Simrad Autopilot Drive Units
Simrad Autopilot Drive Units
Simrad delivers powerboat-focused navigation, radar and sonar built for serious offshore use. This is the Simrad autopilot drive units range: the drives that turn the rudder under autopilot control.
Browse the full Simrad range or Autopilot Drive Units from every brand.
Extended warranty, up to 5 years. Manufacturer-backed cover on eligible B&G, Simrad, Lowrance and Navico equipment, from an authorised UK dealer.
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Sizing a Simrad drive for your rudder
An autopilot drive unit has to suit both the type of steering fitted and the size of boat it is turning, so the starting point is always the existing steering system rather than the autopilot brand. Hydraulic steering needs a hydraulic pump sized to the volume of the existing ram, while mechanical, cable or rack and pinion, steering needs a linear or rotary drive rated for the torque the rudder actually needs to move it under load at speed.
Undersizing a drive is the most common mistake: a pump or drive rated for a lighter boat may hold a straight course in calm water but struggle to correct quickly enough in a following sea or at higher speed, when steering load increases significantly. Check displacement and steering type against the drive's rated range rather than assuming a boat of similar length will need the same unit, since hull form and steering ratio both affect the load the drive has to overcome.
