Avensis steering ball joint

[sproutdreamer]

Not strictly a car query as I am wanting to use a ball joint to act as a base for a joystick type control lever on a boat. Has anyone an idea of the angle that the ball joint is designed to pivot from the vertical. It is years since I did one of these. From memory I imagine about 30 degrees each way but if someone has a more precise idea I would be grateful.

[flash22]

A rose joint will be a better choice, as it's for a boat you really want stainless steel, linkages are usually by means of a Bowden cable in a push-pull config 1 for backwards and forwards and another that does left, right

what are you trying to achieve ?

[sproutdreamer]

Hi Bob

I am wanting to make a steering mechanism for an outboard motor on a sailing catamaran. The normal outboard steering is via steering cable on the pivot axis but this is not possible due to the position of the outboard in a well in the transom on this particular boat and size of engine. The other problem is when the outboard tilts that the back end tilts up about 10" and a bowdon cable cannot cope with that. Many cats use lines from the rudder or rudder bar to connect the engine to the steering. This works well but you usually have to manually connect/disconnect the lines when the engine is lifted and the bigger the engine the greater the travel up and down when dropped or lifted. I am going for a system like the Prout catamarans where they have a vertical lever below the wheel that has central, midway and full over, each way positions. So the flexible joint is for the base of the lever and if I use a steering joint about £15 and with its rubber cap and full of grease it should not be adversly weather affected.

When I first got the boat it had steering lines which helped it park very well but since getting a much bigger engine the lines were unworkable and had to come off. I am doing mostly single handed sailing now so this facility will be a big improvement in tight or windy harbours and marinas.