22.5 k)</td></tr></table></center><!--/attachment-->

Your advise has been extremely helpful. Thank you very much. <BR> <BR>(Message edited by chrissocal on July 29, 2003)