Helm Wheel Continually loosens

[reltubp]

Does anyone else find that their wheel loosens itself very quickly after tightening ?
I havethe Lewmar folding wheel and although I tighten the locking nut very firmly it only takes 10 - 15 mins before it is looses enough fo rth wheel to have wobble ( forward and aft movement at the edge of the wheel)

I have tried tightening the nut with a wrench and also have tried putting plumbers tape on the screw thread all to no avail - any suggestions ?


Paul Butler
Hull # 488

[EvenKeel]

I had the same problem, but teflon tape worked well for me. You might try Loctite, but be sure you know where your wrench is in case you need it in a hurry!

Gary
Even Keel II #288

[reltubp]

Thanks for the response Gary.

The teflon tape is a good work around but I figure that if no one else has had the problem there is something different about my wheel, soindle, or locking nut. I will take a look at other boat to see what is different.

Paul


PS I once had to get a nut held by the blue loctite off a home made go kart and a wrench didnt hack it we had to heat the nut with a blow torch so I wouldn't liketo put it on a yacht wheel.

[EvenKeel]

I think the original problem with my wheel was that the taper of the shaft and the taper of the wheel hub did not match as perfectly as they should have, allowing the wheel to "rock" on the shaft just slightly, especially when holding onto it in rough conditions. This would tend to back the nut off rather quickly. It wasn't a matter of the wrong match, just imperfect machining. Either that or the previous owner left it loose to the extent that all the rocking deformed the hub.

Before I put the teflon tape on, I cranked the nut on *REALLY* hard once, then backed it off and made sure that the wheel would still come off easily. I think that this may have re-formed the hub just enough to stop the rocking, so now the teflon tape is sufficient to keep the nut from loosening on its own.

Gary

[Hans Grasman]

Thanks Gary and Paul ! I have experienced the same problem from day one and always have to tighten the wheel. Now I know what to do just an easy fix with teflon tape.
Going back to Florida Nov. 1 for the fall and winter season.
Great info message board !

[reltubp]

Just an update that I didnt't find that the teflon tape worked for very long so I have reverted to using blue loctite betwen the nut and the wheel. I am not pleased with this solution as it will require a wrench to get the wheel off ( which wouldn't be ideal in an emergency) but as I have a folding wheel it is satisfactor for dailiy use.

Paul

Hull #488

[Hans Grasman]

Paul and others
I recall that there is/was a "wooden tool" on the boat and I believe that tool was there for tightening the wheel.
I will be back on the boat by Nov. 1 and will try and find that "wooden tool" and see if it makes a difference in securing the wheel. Although you have mentioned using other tools to secure the wheel and that did not do the job.
I became used to hand tightening the wheel on every trip and just lived with it.

[EvenKeel]

Hans-

My boat came with a special wrench (it was in the nylon bag containing the emergency tiller). I have no idea what it is called, but it has pins that fit into two holes in the nut that holds the wheel on. The span between the pins can be increased to fit the cover plate over the rudder post. On my boat, this would be the only reasonable way to get the cover plate off, as there are no recesses in which to fit fingers like some cover plates I've seen on other boats.

If your boat has the same type of nut and cover plate that mine does, I can't imagine that your boat didn't come with one of these wrenches. If not, it would be worth getting one.

Gary

[Hans Grasman]

Gary
I have that tool for installation of emergency helm and use it to keep my chart table lid open while I am looking for charts and things.
The tool to tighten the wheel is a wooden tool looks like a ping pong paddle with a slit in the middle to accommodate the nut on the wheel. (how about that for tech lingo?)