Uflex USA Catalog

SELECTINGASTEERING SYSTEM SELECTING A STEERING SYSTEM PLANETARY GEAR DESIGN: Choosing the appropriate system for your application can sometimes be confusing because of the variety of steering systems available. There are 4 basic steering types: Mechanical Rotary, Mechanical Rack, Hydraulic and Power Steering that cover most of the styles of recreational powerboats. The Mechanical Rotary, Mechanical Rack and Pinion are available in standard or Zerotorque Feedback versions. Selecting among these options is dependent upon the speed and handling characteristics of your particular boat. If your boat is an outboard or if it has a sterndrive without power steering, you need to consider steering systems that reduce the rudder torque feedback that you feel while driving your boat. Feedback is the constant effort you have to put on the steering wheel just to go straight, and it is why it takes more effort to steer one direction than the other. The amount of feedback depends on the boat, the propeller and the steering system in the boat. Generally speaking, the faster you are going the more amount of effort you have to put on the steering wheel to keep the boat going straight. Uflex offers rotary systems featuring a “Planetary Gear Design” with 3 satellite gears which distributes steering feedback more evenly and effectively throughout the helm. The result is a reduction in the amount of effort needed to steer the boat straight or into the direction of the steering torque. The Uflex Planetary Gear Design also spreads the wear of the steering direction changes over a wider wear area which reduces overall wear and the correspondent lost motion. ROTECH The competitively priced complete system from Uflex is called the Rotech. The Planetary Gear Design of the Rotech and FourTech contrasts conventional systems which have only one contact point between two drive gears.  The single contact point of conventional systems receives all the torque from the engine, which can eventually lead to uneven gear wear and correspondent lost motion in the steering. The Rotech and FourTech include helm, bezel and cable. They are a direct replacement for competing rotary systems requiring no new holes in the dash. ACCURA For outboard boats, sterndrives without power assist or other applications with moderate torque loads it is recommended to upgrade to system with a clutch or gears which automatically lock out the steering torque while the system is not actively being turned. Uflex offers the Accura and FourTech-2 ZTF systems with the same Planetary Gear Design but in a ZeroTorque configuration, which does not require a constant effort on the steering wheel to keep the boat going straight or in the intended direction. A special spring clutch holds the steering system on its intended course until the next change in the direction is initiated by the driver. Steering Torque Single Contact Point FOURTECH Specifically designed for high performance and high efficiency applications, the Fourtech offers performance, flexibility and durability increased by top quality materials and construction. The Fourtech-1 package includes T91 helm (PLANETARY GEAR DESIGN), bezel and highly flexible M90 Mach cable. The Fourtech-2 ZTF package includes T93ZT (zero torque configuration) helm, bezel and M90 Mach cable and presents the same technical features as Fourtech-1. MECHANICAL STEERING SYSTEMS 18