Hunter 45CC Rudder Bearings

[esedenka]

2006 45CC. I was feeling some movement in the steering wheel occasionally, most while under power. Had the boat pulled out and the rudder did seem a little loose, some side to side movement. The boatyard dropped the rudder and inspected all of the bearings. None were cracked or otherwise disfigured. The bearings do seem insufficient for a boat of this size. After talking to someone at Jefa Bearings, they are unable to make new ones for the setup as it is. They also commented that the setup seems undersized for the boat. There are bearing sets available form the shop.hunterowners.com site, but I am not sure that these will fix the issue if they are identical to the originals. Has anyone else had issues like this?
Ed

 

[Terry Cox]

Hi Ed, our1991 P42 is very close in size, maybe a bit heavier. We've never had an issue with the rudder bearing thus far after sailing thousands of miles over the years since purchasing her in 2002. To help, I published an article that Hunter Marine Customer Service sent me to clarify whether we should be concerned with our steering system components. That article is here: Hunter 42 Owner Modifications and Upgrades

 

[Slipin Away]

Check the mounting bolts for the quadrant located under the aft cabin berth