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Pullin' to the right?


UofK fanatic

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We have a 2002 Wakesetter VLX that turns to the right extremely hard if you don't hold on to steering wheel tightly. I was told that rudder has adjustable fin on it but ours does not? Boat pulls with or without anyone behind the boat. We purchased the boat last Feb. and have now discovered that the bottom of the boat was damaged but do not know to what extent.

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It's very unlikely that the damage to the hull is causing the pull. It is a 'normal' thing for these boats to pull to the right if you let go of the steering wheel. The way the boat is set up, the pull is there because the rudder is 'loaded' at speed, to increase control while running a course. If the rudder was 'neutral', you would have some 'wandering' at speeds around 30 MPH. Think of it as toe-in in terms of a cars alignment.

Edited by rts
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It's very unlikely that the damage to the hull is causing the pull. It is a 'normal' thing for these boats to pull to the right if you let go of the steering wheel. The way the boat is set up, the pull is there because the rudder is 'loaded' at speed, to increase control while running a course. If the rudder was 'neutral', you would have some 'wandering' at speeds around 30 MPH. Think of it as toe-in in terms of a cars alignment.

It is more like a turn instead of a pull. Like for instance this past summer my wife was driving and she had to let go completely of the steering wheel and it almost made a complete 90 degree turn

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It is more like a turn instead of a pull. Like for instance this past summer my wife was driving and she had to let go completely of the steering wheel and it almost made a complete 90 degree turn

That is typical of well set up inboards, as posted above it is by design. it should not require much effort to hold the steering wheel straight though

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It doesn't sound like anything unusual to me either. As the others said, this is by design. But you can adjust it to some degree too if it makes you uncomfortable. Google terms like "rudder tune inboard" or "grind rudder inboard" & you will find threads like this on various forums around the net.

Keep in mind that it is unsafe to be letting go of the wheel of these boat while underway. The faster your going & the bigger the wave you hit, the worse the boat can be thrown..... in a heartbeat.

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It doesn't sound like anything unusual to me either. As the others said, this is by design. But you can adjust it to some degree too if it makes you uncomfortable. Google terms like "rudder tune inboard" or "grind rudder inboard" & you will find threads like this on various forums around the net.

Keep in mind that it is unsafe to be letting go of the wheel of these boat while underway. The faster your going & the bigger the wave you hit, the worse the boat can be thrown..... in a heartbeat.

I love how the last pic in that thread is of the guy's rudder underwater! :lol: That dedication to tuning the boat on the water. Thumbup.gif

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And MB

Anything with a right hand rotation, they typically load the rudder on the right side instead of the left side on our Malibu's.

Rudder pull is normal and there are plenty of ways to get rid of it if you want. Rudder load is a good thing to have though, if you get the rudder too neutral. You will have a large dead spot in steering where the boat will not turn.

Pull to the right is much easier to manage than to the left. Driving with your hand on the throttle it is much easier to keep the steering wheel "down" instead of trying to lift up (if it were pulling to the left) That or I am just really use to our Malibu's.

-Paul

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Anything with a right hand rotation, they typically load the rudder on the right side instead of the left side on our Malibu's.

Rudder pull is normal and there are plenty of ways to get rid of it if you want. Rudder load is a good thing to have though, if you get the rudder too neutral. You will have a large dead spot in steering where the boat will not turn.

Pull to the right is much easier to manage than to the left. Driving with your hand on the throttle it is much easier to keep the steering wheel "down" instead of trying to lift up (if it were pulling to the left) That or I am just really use to our Malibu's.

-Paul

Hadn’t thought about the hand on throttle before with pull to the right or left but it makes sense. I can see where pulling to the left would get tiresome with having to pull up on the wheel. Besides, a left pull sound so, well, liberal. I guess that’s why so many Bu owners are conservatives. ;):lol:Biggrin.gif

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I have an 02 Sunsetter and replaced the steering cable last year. After that, it started pulling more than it used to. The guy who did the work ground down our rudder a little bit and it fixed it for the most part. There is still a little bit of a pull but not near as bad as it was.

If you're going to grind it down your self it is very, very little that needs to be taken off. Don't get down there and grind a ton off it just takes a very small amount. I don't remember which side of the rudder you grind down anyone have feedback?

good luck

rm

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  • 2 weeks later...

When we first got our inboard, the boats desire to turn right caused me concern (on our '92 F3 it is a bit speed dependent.. ..if we are on plane and let go the wheel.. ..after about 1 second the rudder starts tipping and by 1.5 seconds its really starting to turn...). My wife noticed this while helping our daughter while I was skiing.

Then thought about it and asked some others... OK, its just the force of the prop on the rudder.

After the first couple weekends of use, it hasn't ever bothered us again.

Weirdly, we do have a "deadband" if in a left turn and begin to correct back to the right... ...we rarely ever turn at speed (other than to follow the lake/river), so after being sure that all the steering hardware was AOK, it has never again crossed my mind.

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I had an inexperienced driver pull me skiing a long time ago behind an I/O. To get me up, the f-er put the throttle down without a tight grip on the wheel. As some will know, the wheel turns to full lock and won't turn back until you throttle down. Next thing you know, the boat's turning around and almost runs me over. prop missed me by 3 feet. that was one of the closest calls in my life.

so for those of you who don't know, the same will happen on inboards. whether at speed or just taking off, you've got to hold the wheel.

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I had an inexperienced driver pull me skiing a long time ago behind an I/O. To get me up, the f-er put the throttle down without a tight grip on the wheel. As some will know, the wheel turns to full lock and won't turn back until you throttle down. Next thing you know, the boat's turning around and almost runs me over. prop missed me by 3 feet. that was one of the closest calls in my life.

so for those of you who don't know, the same will happen on inboards. whether at speed or just taking off, you've got to hold the wheel.

Did you do a pulse check after that one??

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I had an inexperienced driver pull me skiing a long time ago behind an I/O. To get me up, the f-er put the throttle down without a tight grip on the wheel. As some will know, the wheel turns to full lock and won't turn back until you throttle down. Next thing you know, the boat's turning around and almost runs me over. prop missed me by 3 feet. that was one of the closest calls in my life.

so for those of you who don't know, the same will happen on inboards. whether at speed or just taking off, you've got to hold the wheel.

Thats what you get for skiing behind a I/O. Glad your ok. As a driver, I love prop steer in the course. Some of the guys I pull are hefty and good, without something to hold against I would zigzag down the course like I did with my bafefoot boat.

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As noted, a pull to the right is normal for this type of boat. You mentioned that the hull had been damaged, with that in mind I would certainly eliminate some potential issues, particularly since you mention that it pulls hard, rather than slightly. It may be fine, but I can't necessarily interpret what you think it "hard" vs. what is acceptable, so here goes (you might also get someone familiar with inboards to drive it and indicate whether its normal or not):

Check the alignment of the three fins to ensure they are not bent, warped or out of alignment. You should be able to do that with a straight edge. Look at the rudder and see if it appears to have been ground an additional amount by the former owner. Set the wheel in the position in which the boat tracks straight, go back and see what the position of the rudder is. It should be slightly offset to counter the prop rotation. I would also check to ensure that the hull (repaired area) is symmetrical. Ensure the chines are the same on both sides, make sure the strakes are the same and look at the hook on the transom make sure both sides are the same. Does the boat run level (side to side), that is another hint on the condition of the hull (or ballast).

Once you have confirmed that those items are all okay, then you can consider grinding on the rudder if you feel the amount of torque steer is more than what you want. As mentioned, it is common and desired to have some, particularly for short line slalom skiers running the course.

Good luck

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As noted, a pull to the right is normal for this type of boat. You mentioned that the hull had been damaged, with that in mind I would certainly eliminate some potential issues, particularly since you mention that it pulls hard, rather than slightly. It may be fine, but I can't necessarily interpret what you think it "hard" vs. what is acceptable, so here goes (you might also get someone familiar with inboards to drive it and indicate whether its normal or not):

Check the alignment of the three fins to ensure they are not bent, warped or out of alignment. You should be able to do that with a straight edge. Look at the rudder and see if it appears to have been ground an additional amount by the former owner. Set the wheel in the position in which the boat tracks straight, go back and see what the position of the rudder is. It should be slightly offset to counter the prop rotation. I would also check to ensure that the hull (repaired area) is symmetrical. Ensure the chines are the same on both sides, make sure the strakes are the same and look at the hook on the transom make sure both sides are the same. Does the boat run level (side to side), that is another hint on the condition of the hull (or ballast).

Once you have confirmed that those items are all okay, then you can consider grinding on the rudder if you feel the amount of torque steer is more than what you want. As mentioned, it is common and desired to have some, particularly for short line slalom skiers running the course.

Good luck

If you look carefully you'll see the center fin is not in the same plane. most are offset slightly

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