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Manual wedge to floating conversion


timelinex

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I've got a 2007 23LSV and I realized that my wedge is meant to lock into place at the bottom but the last owner just put some bolts into the locking area and now instead of locking it floats. I have no experience with other Malibu's so I've been riding like this for 2 years now and none the wiser until someone else pointed it out haha. 

Anyone have any feedback on this? Would it be better for wakeboarding to take out the last owners bolts and have it lock into place?

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I'm not sure how well it would work as is because the OEM floating wedge is more pitched (angle of foil) whereas the original locked wedge was more of a 90 degree (and screwed to the arms).    The floater gets pulled to the lowest point and stays there because of the pitch.  Interesting. 

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I'd use it as intended so you don't over stress the transom.  I mistakenly put my fixed wedge in floating mode, and it was so aggressive the boat could barely get on plane.  It put out a great wave, but not worth the risk IMO

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21 minutes ago, rugger said:

I'm not sure how well it would work as is because the OEM floating wedge is more pitched (angle of foil) whereas the original locked wedge was more of a 90 degree (and screwed to the arms).    The floater gets pulled to the lowest point and stays there because of the pitch.  Interesting. 

I've been reading in some places that the 07+ have OEM floating wedges that have the bolts there from factory. I'm a bit skeptical though because from my understanding the generation and hull change were AFTER the 07, so I would guess that's where they changed the wedge too.

How can I tell if mine is an OEM floating wedge or the one that is supposed to lock and he just put a bolt in?

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19 minutes ago, rugger said:

I'm not sure how well it would work as is because the OEM floating wedge is more pitched (angle of foil) whereas the original locked wedge was more of a 90 degree (and screwed to the arms).    The floater gets pulled to the lowest point and stays there because of the pitch.  Interesting. 

Rugger... Hmmm... I thought 2007 and up we are floating wedges... then I found your post stating the same thing... I think there was a mod that was done to limit how far down the floating wedge would go... In my experience the locking wedge on my Sunsetter will not work unless it is locked into position. 

 

1 minute ago, timelinex said:

I've been reading in some places that the 07+ have OEM floating wedges that have the bolts there from factory. I'm a bit skeptical though because from my understanding the generation and hull change were AFTER the 07, so I would guess that's where they changed the wedge too.

How can I tell if mine is an OEM floating wedge or the one that is supposed to lock and he just put a bolt in?

take a pic.. I could tell you in a second of looking at it..... Is it stainless or cast? Does the mounting bracket of Malibu logo etched out in it? Is the mounting bracket stainless or cast?

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7 minutes ago, kerpluxal said:

Rugger... Hmmm... I thought 2007 and up we are floating wedges... then I found your post stating the same thing... I think there was a mod that was done to limit how far down the floating wedge would go... In my experience the locking wedge on my Sunsetter will not work unless it is locked into position. 

 

take a pic.. I could tell you in a second of looking at it..... Is it stainless or cast? Does the mounting bracket of Malibu logo etched out in it? Is the mounting bracket stainless or cast?

Sorry for the crappy quality, but it's all I had on my phone. I had to zoom in on the wedge. I am fairly sure it is SS and not Cast.

 

wedge_zpsmhquiscm.jpg

Edited by timelinex
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Just now, timelinex said:

Sorry for the crappy quality, but it's all I had on my phone. I had to zoom in on the wedge.

 

wedge_zpsmhquiscm.jpg

that is a floater... I don't have a pic to show of locked wedge.. but yours is defiantly a floater.

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OK Great! It really does look like someone just put some bolts in the bottom holes to make it float haha.

I'm guessing there is no advantage to taking out those bolts so it locks down? Someone was telling me to take the bolt out for a better wave, thats why I ask. I am very skeptical of this though if it was like this from the factory....

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Problem solved!!!  yes, 07 it should have been a stainless wedge but you never know.   You're all good as is.

Yes, there are bolts at the bottom that stop if from going further down.  You can technically modify this by adding a higher bolt to get a more aggressive pitch.  I've done this a few times, but it's tough to dial in.   An easy way to give a slight change is to add large SS washers and a longer bolt in the same hole.   It'll stop the wedge just a tad higher.

8 minutes ago, timelinex said:

OK Great! It really does look like someone just put some bolts in the bottom holes to make it float haha.

I'm guessing there is no advantage to taking out those bolts so it locks down? Someone was telling me to take the bolt out for a better wave, thats why I ask. I am very skeptical of this though if it was like this from the factory....

no, don't remove them.  And all the way down is not a more aggressive wave.

Edited by rugger
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Most locking wedges were brass/aluminum alloy, there was an option for Stainless running gear that gave you a Stainless Wedge, rudder etc., and IIRC, the first Corvette boats came with Stainless running gear. The Foil was held to arms with 2 (early) or 3 screws (late). Two styles of wedge foils were available depending on Diamond or Wake hull. Diamond got the flat foil, Wake hull got the bent foil. The wedge was locked both up & down. Early locking wedges had a round bar that you had to pull out to move the wedge and reinsert to lock. Later wedges had spring loaded thumb pins that released the wedge from the locked position. 

"Floating" wedge (they actually don't float but seek their own position which was stopped against the lower stops) were Stainless and the foil was welded to the arms.They only locked in the "Stowed" position with two spring loaded thumb screws.

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