Steering hard

[DUKE]

I just went through a similar problem, when I tried to remove the steering rod it did not line up with the existing side wall hole that the cable and gas line run through. It missed the hole by about an inch, so I enlarged that hole and the rod was able to be pulled through the new larger hole straight out into the starboard rear hatch.
I then cleaned everything with Gunk carburetor cleaner and emory cloth, re-packed everything with White Lithium Grease, working fine now.