Uflex USA RackTech Rack and Pinion Steering System, 14 ft Cable

Rack and pinion steering does one thing really well. It gives you direct, precise control at the helm without eating up a bunch of room behind the dash. The Uflex USA RackTech system is built exactly for that situation. If you've got a console with minimal clearance behind it, a traditional rotary helm and its big backing plate just won't fit. The RackTech solves it with a slim gearbox and a 90-degree cable takeoff that tucks the whole assembly in close.

This kit comes as a complete package. You get the G86 helm assembly, the X34 90-degree bezel, and the M86 steering cable in a 14-foot length. The M86 cable is the part that really matters here. It uses an armor-wrapped stainless steel core, which keeps friction low and holds up to the loads a rack helm puts on it. That armor wrap is what lets the system feel tight and efficient instead of vague and spongy. Everything's matched to work together out of the box, so you're not mixing components and hoping the geometry lines up.

Here's how it feels on the water. Turn the wheel and a pinion gear drives a toothed rack, which pushes or pulls the cable. There's no slop to work through, so small corrections at speed actually land where you point them. RackTech is quick, too, running about 3.5 turns lock to lock, so you're not winding the wheel forever to get the boat to respond. Light boats reward that precision most, because there's less mass fighting your input. For a runabout, a small center console, or a sterndrive boat that already steers light, that connected feel is exactly what you want.

So where does this belong? RackTech is designed for boats with power-assisted sterndrives and applications with minimal rudder torque. That's the honest answer. If your setup fights the wheel hard, a rack system will feel stiff, and you'd be better off with a helm matched to higher steering loads. But on the boats it's meant for, single-cable sterndrives and light-steering hulls, it's a clean, direct replacement or upgrade.

One thing worth doing before you buy is measure. Steering cable length is called out in two-foot increments, and this kit ships with the 14-foot M86. Run a string along the path the cable will actually take, from behind the helm down to the engine or drive, and add a little slack for gentle bends. Too short and you're starting over. Too long and you've got excess cable to coil and secure. Fourteen feet suits a lot of mid-size sterndrive boats, but your routing is what really decides it.

A few install notes from folks who've rigged these up. Route the cable so it enters the rack as straight as you can. A sharp bend right at the takeoff makes the rack bind and wears the cable faster, so give it a gentle radius coming off that 90-degree bezel. If your dash is thin fiberglass, add backing plates behind the bezel screws. The mounting holes can pull out of a thin panel over time, and a backing plate spreads the load. And once it's in, hit the rack with marine grease at the start of each season. That's the difference between steering that stays smooth and steering that turns notchy.

Bottom line, the RackTech is a smart pick when space is the problem and your steering loads are light to moderate. It's a full kit, so there's no hunting for a matching helm and bezel separately. Confirm the 14-foot length works for your run, add backing plates if the dash is thin, and you've got a compact, responsive steering system that fits where the big rotary helms can't. Measure twice, grease it every spring, and this steering will serve you for many seasons.