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Author Topic:   Destroyer Steering Wheels of Poor Quality

alfred posted 08-26-2011 10:49 AM ET (US)
[The author was] out about 50 miles off shore today in a friend's boat and the destroyer-style steering wheel came apart in his hands. I am not talking coming off the hub but coming apart into pieces. Beware of cheap aftermarket steering wheels. Luckily one spoke stayed in the hub and one in the wheel itself. We managed to add one more spoke and tie the lot together. Not pretty, but it got us home.
Will post up a picture tomorrow when I down load it from the phone.

Nevek posted 08-26-2011 10:53 AM ET (US)
Any idea on brand? I am about to put in a order myself.
Tohsgib posted 08-26-2011 12:30 PM ET (US)
Personally I prefer the Edson knockoffs with the built-in suicide knob. I think I paid like $90 with the nut. Whaler now uses them on their higher end boats but the real deal, not the knockoff.
Tohsgib posted 08-26-2011 12:33 PM ET (US)
You can barely see it here but you will recognize it.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v225/BiggieFL/Newtauk/kice3.jpg
contender posted 08-26-2011 01:20 PM ET (US)
There are two good steering wheel companies out there that make steering wheels for boats: Edson and Schmitt. I know there are others but these two make some nice wheels. If you have the bucks and have nothing better to spend it on I would look at an Edson brass wheel.
Tohsgib posted 08-26-2011 01:31 PM ET (US)
GG Schmitt is right down the road here and have been supplying Whaler for decades.
alfred posted 08-27-2011 11:05 AM ET (US)
Here are a couple of pics
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b176/alheng/TonyWheel.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b176/alheng/TonyWheel2.jpg
WT posted 08-27-2011 12:10 PM ET (US)
They sure don't make things like they used to. :-)
Warren
Chuck Tribolet posted 08-27-2011 02:32 PM ET (US)
Nice jury rig, alfred.

Chuck
contender posted 08-27-2011 02:40 PM ET (US)
alfred: Depending on were you got that steering wheel that could be a cheap China wheel. A couple years ago at the marine flea market in Ft Lauderdale there were a lot of dealers that had them. You usually do not see that many five spoke wheels. I looked at a couple of them and they were crap and cheaply made and some of them were coming apart in the booth.
BobL posted 08-27-2011 04:44 PM ET (US)
Both my 15’ Super Sport and 13’ Sport have new Schmitt 6-spoke wheels and I really like them. They are well built and look great on the classics. The Edson wheels have a great look too for the post-classics.
My original equipment steering wheel on the 1987 15-footer loosened up over time and had to be replaced. The hub-end of the spokes were threaded into the hub and that is where it loosened up. I still have that wheel if anyone knows of a way to fix it and can use it.
jimh posted 08-27-2011 05:28 PM ET (US)
It is my experience that five-spoke destroyer style steering wheels are the most common, and I don't understand the comment (above) that they are rarely seen. The six-spoke wheel is less common. For more information on replacement steering wheels, see
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/OEM.html#SSwheel
If the OEM steering wheel mentioned above with loose spokes has an oval shaped outer tube, it was probably a GRANT wheel. I had the same problem with a GRANT wheel on my 1987 Boston Whaler boat and replaced it with a SCHMITT.
contender posted 08-27-2011 08:32 PM ET (US)
Jim: This is what I meant, at the marine flea market you would go one year and maybe see two or three of them for sale, The next year I went and there were booths filled with them, you could see that they were in the cheap cardboard box from China... It is one of the strange things I have seen over the years going to the marine flea market, you would see say 50 radio antennas one year and the next year you would be lucky to fine one, no rhyme or reason for it...
alfred posted 08-28-2011 03:19 AM ET (US)
First I must make it clear that this was not a Boston Whaler wheel!
When it first came apart there were 2 spokes in the hub and 3 in the wheel, but one of the three was loose and fell out before we tried to fix it.
We tied the other two together, but that came apart very soon after, so we were down to one spoke on the hub and one on the wheel.
We took two of the loose spokes and tried to match up the holes and used the hub itself to tie around to get enough tension to hold the lot together. We could have steered using the one spoke in the hub, but there was a real stabbing danger as we were in 3 meter swells.
I am glad the rig held together as we were about 50 miles out when it happened.
Tony (the boat owner) does tig welding, so he is going to piece it all back together and tig it himself.
Glad that there was no panic onboard and infact we almost wet ourselves laughing when it happened!
Tohsgib posted 08-28-2011 12:17 PM ET (US)
I have seen a wooden paddle duct taped to an outboard that got him home when the cable broke.
WT posted 08-28-2011 12:57 PM ET (US)
I have had a destroyer-style steering wheel come apart in my hands too. It was probably due to old age and from user abuse.
I remember I was near the Russian River and was on the radio telling a buddy boat that my steering wheel fell apart. I think Steve, 17 Bodega heard me on the radio that day.
I just reattached the spokes to the wheel and had to put downward pressure on the wheel to keep from falling apart, and continued to go fishing. :-)
I find that I'm hanging on the steering wheel for dear life sometimes when getting pounded by the waves. That puts a lot of pressure, pulling and pushing on the wheel.
So checking for play (loose spokes) in your steering wheel is another maintenance item to monitor.
Warren
contender posted 08-28-2011 01:26 PM ET (US)
Warren: I'm not going to say it does not happen, but steering wheels should not come apart unless, you can show prior damage or alteration to the wheel its self. (I would think this would be a lawyers dream). If you can remember the older 13 whalers (60's) steering wheels that had 4 spoke wheel, those were life time bullet proof wheels, would never break nor come apart....
Alfread: tell you friend to break down and purchased a real steering wheel, or you should for the thanks of using his boat...
Tohsgib: Kudos to the guy with the smart thinking...
Tohsgib posted 08-28-2011 02:24 PM ET (US)
Schmitt destroyer....$79 http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ ProductDisplay?productId=99644&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=11151& storeNum=10106&subdeptNum=10469&classNum=10473
Newer style http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ ProductDisplay?productId=99662&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=11151& storeNum=10106&subdeptNum=10469&classNum=10473
alfred posted 08-29-2011 01:05 AM ET (US)
I did tell him, but he does tig for a living, so he's confident to put it all back together and I am sure he will do it to overkill standards! LOL!

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Author	Topic: Destroyer Steering Wheels of Poor Quality
alfred	posted 08-26-2011 10:49 AM ET (US) [The author was] out about 50 miles off shore today in a friend's boat and the destroyer-style steering wheel came apart in his hands. I am not talking coming off the hub but coming apart into pieces. Beware of cheap aftermarket steering wheels. Luckily one spoke stayed in the hub and one in the wheel itself. We managed to add one more spoke and tie the lot together. Not pretty, but it got us home. Will post up a picture tomorrow when I down load it from the phone.
Nevek	posted 08-26-2011 10:53 AM ET (US) Any idea on brand? I am about to put in a order myself.
Tohsgib	posted 08-26-2011 12:30 PM ET (US) Personally I prefer the Edson knockoffs with the built-in suicide knob. I think I paid like $90 with the nut. Whaler now uses them on their higher end boats but the real deal, not the knockoff.
Tohsgib	posted 08-26-2011 12:33 PM ET (US) You can barely see it here but you will recognize it. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v225/BiggieFL/Newtauk/kice3.jpg
contender	posted 08-26-2011 01:20 PM ET (US) There are two good steering wheel companies out there that make steering wheels for boats: Edson and Schmitt. I know there are others but these two make some nice wheels. If you have the bucks and have nothing better to spend it on I would look at an Edson brass wheel.
Tohsgib	posted 08-26-2011 01:31 PM ET (US) GG Schmitt is right down the road here and have been supplying Whaler for decades.
alfred	posted 08-27-2011 11:05 AM ET (US) Here are a couple of pics http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b176/alheng/TonyWheel.jpg http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b176/alheng/TonyWheel2.jpg
WT	posted 08-27-2011 12:10 PM ET (US) They sure don't make things like they used to. :-) Warren
Chuck Tribolet	posted 08-27-2011 02:32 PM ET (US) Nice jury rig, alfred. Chuck
contender	posted 08-27-2011 02:40 PM ET (US) alfred: Depending on were you got that steering wheel that could be a cheap China wheel. A couple years ago at the marine flea market in Ft Lauderdale there were a lot of dealers that had them. You usually do not see that many five spoke wheels. I looked at a couple of them and they were crap and cheaply made and some of them were coming apart in the booth.
BobL	posted 08-27-2011 04:44 PM ET (US) Both my 15’ Super Sport and 13’ Sport have new Schmitt 6-spoke wheels and I really like them. They are well built and look great on the classics. The Edson wheels have a great look too for the post-classics. My original equipment steering wheel on the 1987 15-footer loosened up over time and had to be replaced. The hub-end of the spokes were threaded into the hub and that is where it loosened up. I still have that wheel if anyone knows of a way to fix it and can use it.
jimh	posted 08-27-2011 05:28 PM ET (US) It is my experience that five-spoke destroyer style steering wheels are the most common, and I don't understand the comment (above) that they are rarely seen. The six-spoke wheel is less common. For more information on replacement steering wheels, see http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/OEM.html#SSwheel If the OEM steering wheel mentioned above with loose spokes has an oval shaped outer tube, it was probably a GRANT wheel. I had the same problem with a GRANT wheel on my 1987 Boston Whaler boat and replaced it with a SCHMITT.
contender	posted 08-27-2011 08:32 PM ET (US) Jim: This is what I meant, at the marine flea market you would go one year and maybe see two or three of them for sale, The next year I went and there were booths filled with them, you could see that they were in the cheap cardboard box from China... It is one of the strange things I have seen over the years going to the marine flea market, you would see say 50 radio antennas one year and the next year you would be lucky to fine one, no rhyme or reason for it...
alfred	posted 08-28-2011 03:19 AM ET (US) First I must make it clear that this was not a Boston Whaler wheel! When it first came apart there were 2 spokes in the hub and 3 in the wheel, but one of the three was loose and fell out before we tried to fix it. We tied the other two together, but that came apart very soon after, so we were down to one spoke on the hub and one on the wheel. We took two of the loose spokes and tried to match up the holes and used the hub itself to tie around to get enough tension to hold the lot together. We could have steered using the one spoke in the hub, but there was a real stabbing danger as we were in 3 meter swells. I am glad the rig held together as we were about 50 miles out when it happened. Tony (the boat owner) does tig welding, so he is going to piece it all back together and tig it himself. Glad that there was no panic onboard and infact we almost wet ourselves laughing when it happened!
Tohsgib	posted 08-28-2011 12:17 PM ET (US) I have seen a wooden paddle duct taped to an outboard that got him home when the cable broke.
WT	posted 08-28-2011 12:57 PM ET (US) I have had a destroyer-style steering wheel come apart in my hands too. It was probably due to old age and from user abuse. I remember I was near the Russian River and was on the radio telling a buddy boat that my steering wheel fell apart. I think Steve, 17 Bodega heard me on the radio that day. I just reattached the spokes to the wheel and had to put downward pressure on the wheel to keep from falling apart, and continued to go fishing. :-) I find that I'm hanging on the steering wheel for dear life sometimes when getting pounded by the waves. That puts a lot of pressure, pulling and pushing on the wheel. So checking for play (loose spokes) in your steering wheel is another maintenance item to monitor. Warren
contender	posted 08-28-2011 01:26 PM ET (US) Warren: I'm not going to say it does not happen, but steering wheels should not come apart unless, you can show prior damage or alteration to the wheel its self. (I would think this would be a lawyers dream). If you can remember the older 13 whalers (60's) steering wheels that had 4 spoke wheel, those were life time bullet proof wheels, would never break nor come apart.... Alfread: tell you friend to break down and purchased a real steering wheel, or you should for the thanks of using his boat... Tohsgib: Kudos to the guy with the smart thinking...
Tohsgib	posted 08-28-2011 02:24 PM ET (US) Schmitt destroyer....$79 http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ ProductDisplay?productId=99644&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=11151& storeNum=10106&subdeptNum=10469&classNum=10473 Newer style http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ ProductDisplay?productId=99662&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=11151& storeNum=10106&subdeptNum=10469&classNum=10473
alfred	posted 08-29-2011 01:05 AM ET (US) I did tell him, but he does tig for a living, so he's confident to put it all back together and I am sure he will do it to overkill standards! LOL!