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Propeller for 06 VLX


gige

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Did a bunch of searches in regards to which prop best fits a 2006 VLX. Saw a lot of charts, but could not find the 06 VLX listed. Want to buy a spare and want to be sure I am getting the right one.

Read a few posts here about the spare prop box, which comes with the puller and wrenches, very nice idea and will definately buy one. You all are a really big help, and I greatly appreciate it! Youve made my new boat (sold my 1996 Malibu and bought an 06 VLX last month) experience that much better. So much so that I joined the malibu crew paid membership today!

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Did a bunch of searches in regards to which prop best fits a 2006 VLX. Saw a lot of charts, but could not find the 06 VLX listed. Want to buy a spare and want to be sure I am getting the right one.

It really depends on your needs and what you're planning on using the boat for when choosing which prop to run on these boats. The stock props that come from the factory are usually an all around prop that will give you some high end speed and a half decent hole shot. Props like the OJ 475 and Acme 1235 are considered your hardcore wake props, they'll get you a better hole shot with weight in the boat as well as a little better fuel consumption at boarding speeds, but you'll lose a couple mph off your top end speed. If you have a stock prop and are doing a lot of wakeboarding you may want to pick up one of the two mentioned above and then keep your current prop as a spare. OJ or Acme really comes down to preference, my dealer has run them all and likes OJ so I run the OJ 475. It really boils down to what your needs are though. Maybe let us know what you're planning on using the boat for the most.

Also, I see you are from Pittsburgh, I'm from the eastern half of the state, but if you're ever looking for people to ride with there are some good guys over at http://wakeboardpittsburgh.com/

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For the budget conscious, the OJ Fusion is the same pitch and diameter as the 475... essentially the same prop just finished by hand rather than machine. And if you wait for the paid members' group buy in the spring any of the aforementioned props can be had on the cheap(er).

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Ok, I get it, like which tire to run on my motorcycle, depends upon riding type and style.

Well, I just bought this boat, mostly my 10 year old daughter and her friends will be tubing, kneeboarding, and wakeboarding from it. I am approacing 50, so no wakboarding for me, still like to slalom ski occassionally. Had a 1996 Eschelon LX, but wanted something newer, so went with the v-drive because there is so much more room, without the motor being in the center of the interior, and liked the versatility. So the boat will be used for a variety of uses, not specifically wakeboarding, and not hardcore wakeboarding, at least until she improves. She started to snowboard a few years back, but is not an expert, so this made the transition easy and quick.

Hope this helps. Thanks again for the help!

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dang man, I'm approaching 40 and just learned to wakeboard last year... does that mean I've got less than 10 years of wakeboarding left?

Kidding. Have you considered whether you might want to surf with the boat? You've got a pretty good place to start with that rig.

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dang man, I'm approaching 40 and just learned to wakeboard last year... does that mean I've got less than 10 years of wakeboarding left?

Kidding. Have you considered whether you might want to surf with the boat? You've got a pretty good place to start with that rig.

One of my favorite people to watch ride is 65 and still ripping, mostly just w2w 180's and nothing huge, but oh so smooth...

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Ok, I get it, like which tire to run on my motorcycle, depends upon riding type and style.

Well, I just bought this boat, mostly my 10 year old daughter and her friends will be tubing, kneeboarding, and wakeboarding from it. I am approacing 50, so no wakboarding for me, still like to slalom ski occassionally. Had a 1996 Eschelon LX, but wanted something newer, so went with the v-drive because there is so much more room, without the motor being in the center of the interior, and liked the versatility. So the boat will be used for a variety of uses, not specifically wakeboarding, and not hardcore wakeboarding, at least until she improves. She started to snowboard a few years back, but is not an expert, so this made the transition easy and quick.

Hope this helps. Thanks again for the help!

Considering the age of your daughter you probably won't need ballast for a while and if you're tubing a skiing a bit yet the stock prop will probably be fine for you. Maybe someone else can chime in with some other options or correct me here, but I think the Acme 537 is the stock prop that came from the factory with your boat. If you think you might get into surfing and do a lot of that you may then want to consider something else. And just as a note, be careful surfing in PA, the law states you need a 20ft rope. My friends and I have been pinched for this at Raystown (surfing without a rope and they said we had to have a 20ft rope - probably could've argued or appealed it if we wanted but it wasn't worth the time or hassle). Never had any trouble on our local lake, but just giving you a heads up. Enjoy the boat.

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Based on how you use the boat the oversize "power props" probably aren't the right application for you, you don't need that much low end performance given the amount of ballast (weight, gear, crew) you're likely to run.

What percentage of the time are you wakeboarding, skiing, and cruising? What altitude to you use the boat at? Answer those questions so we have all of the info and we'll be able to give you a much better recommendation.

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Altitude of Pittsburgh at the rivers is about 700ft. 10m year old daughter wakeboards about 1/2 of the time we use the boat, also pull her and her friends on several different tubes and a knee board. I slalom ski occassionally. The boat top speed currently is upper 40's. This is with minumal occupants and no ballast.

Also have a pontoon boat for crusin, so if I am useing the Malibu I am pulling someone.

I was originally just looking for a spare prop, but now you all have me thinking I may be using the wrong prop, since we are not hardcore wakeboarders, simply beginners (but want to grow into this). I tend to overbuy in general. Second car is a 911 turbo, three loaded snap-on tool boxes in the garage, snow ski equipment is way over my head, etc, etc. But hey...my wife can have several hundred pairs of shoes, I am entitled to my toys too!

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Based on how you use the boat the stock prop (which is an ACME 537) probably makes the most sense. Because our boats don't have a transmission (at least most of them don't), we use props to adjust the gearing. Your Turbo probably has enough torque to get rolling from a stop in third gear, so this analogy should make sense. If you start in third gear your acceleration will be slower, but your top speed will be much higher than it would be in second or first. The factory prop is akin to 3rd gear on your Porsche, it gives you decent low speed acceleration and top end, for a well rounded experience. Malibu doesn't know how you're going to use the boat, so that's the prop they put on it.

When changing props most people with v-drives will upgrade for better performance at slower surfing and wakeboarding speeds. That's the equivalent of down shifting to 2nd (or even 1st in extreme cases) in your car; you'll have MUCH better acceleration, but your top speed will be limited.

Unless your adding more additional ballast (beyond the factory MLS system and Wedge), using the boat at higher altitudes, or both, then the 537 supplied from the factory probably has more than enough low end performance. You could always upgrade to a better low speed prop now and keep it for the future in case you get into surfing, or you daughter progresses to the point where you'll be adding extra ballast, but that's up to you.

Consult our Prop Finder for Malibu boats for general applications, or contact us if you want a custom analysis based on how you use the boat.

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