FREE WHEELING

[HOOGE 0]

THIS IS A GREAT SITE, I CANT BELIEVE I JUST FOUND IT!! i HAVE A 2007 AVALANCHE C4, WHEN I LET GO OF THE WHEEL IT SPINS TO THE RIGHT. WHEN IM GOING STRAIT I HAVE TO HOLD IT TO THE LEFT A BIT. I WAS DRIVING MY BUDDIES TIGE AND IT GOES STRAIT HANDS ON OR OFF THE WHEEL. I TALKED TO MY DEALER ABOUT THIS AND THEY SAID ITS NORMAL, I SAID BULL pooh!! IS THIS HAPPENING WITH YOUR BOATS? WOULD A STERING DAMPNER HELP MAYBE?

[elc 2]

My old boat pulled to the right and my new boat pulls to the right. Someone else may know why this happens.

[duramat 462]

I belive it to be due to the prop rotating

[duramat 462]

Mine does as well

[Bigcatpt 408]

It actually is perfectly normal.....

 

Here is a quote from the Owners manual for Centurion inboard ski boats......

page 5 "handling characteristics" item #2 says....

 

Rudder Pull/Steering Slack - There are no steering systems that are totally free of slack. However, we have developed a "pre-loaded" steering system to minimize the slack in your Centurion steering system. Between 28 and 30 mph, you will notice that the boat will pull slightly to the right as the speed increases. This will give you the advantage of precise steering. Other boats with no preload will actually wander because of steering slack.

 

I believe this is something that came about from skiing the slalom course and the need for precise steering of the boat down the middle of the buoys. When you drove the course you just have to keep very light pressure on the wheel to the left side to keep the boat going very straight with little margin of error.

[Foiler 1]

Mine does this too, dealer said it was normal. Manual says it is normal. It doesn't really bother me but H20King on this site says his brother who owns a repair shop tunes the rudders to eleminate this.

[poosie 7]

Im pretty sure it is caused by the offset between the rudder and the prop. They are not directly lined up. The reason is that as the prop spins at a faster speed a vortex/void if you will forms directly behind the prop. The largest volume of water being moved is at the middle to outer most area of the prop. They want the highest volume of water hitting the rudder allowing easier steering. some props have a very small adjustable rudder built into the larger 1 to allow for fine tuning to eliminate the pulling to 1 side. it is usually to the left but depends on prop rotation. kind of like adjusting the skeg on an I/O.

[h20king 794]

It is not normal your rudder needs to be tuned stand behind your boat looking foreword which ever way your boat pulls you need to grind the opposite side of the rudder if you have the newer style rudder with the adjustable block in the rudder adjust the opposite way of the pull it might take a couple trys to get it right and yes my boat drives straight with hands off the wheel.the pull has nothing to do with prop rotation a rudder works like a plane wing tune your rudder

[zapisor 43]

It is not normal your rudder needs to be tuned stand behind your boat looking foreword which ever way your boat pulls you need to grind the opposite side of the rudder if you have the newer style rudder with the adjustable block in the rudder adjust the opposite way of the pull it might take a couple trys to get it right and yes my boat drives straight with hands off the wheel.the pull has nothing to do with prop rotation a rudder works like a plane wing tune your rudder

 

 

X2

 

Hopefully you have the adjustable version, there is a small set screw that locks the little block in place. move it very little at a time.

 

 

 

Edited March 16, 2010 by zapisor

[Troy 234]

Was the adjustable rudder an option? Our boat doesn't have it, but also I haven't notice it pull either.

[HOOGE 0]

THANKS FOR THE ADVICE I WILL TRY TO ADJUST THE RUDDER. UNFORTUNATLY I DONT HAVE THE ADJUSTABLE RUDDER, SO TWEEKING IT IS!!! WONT BE ABLE TO TRY IT OUT FOR ANOTHER FEW WEEKS OR SO, WE DONT HAVE THE LUXURY OF ALL YEAR BOATING UP HERE!! YOU GUYS ARE GREAT, THANKS FOR THE HELP.

[jaxcenturion 5]

On my last boat, pro start 190, i had the same thing...I went little by little ad used a metal file and filed down the rudder on the left side if i remember correctly and it fixed it...It took me 4-5 times because i did not want to do too much at once. It was the front edge..it has been a while but that is what i remember

[zapisor 43]

Was the adjustable rudder an option? Our boat doesn't have it, but also I haven't notice it pull either.

 

 

I don't know if it was an option or not, I think all Falcon's have the adjustable rudder, it might be a skiing thing.... Kevin Baugh, can you answer this?

[h20king 794]

to tune the rudder if not the adjustable style air sand or hand file the opposite side of the pull on the rudder on the edge that is closest to the back of the boat.Only do a little at a time it will probably take a couple times to get it right but you will be happy you did it once you are able to drive and let go of the wheel and the boat goes straight you will ask yourself why did I not do this sooner its an easy mod that will only cost you a little time

[islander033 2]

to tune the rudder if not the adjustable style air sand or hand file the opposite side of the pull on the rudder on the edge that is closest to the back of the boat.Only do a little at a time it will probably take a couple times to get it right but you will be happy you did it once you are able to drive and let go of the wheel and the boat goes straight you will ask yourself why did I not do this sooner its an easy mod that will only cost you a little time

So to try and clarify:

 

If your boat pulls to the right (starboard), then you would air sand or file the left (port) side, front (bow-ward) part of the rudder? And this treatment would be done evenly from the top to the bottom of the rudder?

[h20king 794]

If you are standing in back of the boat looking foreword you will evenly file or sand the edge closest to the back of the boat top to bottom opposite of the pull you just want to put a slight bevel on this edge only taking of a little at a time.so to clarify when in back of the boat looking foreword if the boat pulls right sand the left side closest to you and if it pulls left sand the right side

[Avy c4 surfer 0]

everyone i talked to said its a safety feature so youre forced to pay attention.

but the prop rotation does make some sense.

[islander033 2]

If you are standing in back of the boat looking foreword you will evenly file or sand the edge closest to the back of the boat to bottom opposite of the pull you just want to put a slight bevel on this edge only taking of a little at a time.

 

Sanding the left or right side of the rudder is as I thought.

 

So do you file the bow (front) side of the rudder or the stern (back) side of the rudder? "the edge closest to the back of the boat" is still not that clear to me.

[h20king 794]

stern side of the rudder(back side)

[islander033 2]

stern side of the rudder(back side)

Thanks dude!