Mirage drive cable snapped

I got a new i14T last month. The boat is phenomenal and we've been making quite a few weekend trips with it. However, yesterday, surprising one of the cables in a mirage drive snapped (see picture).



I didn't feel like I was forcing the drive in any way. Has anyone else have similar problems? If so, did you have to replace that entire part cable chain with a new one from Hobie? Also, could I be doing something wrong to cause the cable to snap in just one month of use?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Probably a defect.

Contact your dealer.

Kayaking Bob

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Hobie Island Sailing since 2006

Sorry to hear this.
That is the new V2 version. I thought that was to eliminate the cable problem. I was thinking on upgrading my drives but maybe I will wait to see how this plays out.

Like reconlon said, contact your dealer. Hobie is very good about customer service & warranty.

Bruce

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Everything before 60 is just a rehearsal!

After a couple of times out and reading RR post on the drive. I felt that my cables were too tight. I readjusted as per the post and to my surprise it made a world of difference. I am in a Pro Angler with the V2 in saltwater 100% of the time. Heavy boat and rough conditions. I haven't had cable problems nor seen any premature wear.

Like above i would contact you dealer. It could very well be a defect.

Pesan, welcome to the forum. I'm sure your broken cable was just an odd defect, nothing you did would have caused or prevented it. If you have to wait for a replacement, you can probably just remove the cable and continue to use the Drive on a temporary basis though it may not operate quite as smoothly.

Bruce, I think the biggest improvement with the current drums and chain/cables is the drums themselves. They add a lot of stability to the drum - pedal crank interface and have greatly reduced the potential for skipping out of the selected pedal position. They also have glass-filled nylon for greater strength and extended wear on the the drum shaft. The main improvement relating to the cables that they no longer have to flex at the swedge, so the reliability of this joint has improved. The third advantage is slotted cable holes in the drums which make cable adjustments much easier. The one disadvantage of the this arrangement is the tendency for the Nyloc adjusting nuts to loosen up after a couple of adjustments, so the use of Loctite Blue (or new nuts) is recommended to keep everything in place. IMO, the best time to consider an upgrade is if and when your old style drums cause any problems. I don't think Pesan's cable break is related to the new design.

Another suggestion is a double nut. If there are enought threads add a second nut, tightening the second nut to the first one using 2 wrenches - one for each nut. Old mechanics trick for keeping nuts in place.

Thanks Roadrunner

That is what I was hopping to hear. I have replaced two drums on the 07 drive so far. Next time I will upgrade my 2 drives to the V2.
As Murphy's law says, it will only break at the most inconvenient time.

Bruce

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Everything before 60 is just a rehearsal!

Thanks all for your suggestions and warm welcome!
I just came back from a trip and the new cable I requested from the dealer was here waiting for me.

Looking forward to going out this coming weekend.

Best,
-Pesan

I have an i12 2008. The same break happened to me in the same place. Hobie covered it under the warranty , however I am concerned that this could happen when I need the really drive.

If this concerns you than you should be acquainted with how to use your Drive in various states of disrepair (including cable failure). Most users underestimate the ultimate utility of the Mirage Drive -- it's almost impossible to disable completely.

Here's a link on what to do for various possible broken parts:
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=8240&p=40489#p40489