Dometic Steering Kit

Dometic does not offer repair parts for any steering helms or cables. All helms and cables must be replaced as units. If the helm in question is within our 2-year warranty period, we will authorize a free replacement helm (not including labor). Attempting to repair a helm will void the warranty and can lead to steering failure, which may result in personal injury and property damage.

The standard bezel (mount) kit included with the stering system allows the helm to be installed at 90 degrees (perpendicular) to the surface of the dash. Optional bezel kits for rotary steering systems provide the ability to mount the helm at 20 degrees from perpendicular. The rack and pinion system uses "wedge kits" that provide 10 and 20 degree angles.

For rotary steering (Safe-T QC, NFB Safe-T II, 4.2, or Xtreme), order 20 degree bezel kit part number SB27483P. For rack and pinion steering (NFB, Non-NFB, and Pro Rack), order 10 degree wedge kit part number SB27448P or 20 degree wedge kit part number SB27449P.

There are several methods, depending on the type and model of steering.

For mechanical rack and pinion steering, attach the cable to the engine, then center the engine and center your steering wheel. Then bolt the rack to the helm. (You may have to wiggle the steering wheel to get the gears to mesh.)

For mechanical rotary steering helms, the starting steering wheel positin when you first feed the cable into the helm determines where it will be when the steering cable is centered. To center the steering wheel properly, we suggest orienting the wheel (depending on the rotary helm installed) in the positions depicted below. These starting positions assume the helm is mounted for an ordinary starboard cable exit.

You won't have to worry about centering a steering wheel when installing hydraulic steering. Due to a small amount of "slip" or "drift" inherent in any hydraulic system, the steering wheel will not remain centered. The use of a wheel with equidistant spokes is the best solution for hydraulic steering since that type of wheel has no natural "up", "down", or "sideways" position.

First determine the brand of steering in your boat, then whether it is mechanical or hydraulic.

If you do not have Dometic steering, either:

a) Replace the helm and cable (or hoses and cylinder) with a Dometic system or
b) Contact the steering maker for options. Tilt steering is not available for all systems.

If you have a Dometic rotary steering system that was made after 1991 or rack steering made after 1996, you probably only need to purchase a tilt helm and tilt mechanism.

Tilt helms are offered for these Dometic systems:

Safe-T QC (1991-present)
"The Rack" Rack & Pinion NFB rack (1996-present)
NFB Rotary (1991-present)
HPS (2000-present)
SeaStar & SeaStar Pro (1991-present)
BayStar (2001-present)

NOTE: Some pre-1991 hydraulic, pre-1991 rotary, and pre-1996 rack systems may require purchase of additional items and/or modification of the dash. Please contact Tech Support for assistance.

Tilt helms have a special shaft to engage the tilt mechanism; a non-tilt helm cannot be used.

Without the steering wheel on the shaft, NFB helms are very difficult to turn by hand. The reason is that the no-feedback clutch is always on standby to grip the helm shaft and hold it steady against torque feedback from the engine (which can make the steering wheel turn on non-NFB systems). Once the helm is mounted in the dash and the steering wheel is properly attached, you will be able to turn the shaft with a little pressure on the wheel. Follow the installation instructions completely.

Generally, replace rotary with rotary, rack & pinion with rack & pinion, and hydraulic with hydraulic. Rotary gearboxes are round in shape. Rack & pinion helms are tubular and connect to a long, thin metal rack housing. The following is a brief cross reference for the most popular non-Dometic systems:

Rotary: Use Dometic HPS or Safe-T QC for power-assisted or NFB 4.2 Rotary for non-power-assisted.

Morse Command 200 Rack: Use Dometic Back Mount Rack for power-assisted or NFB Rack for non-power-assisted, and The Pro Rack for dual cable boats.

Dometic does not make adapters or interface parts to connect an autopilot to mechanical cable steering. This is left to the autopilot manufacturers. We do, however, strongly recommend that if you are installing an autopilot, upgrade your mechanical steering to a Dometic hydraulic system, which is designed to interface with most autopilots and will give you superior all-around performance.

NOTE: Autopilots cannot be used with any type of mechanical NFB (no-feedback) steering. In that case, you MUST upgrade to Dometic.

If you have an outboard or sterndrive with non-power-assisted steering, we recommend you use either a no-feedback (NFB) mechanical or hydraulic system. For boats with power-assisted steering, use HPS (mechanical) or Dometic. If you have or plan to install an autopilot, use Dometic hydraulic steering.

Be sure you have the correct cable for the helm on the boat (or vice versa). There are several kinds of cables and helms that are not interchangeable; this is true whether the system is rotary or rack & pinion.

Be sure you have measured properly and ordered the correct length of cable. (The #1 reason for cable returns is "wrong length ordered".)

Follow the installation instructions for steering products completely. This will ensure the maximum performance and reliability of the product. If the instructions are missing, contact the manufacturer.

Handle the products with care and do not expose them to impact or external stress.

Allow for generous (large) cable bends, notably where the cable exits from the helm (or rack housing) and where the cable makes the bend to connect to the engine/drive/rudder. The tighter the bends, the stiffer the cable will tend to be in operation. Also, tight bends reduce cable life. NOTE: 8" is the minimum bend radius generally recommended for Dometic steering cables.

When using tie wraps to affix the cable along the gunwale areas, allow some slack (do not cinch tight). Slack in the tie wraps allows for cable flex as it is actuated. This leads to smoother operation and longer life.

Replace all worn steering connection/mounting components with correct replacement parts that are designed for the application. Do not substitute parts. If you think parts are missing from a kit, contact your distributor or the kit manufacturer for replacements.

When installing the cable at the engine end, be sure to lubricate the telescopic ram (output end that slides in and out) with liberal amounts of good, water-resistant marine grease. This is especially critical if the steering cable is connected through the engine tilt tube as this area tends to get very rusty.

Avoid the use of add-on grease-fitting products designed to lubricate cables. These units can in fact force old grease, dirt, and rust onto the moving internal parts of a steering cable, shortening its life.

There is no substitute for proper maintenance procedures.