Smart Trak Rudder Sticking Problem

Hello all! My Necky Looksha II is equipped with a smart track rudder system. For the last few months the rudder has been sticking in the up position when retracted. By hand I can lower it, and can raise it about half way up and it still swings free. But further up it sticks in the up position. I’ve cleaned the entire system and cannot find anything causing the sticking problem. The inside spring has a little rust visible, but nothing serious. I’d be grateful for any suggestions to resolve the problem. Thanks for your advice.

Could possibly be the knot in the line…
is not all the way in the hole, and it is binding.

Take it apart and check that, and if it is not that dial the tension adjuster to one more hole and try it.



Jack L

The spring in mine was broken-
but the break wasn’t visible until I took it out of the case. You can get a parts kit for it @ http://www.clcboats.com/shop/products/boat-gear/kayak-footbraces-rudders/smart-track-spare-parts-kit.html.

Also you might want to try some silicone. Good luck.

Had the same problem.
I had the same problem with the rudder on my QCC. Spray silicone took care of it. Periodically I would just spray a little into the mechanism and the problem went away.

broken spring
My QCC had a broken spring. I suspect that it came from the factory that way, but QCC was very quick to make things right, very quick.

Those are good low prices
and a great place to get replacement parts.

Having two QCC’s that get over a thousand salt water miles per season, I have to keep a stash of parts on hand.

I am always replacing something on those dam delicat rudder systems.

Many thanks for posting it.



Jack L

Blade housing
Try spreading the clad housing just a touch with some pliers. I had a customer with a similar problem and it had resulted I. The rudder blade housing having gotten a smack pinching the blade enough to impede the blade from smoothly deploying.



My $.02



YMMV



See you in the water,

Marshall

The River Connection, Inc.

Hyde Park, NY

www.the-river-connection.com

hudsonriverpaddler.org

Thank you to everyone for your help.
I’ll start with the first suggestion and work my way down the list of helpful advice until one of them works, hopefully! Happy paddling to all!

Problem solved
Thank you to everyone for our help. The problem turned out to be a spring inside the blade head that when removed had sheared in half. Also the blade housing appears to have been squeezed, so the spring has been replaced and the housing spread a tiny bit and now the blade drops easily, sticking is resolved. Just one minor problem remains. I am not sure what the function of the spring is. Or how to adjust the tension to make the spring function. Right now the blade drops by gravity. Anyone care to enlighten me on this information? Thanks again!

There has to be tension on the spring…
so the rudder will deploy when you release the line from it’s keeper.

Pull the round knob out a tad, (so the little peg is out of it’s hole) and then rotate it clockwise until you feel some tension and then push it back in making sure the peg is seated .

It is a trial and error thing until you get the proper tension on it.



Over the years I have had way too many problems with our Smart track rudders, and vowed I will never have another boat with one.



Jack L

Easier said than done.
When it is working the Smarttrack seems to work well. What other system would you replace it with? Say you wanted a new Q700. How would you proceed to get that alternate installed?

Simple
If QCC refused to install a different rudder, I wouldn’t get another QCC.

If you put the amount of miles that I do on a boat you would not be a happy paddler with a QCC.



The first change that comes to mind would be an Epic 18



Jack L

happy?
I have been happy so far (3 or 4 years) with my Q700 and the SmartTrack. As it happens, I had been contemplating an Epic 18 Sport, but have not tried it yet. The Epic rudder seems exceedingly strange to me, so I remain skeptical.

ONNO
http://onnopaddles.com/components.html

I guess I phrased that wrong
I love their boat. I would not be a happy paddler with another QCC with a Smart Track Rudder.



Jack L

specific
Could you be a bit more specific, as I know you are a long time user of the Q700? What about the Epic do you prefer? Do you have the Sport version?

No I can’t be more specific !
and I don’t need to be.

I Love the QCC.

I Hate the Smart Track Rudder



My opinion and end of discussion



Jack L