Steering cable stiffness?

I am getting my air nautique chekced out and they mentioned that I have some steering cable stifness ad well as gear cable stifness? These are going to be around 500 each to fix. Is this somethign I need to do? What are the negatives if I dont fix this right away?

how many hours/what year is your boat. even a little water can ruin a steering cable. both are things that do not live forever. if it doesn't bother you i'd just lube em up and continue to use until a real problem occurs.

I have abouter 400 hrs and the boat is a 2000. It didnt even notice because untill this year I was riding behind a bayliner.

go drive a brand new one and then drive yours. you'll probably think yours is like a car w/o power steering and the new one is a cadillac. IMO, def. not a mechanic, it's just whether or not you want to do it right now. as for the other part, im not so sure.

Nothing too bad can happen, but it will just get stiffer and stiffer. $500 a piece is not a bad deal. If you have every replaced a steering cable, you know what I mean, it can take a full day sometimes.

but remember, as it gets stiffer, its a lot more strain thats put on the steering column and many of the parts in the system.....

It will get worse quick. Might as well do it in the off season. Is this the first one you have replaced??? I had a new one put in almost 2 years ago. Just had to replace another one. They last a bit more than two years according to most people I have asked. The cable itself is about $175. Its going to take about 2 hours for someone to do it. So $500 sounds about right. If your mechanical at all its not that bad of a job just depends on how yours is run and what you have to run it through. If its the first time most the problem is getting the old one out because at the factory they wire tie EVERYTHING. Its all about how you fish it out or through.

thanks for the input. Ill probably end up doing it in the spring. Compared to the beaters i used to ride behind i never would have noticed the difference but if I paid that much for a nice boat I might as well keep er tight

My steering was so rigid that I would get tennis elbow. I replaced mine myself earlier this year. The hard part was cutting all the cable ties. I replaced the cable ties and left them loose to support the cable and make it easy to resecure the new one after I did the following. I have a rack system so there is the long "block" at the end of it. I unbolted that, unbolted the cable at the rudder, tied a string to this end. I pulled the cable through with string in tow. Once at the helm I cut the string and tossed the old cable, got the new one out and uncoiled, tied the string to rudder side of the cable started it through the first cable tie. Went back to the rear and started to pull it through. If you have an assistant to help work the cable as you pull it makes it really easy to get through the ties. Ran the cable through where I needed to, bolted everything back up, cinched up the cable ties and never looked back. The steering is so easy now compared to the former that you wonder if it snapped, lol!

Really no need to put the wire ties back but it does keep it clean.

install the new cable steering tube with the zerk fitting

It will get worse and then you won't be able to steer at all. Get it done before it is to late!

I knew a guy with a stiff steering cable on his malibu. I got so bad, that it eventually broke, leaving him stranded on the lake. Lucky for him, I was there to tow him a few miles back to the marina. I say replace it!

Just replace it. It is a pretty easy DIY project if you are wanting to do it yourself. I found the hardest was keeping the dirty cable from getting dirt and grime on the boat when removing it.

SKIDIM would be your best bet for getting a fairly priced cable.

Like said above replace it before it gets worse and tears something else up. The only other thing I can tell you is because you have a nuatique you will have to get the cable from them. All the other brands use the same type teleflex cables but the nautiques come in like half lengths like a normal boat would be an 18ft cable but a naut. is a 18 1/2.It wierd its like they made the end that attaches to the rudder arm just a little longer or something. I have replaced a ton of steering cables and none of my local suppliers can get this odd ball size cable. Now I have not checked with skidim but you need to make sure you get the right cable. I always end up buying them from CC.All the tiges,maibus,MC and centurions take the same cable18,19 or 21ft depending on the size of the boat but they dont match up to a Naut. Has anyone found an aftermarket supplier that has a cable for a nautique? part# please if yes....thanx.