Rudder adjustment.... anyone know how adjust slack?

[SmoothWaterMan]

One interesting side note: The steering is pretty neutral. But if you doing 30+ mph and drop the throttle and let go af the wheel a bit, the boat wants to immediately dive to the left I have never experienced this on any of my BU's in the past.

Stewart,

You can adjust the trim tab to your likeing, but I would greatly encourage you to move the tab to at least neutral position, so that the slight pull is to the right. Having the tab out far enough to create a LEFT pull is different at best, and in my opinion not a wise one. I strongly urge you to only have pull to the right. (Other drivers that may get in your boat will also be expecting a right pull, not a left one.)

If this was happening on a boat prior to the adjustable trim tabs, we would grind (or replace if stainless) the rudder to ensure a pull to the right.

Peter

[SmoothWaterMan]

I've mentioned this before, but steering torque is a desired thing in an optimum ski boat. Tournament drivers used to grind the rudder heavily to create large amounts of torque (pull) to the right. This allows the driver to adjust the boat path with mere pressure on the wheel (left hand pulling down on left side), rather than actually moving the wheel. A slalom skier in particular needs a perfectly straight line for an optimum pass. And even those that are serious about 'boarding will appreciate a good line and turns at each end.

(The pull on the rudder takes all slack out of the connections - rack/pinion, cable, rudder connection, and provides the best feel at the wheel)

Now that more and more owners are out of the tournament slalom arena, Malibu has offered an easily trimmable rudder to allow a heavy or light pull on the wheel. This is really not to eliminate the pull, merely lighten it if desired, or add it for those that prefer the heavy pull.

Steering torque will vary with speed, and increase by multiples at high speed. (45+) A light pull at 30 may be a heavy pull at 40, so adjust it for your prefered or most used speeds. If all you are doing is wakeboarding you may need lots of trim, so that running the boat at 40 is a chore, but at 20 it works well. A barefooter will need much less tab, due to the running speed.

Peter.

Edited June 15, 2006 by SmoothWaterMan

[jshap]

I don't think it's a saftey thing. The last thing I'd want is to fall out of my boat and have it swing back at me doing 30mph.

LOL...good point. I'll move the trim over a bit more and see if it stops the dive...hopefully that will correct Stewart's problems as well. Thanks for the info guys.

John

[SGY]

on the rudder...uses a 3mm allen IIRC...loosen the set screw and move the tab to the left (port) side...tighten the allen screw

Edwin is correct. If your tab is moved to the right, you'll get more of a neutral tracking which causes the complained of drifting. Move the tab over to the left and the drifting should go away.

[WakeGirl]

One interesting side note: The steering is pretty neutral. But if you doing 30+ mph and drop the throttle and let go af the wheel a bit, the boat wants to immediately dive to the left I have never experienced this on any of my BU's in the past.

Stewart,

You can adjust the trim tab to your likeing, but I would greatly encourage you to move the tab to at least neutral position, so that the slight pull is to the right. Having the tab out far enough to create a LEFT pull is different at best, and in my opinion not a wise one. I strongly urge you to only have pull to the right. (Other drivers that may get in your boat will also be expecting a right pull, not a left one.)

If this was happening on a boat prior to the adjustable trim tabs, we would grind (or replace if stainless) the rudder to ensure a pull to the right.

Peter

Definitely agree. FWIW, our rudder came with the tab dead center, & it wandered all over the place like a pig (okay, I'm used to direct drives ). I tuned it out to the port side & it has some torque steer to the right, just like it should (IMO).

I've mentioned this before, but steering torque is a desired thing in an optimum ski boat. Tournament drivers used to grind the rudder heavily to create large amounts of torque (pull) to the right. This allows the driver to adjust the boat path with mere pressure on the wheel (left hand pulling down on left side), rather than actually moving the wheel. A slalom skier in particular needs a perfectly straight line for an optimum pass. And even those that are serious about 'boarding will appreciate a good line and turns at each end.

(The pull on the rudder takes all slack out of the connections - rack/pinion, cable, rudder connection, and provides the best feel at the wheel)

Now that more and more owners are out of the tournament slalom arena, Malibu has offered an easily trimmable rudder to allow a heavy or light pull on the wheel. This is really not to eliminate the pull, merely lighten it if desired, or add it for those that prefer the heavy pull.

Steering torque will vary with speed, and increase by multiples at high speed. (45+) A light pull at 30 may be a heavy pull at 40, so adjust it for your prefered or most used speeds. If all you are doing is wakeboarding you may need lots of trim, so that running the boat at 40 is a chore, but at 20 it works well. A barefooter will need much less tab, due to the running speed.

Peter.

Nicely explained Peter. Here's a question for you, if a person had a boat that didn't have a tuneable rudder on it & they felt that it had too much torque steer, which side would you grind to lessen the effect?

[stewart]

Thanks Peter and everyone else.

I will adjust the trim tab to more neutral/port position and see what happens this weekend. Its just weird, that I have 26 hours on it and only noticed the drifting last weekend..... but like I mentioned before there was a current so that could have just amplified things.

[GoldschlagerVT]

Thanks Peter and everyone else.

I will adjust the trim tab to more neutral/port position and see what happens this weekend. Its just weird, that I have 26 hours on it and only noticed the drifting last weekend..... but like I mentioned before there was a current so that could have just amplified things.

Stewart, If you were on a river with a current, that could have had more to do with it than just the rudder. That might help a little, but with the current, when the current hits rocks underwater, it does effect the flow of water a lot. So as your driving, and going over dead spots in the current, it will make your boat track from side to side.

[VinRLX]

Here's a question for you, if a person had a boat that didn't have a tuneable rudder on it & they felt that it had too much torque steer, which side would you grind to lessen the effect?

I wouldn't have opened this thread if I knew there was going to be a pop-quiz. I used to know the answer to this one, dang!

Ok, Peter, to add to Tracie's question, is adding tab to port the equivalent of grinding the aft-starboard edge? I've got to have some way to remember this in the winter when we play Malibu Maintenance

Minutiae.

[SmoothWaterMan]

Grind the right side for more right side pull.

Grind the left side for "more left side pull", which is really just less right side pull.

Grind the most at the aft point and down, and then a bit up.

To re-iderate (?), grind the left side to lessen the amount of steering torque on a non-tab boat.

-Steering pull - Torque steer - Pull - should all be considered to the right.

Add more tab to the right to lessen the amount of steering torque.

Add more tab to the left to increase the amount of steering torque.

[eubanks]

So now I'm confused!

So you want the tab sticking out to the right (starboard) side to get rid of the pull or make it lighter? So the boat will want to go to the right if the tab is in the middle? Me confused and my head is tired.

[gooddog]

So now I'm confused!

So you want the tab sticking out to the right (starboard) side to get rid of the pull or make it lighter? So the boat will want to go to the right if the tab is in the middle? Me confused and my head is tired.

You got it right. The torque is pushing on the port side of the rudder. With no trim its going to go right like is supposed to. Trim to starboard or shave the port side of a non trimmable rudder and it gets more neutral.

[SmoothWaterMan]

Exactly.

[stewart]

O.K. my rudder was trimmed off to the starboard side by about 1/4" from the factory. It had a slight right pull at high speed. Somewhat neutral at cruising speed, but if you let go of the wheel it would drift to the right. Hunted in flat water with current.

Then I moved it to the port side around 1/4" showing. Got a left pull, had to correct by steering right. Kind of a PITA. Didn't get a chance to try it in flat water and a current.

Then I moved to flush, no pull from either side, but if I let go of the wheel it would still drift to the right. At WOT still got a pull to the right. Hunted badly on the river, but there was a decent current and flat water.

On all three scenarios, at abrupt deceleration, if you didn't have a good grip of the wheel the boat would do a hard left turn.

I left the trim tab now slightly adjusted to port, but haven't had a chance to test it..... See picture below.

New Question: When I was checking to see if the tab was tight, I could actually still move it just a bit. Is this right? For example, in the picture below, I could still push the tab out to the port side a bit, but when I pressed on it, it would move back to where it was set. Not sure is this is a problem. I think the force of th water will keep it pressed in the location I set it. Anyone else notice this?

BTW, what is the hole at the stern of the rudder over the top of the trim tab. I assume that where a pin is pushed in to hold the trim tab... No adjustment or lock bolt there?

[gooddog]

On all three scenarios, at abrupt deceleration, if you didn't have a good grip of the wheel the boat would do a hard left turn.

This is really wierd...do other 247s do this?

[DQ]

Mine turns pretty hard to the left, all of this talk has confused the heck out of me, Mark, you can have a gander at mine at the WOW, feel free to do whatever you need to and also enlighten me o' great one of the Rudder. LOL

Grant

[gooddog]

[SmoothWaterMan]

Wow...I'm not sure this thread is helping or hurting.

All the boats should pull to the RIGHT. If it pulls to the left please adjust your trim tab to the left more.

Stewart, if the trim tab was LOOSE or moveable BY HAND, water will do the same thing. This could be the culprit to your hunting, or at least accent the issue. Something everyone should check on occasion to make sure it does not move by hand. Tighten top and bottom set screws.

Peter

[YZThump]

Grind the right side for more right side pull.

Grind the left side for "more left side pull", which is really just less right side pull.

Grind the most at the aft point and down, and then a bit up.

To re-iderate (?), grind the left side to lessen the amount of steering torque on a non-tab boat.

-Steering pull - Torque steer - Pull - should all be considered to the right.

Add more tab to the right to lessen the amount of steering torque.

Add more tab to the left to increase the amount of steering torque.

Except if you are in a Nautique, then reverse everything said.

[stewart]

Wow...I'm not sure this thread is helping or hurting.

All the boats should pull to the RIGHT. If it pulls to the left please adjust your trim tab to the left more.

Stewart, if the trim tab was LOOSE or moveable BY HAND, water will do the same thing. This could be the culprit to your hunting, or at least accent the issue. Something everyone should check on occasion to make sure it does not move by hand. Tighten top and bottom set screws.

Peter

Peter,

The top and bottom screws are tight, tight as can be, but the tab will still move if you push on it.....

that could be the issue. I will call the service center and get there input.

Thanks

[iagiansti]

to add some confusion to the matter my 06 VLX turns violently to the right when you let go of the steering like others have mentioned. I just spoke to my dealer and he told me to move the trim tab to the right to lesson the right hand pull. He said the water pushes on the tab helping to hold the rudder straight. He told me theres no way to entirely get rid of the pull but this should lesson it somewhat.

[eubanks]

Wow...I'm not sure this thread is helping or hurting.

All the boats should pull to the RIGHT. If it pulls to the left please adjust your trim tab to the left more.

Stewart, if the trim tab was LOOSE or moveable BY HAND, water will do the same thing. This could be the culprit to your hunting, or at least accent the issue. Something everyone should check on occasion to make sure it does not move by hand. Tighten top and bottom set screws.

Peter

Peter,

The top and bottom screws are tight, tight as can be, but the tab will still move if you push on it.....

that could be the issue. I will call the service center and get there input.

Thanks

Mine is the same way. I can move it back and forth with my hand.

[stewart]

Brought it in to the Service Center today.

They found the loose trim tab, but also noticed the rudder is bent

Malibu is going to warranty me a new rudder

[gooddog]

Who woulda known.

[SmoothWaterMan]

Glad to hear you found the issue.

...and while this was fun(?), 48 posts ago that call to the service center might have been a great place to start.

eubanks, you should be doing the same thing.

Peter.

[stewart]

Glad to hear you found the issue.

...and while this was fun(?), 48 posts ago that call to the service center might have been a great place to start.

eubanks, you should be doing the same thing.

Peter.

Actually, even when my boat comes back I may have to adjust the trim tab............ so it wasn't a complete waste of time.

thanks for your help Peter.