hydraulic steering = chinewalk?!
06-06-2005, 07:30 AM
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hydraulic steering = chinewalk?!
See if you can figure this one out for me. I'm running a 22 foot Checkmate with a 496HO. I was running mid to high 70s, gps, with the stock steering system, and was experiencing no chine-walk whatsoever (except once in very calm water). That was with both three and four blade props.
Mostly for safety reasons, I installed dual ram full hydraulic steering to the helm. I went with XS Performance - REALLY well-built, especially the rams and wingplate, which Brian told me add maybe 35 pounds onto the drive.
The system works great - very precise steering, etc... problem is, I'm now experiencing chine-walk at WOT, where I had none before. I get it with the four blade as well as the three blade.
When the steering system was stock, the steering and the prop felt "loose" at WOT, and there was a trim point at which speeed would drop off quite noticeably. Now, I'm getting the walk as I approach top speed, then the speed maintains itself as I continue to trim, but the walk gets worse.
I'm wondering if the extra weight of the equipment on the drive is lowering my x-dimension a bit (relative to the water). I tried shifting some weight around in the boat, but that didn't help. Any ideas? Thanks in advance for any replies.
Mostly for safety reasons, I installed dual ram full hydraulic steering to the helm. I went with XS Performance - REALLY well-built, especially the rams and wingplate, which Brian told me add maybe 35 pounds onto the drive.
The system works great - very precise steering, etc... problem is, I'm now experiencing chine-walk at WOT, where I had none before. I get it with the four blade as well as the three blade.
When the steering system was stock, the steering and the prop felt "loose" at WOT, and there was a trim point at which speeed would drop off quite noticeably. Now, I'm getting the walk as I approach top speed, then the speed maintains itself as I continue to trim, but the walk gets worse.
I'm wondering if the extra weight of the equipment on the drive is lowering my x-dimension a bit (relative to the water). I tried shifting some weight around in the boat, but that didn't help. Any ideas? Thanks in advance for any replies.
06-06-2005, 11:56 AM
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Re: hydraulic steering = chinewalk?!
Could it be you simply were able to compensate for the walk with the old steering through practice? And now with a whole new steering system with a much different response you need to re-learn how to drive through it.
06-06-2005, 12:10 PM
#6
Re: hydraulic steering = chinewalk?!
That does seem odd. I don't see how the new hyd/steering would actually be causing the walk unless it's the added weight as you say. But I don't have hydo steering so no experience wiyh it.
I did have a bad walking problem that prop work helped, actuall cured. I sent my prop to Throttle Up, along with X dim/hull info, and engine tq. and hp numbers. TU labbed/worked the prop, and now the walk is completely gone. Plus I gained a little over 2 mph on gps.
Best WOT I've seen is 73 on gps so you're faster than me. But my 23 Nova is rock solid at all speeds after TU did the prop work.
I did have a bad walking problem that prop work helped, actuall cured. I sent my prop to Throttle Up, along with X dim/hull info, and engine tq. and hp numbers. TU labbed/worked the prop, and now the walk is completely gone. Plus I gained a little over 2 mph on gps.
Best WOT I've seen is 73 on gps so you're faster than me. But my 23 Nova is rock solid at all speeds after TU did the prop work.
06-06-2005, 12:36 PM
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Re: hydraulic steering = chinewalk?!
Nighthawk: That thought crossed my mind, but it is a totally different movement. This is classic, unmistakeable chine-walk, whereas the old WOT feel was just of looseness, nothing side-to-side. I'm convinced that it has something to do with more prop now being in the water than before. If I was subconsciously dealing with chine-walk before, maybe it's a bit like when my wife says "you're blowing too much on the boat" and I hear "you should buy a blower for the boat"...
06-06-2005, 05:44 PM
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Re: hydraulic steering = chinewalk?!
Bounced:
Like you, I just installed an XS full system, but only a single ram, on my little 22zx.
My old stock steering had lots of slop at the helm, but very little at the drive.
I too am having handling problems that are different than before. I really don't know if I have chine walking issues or not.
What I feel is the rear end moving from side to side, but it's hard to tell what the boat really looks like. It's hard to feel when you are driving with only one hand on the wheel.
The hydraulic steering sure feels different at speed!
BUT, I am tending to think that I am over correcting now! Every little movement of the helm now produces a movement at the drive, whereas before, all the slop in the helm didn't.
That's my thoughts! I hope to figure this thing out soon. I plan on planting my brother on a point with a camcorder recording some fast passes, one of these days.
I'm thinking our little boats might need huge tabs at these speeds...I don't have any tabs...
BTW: I am running 76-77's regularly with a best of 78.2 gps so far.
Bravo 1.5 gears, HP500, 28p stock Bravo, 5,100 rpm.
Please post what you figure out!
Take care,
Kent
PS: Hi Kid! Good to see ya over here!
Like you, I just installed an XS full system, but only a single ram, on my little 22zx.
My old stock steering had lots of slop at the helm, but very little at the drive.
I too am having handling problems that are different than before. I really don't know if I have chine walking issues or not.
What I feel is the rear end moving from side to side, but it's hard to tell what the boat really looks like. It's hard to feel when you are driving with only one hand on the wheel.
The hydraulic steering sure feels different at speed!
BUT, I am tending to think that I am over correcting now! Every little movement of the helm now produces a movement at the drive, whereas before, all the slop in the helm didn't.
That's my thoughts! I hope to figure this thing out soon. I plan on planting my brother on a point with a camcorder recording some fast passes, one of these days.
I'm thinking our little boats might need huge tabs at these speeds...I don't have any tabs...
BTW: I am running 76-77's regularly with a best of 78.2 gps so far.
Bravo 1.5 gears, HP500, 28p stock Bravo, 5,100 rpm.
Please post what you figure out!
Take care,
Kent
PS: Hi Kid! Good to see ya over here!
06-06-2005, 08:23 PM
#9
Re: hydraulic steering = chinewalk?!
Originally Posted by bouncedcheque
See if you can figure this one out for me. I'm running a 22 foot Checkmate with a 496HO. I was running mid to high 70s, gps, with the stock steering system, and was experiencing no chine-walk whatsoever (except once in very calm water). That was with both three and four blade props.
Mostly for safety reasons, I installed dual ram full hydraulic steering to the helm. I went with XS Performance - REALLY well-built, especially the rams and wingplate, which Brian told me add maybe 35 pounds onto the drive.
The system works great - very precise steering, etc... problem is, I'm now experiencing chine-walk at WOT, where I had none before. I get it with the four blade as well as the three blade.
When the steering system was stock, the steering and the prop felt "loose" at WOT, and there was a trim point at which speeed would drop off quite noticeably. Now, I'm getting the walk as I approach top speed, then the speed maintains itself as I continue to trim, but the walk gets worse.
I'm wondering if the extra weight of the equipment on the drive is lowering my x-dimension a bit (relative to the water). I tried shifting some weight around in the boat, but that didn't help. Any ideas? Thanks in advance for any replies.
Mostly for safety reasons, I installed dual ram full hydraulic steering to the helm. I went with XS Performance - REALLY well-built, especially the rams and wingplate, which Brian told me add maybe 35 pounds onto the drive.
The system works great - very precise steering, etc... problem is, I'm now experiencing chine-walk at WOT, where I had none before. I get it with the four blade as well as the three blade.
When the steering system was stock, the steering and the prop felt "loose" at WOT, and there was a trim point at which speeed would drop off quite noticeably. Now, I'm getting the walk as I approach top speed, then the speed maintains itself as I continue to trim, but the walk gets worse.
I'm wondering if the extra weight of the equipment on the drive is lowering my x-dimension a bit (relative to the water). I tried shifting some weight around in the boat, but that didn't help. Any ideas? Thanks in advance for any replies.
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