-- Last Updated: Jun-05-16 8:02 PM EST --
This guy in another group has a Smart track rudder with the toe pilot pedals. He says he has difficulty reaching the toe control and wants to know if there is an adjustment for that. Where's Jack?
Yes there are two ways
– Last Updated: Jun-06-16 8:26 AM EST –
1. On the back of the unit (closest to the cockpit) there is a small square plastic knob that screws in or out.
The cable that adjusts the toe pedal is attached to it, and turning it adjusts the toe pedal forward or backward.
Some times it turns easy and many times if it has been in salt water for a long time it is very hard to turn. -CAUTION: If you put pliers on to turn it, and it still doesn't want to turn, don't put too much pressure. They break very easy.
If you find that it is too hard to turn just use the second method below
2. At the rudder end: Remove the "split ring" from the "clevis pin" and push the pin out of the "cable yoke". This releases it from the "tiller Plate"
Now remove the "cotter Pin" from the "cable yoke" which frees up the "wedgie". That is the little block that the cable is wrapped around. - Holding the two ends of the cable push the"wedgie" back out of the "cable yoke". Many times it is stuck, and you might have to drive it out by tapping it with a nail.
Once you have it free you either take up on the cable or back it off to adjust the toe pedal.
Once I have the cable where I think I want it, I put the wedgie back into the cable housing, but make sure the toe pedal is where I want it before putting the rest back together.
After much cursing your are now finished
If you don't understand any of this or have problems e-mail me with your phone number and I'll call you and walk you through it.
For what it is worth, I hate the Smart Track rudder system and after years of anguish have changed mine out to the old stand by with out toe pedals
Unfortunately, my wife like them so much I am still saddled with them !
Jack L
Thanks Jack
I will pass it on.
Size of feet
I had that installed in my first sea kayak, a CD Squall, before it left the lot because I already knew that I wanted a fixed foot brace. But with smaller feet, I have to admit the toe piece was not always the easiest to reach. It didn’t much matter because I found out over time I hated how the boat behaved with the rudder down anyway, paddled it more happily via other means for turning. But if I cared a lot about using the rudder I would probably have found a way to get a pad under my heel to get my size 6.5 feet higher.
There would have been no need…
to get your feet higher.
The whole foot brace unit could have been lowered
Jack L
Could have but didn’t realize
– Last Updated: Jun-06-16 9:45 AM EST –
And changing it would have meant new holes in a plastic kayak. We remembered to set the length well, but it was my first long boat and first experience with the system so I didn't think to have them drop the height as much as would probably have been perfect. I think they did bring it down a bit, but for a multitude of people the Squall would fit including smaller guys with bigger feet.
If someone has a used boat they will hit the same placement.
Though there is also the constant question of how much to customize a boat that you might later sell if you are smaller. I have backed off on that here and there and taken care of it with minicell for exactly that reason.
Thanks again
The guy from New Zealand thanks you. Apparently the rudder he has is not a Smart Track as he does not have the cool wedgie thing.