There are probably a number of locations that would work for your hull. The picture you posted shows them above the first set of lifting strakes - parallel to the planing bottom - and I'd bet that would work. Based on the 24' Bajas I've seen, I'd also bet that right out at the corners - above the outside chines - would work too. In fact I'd be really tempted to mount them there - and horizontally like Fountan now mounts them. Less drag with more control.

Probably the biggest hint I can give you is to mount them up about 1/4" on the transom from the planing bottom no matter where you mount them laterally. If you mount them too low, you'll loose speed whether they're up or down due to drag. Oh yea, and use lots of Life Caulk when you mount them too. Not sealing holes in a transom properly will ruin your boat in short order.

I looked at lots of pictures and talked to a number of folks who had mounted tabs on the same hull before selecting where I wanted to mount mine. I lost no speed and have all of the tab I need in any kind of water I'm silly enough to run in now.

Here is the the stock location of the Bennet tabs on my old '93 24 Outlaw. Outlawcowgirl now owns the boat and I'm pretty sure she now has 280 Kplanes on it.

I would mount them at least 1/2-3/4" above the bottom.

thanks, and you say horizontal... So just straight across but at the outside of the boat? seems like a cool idea.

Griff, How ya been? thanks for posting. and thank you for the pics! have you got any more pics of that outlaw? I see the pink (baja called it lipstick i think) around the transom. i think your old outlaw and mine may have had the same color scheme.

anyways, i was leaning tward mounting them like the stripped boat in the pic that you only see the whitness marks of having k planes. i want control. i am also talking to bob madera about a set of heads for my 509. hoping to make 600hp so i am trying to get my ducks in a row.

and to anyone else viewing this thread. i would be interested in k-plane switches, hydraulic lines , and circuitry. I can run my own circuits but if someone has the connections for the pump electrical and such i would also be interested in purchacing them.

Thank you to everyone so far, I am so glad to have all the replies. I just want to drill through the transom once ya know

Similar, but mine was only red black and gray.

Outlawcowgirl put a 525SC in it, added hyd steering, bigger tabs and lot more. She ran 79mph in the LOTO Shootout with a few years ago.

On a 24, the 280 tabs will be plenty even on the way outside. It won't take as much tab on a 24 OL as on a bigger boat. I had them on my 28 Pantera and have them on my 32 AT.
Here is a pic of them mounted on my 28 Pantera. Dropping them just a little makes a huge difference on both boats. They were mounted about 3/4" above the bottom and are the same on my 32 AT.

In between the red marks is about where I plan on putting mine.

If you don't have a swim platform, you could have somebody else drive and watch how the water breaks off the transom at speed, and see where the tabs would be most effective. Personally I want mine a little wider for running out on Erie when we have a funny wind.

Yes, Griff (as always) is correct in that you can mount your tabs even higher up the transom than I recommended. My recommendation was more of a minimum dimension. Don’t go any higher than he suggested though because you’ll start compromising the effectiveness of the tabs.

Remember one thing about K-Planes. The “fully retracted” angle is set at the factory by design. (So is the “fully down” position.) With most other tab designs, one can modify that angle through the placement of the upper cylinder mount relative to the actual tab hinge. Place the upper cylinder mount a bit further up the transom and your “fully up” position is further up – possibly lessening drag when you don’t need your tabs. (Again, where you mount them relative to the planning bottom affects this somewhat too.) On the flip side, when you do this, you also limit your “fully down” position, so be careful. I wanted to make sure mine were nowhere near the water when fully retracted, so my tabs are 3/8” up on the transom and the cylinders are a little farther up than the manufacturer recommended – but I’m perfectly happy.

As for mounted them parallel to the water, a number of manufacturers (Fountain being just one) now mount them this way. True, less of the tab actually comes in contact with the water at a given angle, but this also lessens drag. If I get a chance, I’ll try to snap a picture of the 33” Fountain we’ve got on the showroom floor with them mounted this way.

so, like c deezy modified in thaat pic... it seems like the pantera and the bennet setup had them riding/ending on that first notch in the bottom of the transom.

whats that notch called? the first chine?

It's actually the trailing edge of a Lifting Strake.

A notch in the transom is what Fountain (and others) use to help them raise the drive height (X-Dimension) to lessen drag. A notch is generally a short, cut out area right at the bottom of the transom / keel area in front of the drive.

The Chine is the area at the outer edges of the hull where the side of the hull and the planing bottom meet.

So, would the general consensus be that the inner edge of the k-planes should bmeet up with the lifting strake and be 3/4 of an inch from the bottom of the boat? would that be my best overall bet. good for planing, can lay one down if i got a couple fat chicks on one side and have them out of the way if im making a speed run?

that pic of the stripped boat has them over the lifting strake a little. not much but a couple inches. seems like that strake would make that portion of the tab not contact any water.