Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

i have a 2008 crest pontoon with a 115 honda 4 stroke. i just bought the boat and its hard to steer to the left. when the boat is sitting still it steers ok both directions, but when your running it steers ok to the right but hard to the left. i have greased the bearings and the steering arm at the motor. i even took the steering cable loose at the motor and turned the steering wheel and it doesnt hang up with it loose. also turned the motor back and forth with the cable loose and it turns ok without binding. ive checked all i can see for binding and don't see anything that might be causing it. any help would be appreciated.

Does it get worse the faster you go? Does it stay straight without you holding the wheel?

its about the same at any speed your moving, just gets better when stopped. it will run straight.

There is a steering tab on the motor fotor foot under the keel that is adjustable to help with steering pull. It is a fairly easly adjustment

i'll check that out , thks!

Its a torque tab, under the cavitation plate, above the prop, on the lower unit. Some have degree numbers on them to dial it in. Its not designed to help the steering, but it does. Its designed to eliminate the torque (sideways motion) of the spinning prop, walking. Which in turn, helps out the steering when running at above no wake speeds. But when adjusted, it to cure that, you may notice you'll be doing alot of over correcting steering at no wake speeds. One effects the other.
TNT is right, its a simple adjustment. do it in small moves.

It's called torque steer. Try the tab and it should help some but will always have torque steer unless you have power steering.

thks!! if its steering hard to the left which way do i turn the tab

If your motor is tracking straight then don't move the trim tab! Its torque steer, you're fighting the internal rotation of the engine when you're turning left.

crspang wrote:If your motor is tracking straight then don't move the trim tab! Its torque steer, you're fighting the internal rotation of the engine when you're turning left.

Not quite, I have the teleflex 4.2 NFB and the non- feedback keeps it tracking straight even with the tab way out of adjustment.

thks!! i'm gonna play with the tab some and also try trimming it up some more to see if that helps!!

played with the tab this weekend, boat steering a lot better, had to move it off center to the stbd. just a little .

It is amazing what that little tab will do!!