NorCal Kayak Anglers

General => Craftsmen's Corner => Topic started by: kuhl35 on March 04, 2018, 07:17:36 AM

Title: Changing rudder control cord.
Post by: kuhl35 on March 04, 2018, 07:17:36 AM
 My rudder control cord broke on my perception pilot 120. I was thinking to try so 80lb steel leader.. Any thoughts? (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180304/990651b8b5c7f038995a7f6fb9a1f6de.jpg)

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Title: Re: Changing rudder control cord.
Post by: E Kayaker on March 04, 2018, 07:36:37 AM
I’d be worried about how it would wear on surfaces as you pulled it back and forth.
Title: Re: Changing rudder control cord.
Post by: masterandahound on March 04, 2018, 07:39:05 AM
You can pickup replacement rudder line by the foot. 1/16" 7 strand aircraft wire is the standard replacement and it's really inexpensive. Just pick up a couple of crimps and you're in business.

http://www.riggingwarehouse.com/default.aspx?page=item+detail&itemcode=109-SSAC7%2F304/062-0000&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7dDdoP7S2QIVErbACh1W0wUWEAQYBSABEgL0f_D_BwE
Title: Re: Changing rudder control cord.
Post by: ThreemoneyJ on March 04, 2018, 08:30:15 AM
Is it wire or braided line? Hobie rudder line is 700lb braid and pretty easy to locate at hobie dealers and online.
Title: Re: Changing rudder control cord.
Post by: newfuturevintage on March 04, 2018, 08:37:25 AM
I've used 400lb black-vinyl coated shark leader. I think it was 7x7 cable. Came from amazon, included crimps, worked well.
I'd go with higher than 80lb test. The 400 is still quite thin and not hard at all to work with. I'd actually bought vectran line to do this, but it didn't fit through the channel for rudder-line on my boat.
Title: Re: Changing rudder control cord.
Post by: kuhl35 on March 04, 2018, 09:20:09 AM
I've used 400lb black-vinyl coated shark leader. I think it was 7x7 cable. Came from amazon, included crimps, worked well.
I'd go with higher than 80lb test. The 400 is still quite thin and not hard at all to work with. I'd actually bought vectran line to do this, but it didn't fit through the channel for rudder-line on my boat.
Perfect, I'll go with that. Thank you sir!

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Title: Re: Changing rudder control cord.
Post by: kuhl35 on March 04, 2018, 09:21:00 AM
Is it wire or braided line? Hobie rudder line is 700lb braid and pretty easy to locate at hobie dealers and online.
It's braided line,  frayed out quick!

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Title: Re: Changing rudder control cord.
Post by: kuhl35 on March 04, 2018, 09:24:06 AM
I'm a little worried though that wire may cut into the plastic at the angle its coming out..    I'm on the fence about it. I wanted to call perception cause the kayak is pretty new.

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Title: Re: Changing rudder control cord.
Post by: Tinker on March 04, 2018, 11:03:23 AM
The Hobie rudder cord is thin, slick, durable and cheap.  You might look into Kevlar rudder cords, too.
Title: Re: Changing rudder control cord.
Post by: newfuturevintage on March 05, 2018, 08:48:00 AM
I'm a little worried though that wire may cut into the plastic at the angle its coming out..    I'm on the fence about it. I wanted to call perception cause the kayak is pretty new.

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I'd give 'em a call. Depending on how new the boat is, they might just send you the line. That fray-break points to either a faulty line or sharp attachment point wearing through the line.

As for cable, if it's heavier gauge (thicker diameter), I'd not worry about it cutting into the boat, but you're right, that exit angle seems oddly steep for what it's doing. That said, the vinyl coating on the cable I used is pretty thick, and the cable feels smooth, not abrasive. You'd want to keep an eye on the cable to make sure the coating isn't wearing down.

FWIW, this is the stuff I used:
https://www.amazon.com/Strand-Stainless-Steel-Coated-crimps/dp/B00NIX1MBW
in the 1.4mm size (400#) It's been great as my work out SIK's rudder line for about a year now, and I do push fairly hard on the pedals when paddling aggressively.

If you go the cable route, pick up some shrink wrap tubing to dress the crimp ends; I also like it for adding a little padding on the loop if it's going around something sharpish like a threaded bolt.

The only minor difficulty I had is some of the crimps were difficult to thread onto the cable because of the black coating. Trying different crimps worked to find ones that would fit.
Title: Re: Changing rudder control cord.
Post by: Baitman on March 05, 2018, 07:51:13 PM
 If you're worried about the wear ( cutting into the kayak) , Insert a bushing into that hole, for the line to slide thru.  I used a short piece of irrigation tubing ,  (1/4" X  1" ) glued into place.    I also would recommend the Dyneema line that West Marine sells..    It's a very slick kevlar type cord.   Tough cord,  you'd never have to change it again.
Title: Re: Changing rudder control cord.
Post by: kuhl35 on March 08, 2018, 10:23:28 PM
I'm a little worried though that wire may cut into the plastic at the angle its coming out..    I'm on the fence about it. I wanted to call perception cause the kayak is pretty new.

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I'd give 'em a call. Depending on how new the boat is, they might just send you the line. That fray-break points to either a faulty line or sharp attachment point wearing through the line.

As for cable, if it's heavier gauge (thicker diameter), I'd not worry about it cutting into the boat, but you're right, that exit angle seems oddly steep for what it's doing. That said, the vinyl coating on the cable I used is pretty thick, and the cable feels smooth, not abrasive. You'd want to keep an eye on the cable to make sure the coating isn't wearing down.

FWIW, this is the stuff I used:
https://www.amazon.com/Strand-Stainless-Steel-Coated-crimps/dp/B00NIX1MBW
in the 1.4mm size (400#) It's been great as my work out SIK's rudder line for about a year now, and I do push fairly hard on the pedals when paddling aggressively.

If you go the cable route, pick up some shrink wrap tubing to dress the crimp ends; I also like it for adding a little padding on the loop if it's going around something sharpish like a threaded bolt.

The only minor difficulty I had is some of the crimps were difficult to thread onto the cable because of the black coating. Trying different crimps worked to find ones that would fit.
I got what you suggested and am gonna pout it in this weekend with the rain.  I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks!

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Title: Re: Changing rudder control cord.
Post by: newfuturevintage on March 09, 2018, 01:39:13 PM
Good luck! Keep us posted on how it works for you.

FWIW, I didn't have proper crimping tools and just used vise grips. Worked fine. I also put two crimps on each end just in case.
Title: Re: Changing rudder control cord.
Post by: kuhl35 on March 13, 2018, 09:18:05 PM
Good luck! Keep us posted on how it works for you.

FWIW, I didn't have proper crimping tools and just used vise grips. Worked fine. I also put two crimps on each end just in case.
Well I'm hitting the water Amigo! Thanks for the advice! Worked like a charm, and runs better then it did.

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Title: Re: Changing rudder control cord.
Post by: newfuturevintage on March 14, 2018, 09:52:47 AM
awesome! glad it worked for ya.
Title: Re: Changing rudder control cord.
Post by: Fuzzy Tom on June 10, 2018, 04:44:27 PM
West also sells some 1/8 or 3/16" dacron cord, doesn't stretch, and fits in the tube Ocean Kayak has for the rudder lines - just tie knots on the ends.