My XR is about 1/8" from swim patform fully up. XR's don't have tailer switch though, so don't know about limit. Mine was already setup.

If you unscrew the rear bench seat (eight floor phillups screws and a lag bolt on each upper corner) , unplug the speaker wires and slide it forward, working in the engine transum area becomes dramatically easier. Probably easier to move the seat than loose 10 pounds.

I carefully reshaped the ear on the Imco (Bravo drive) external steering bracket ear area that hits the swim platform at full up with a hand grinder and then had it powdercoated. I was very conservative with metal removal so as to not significantly weaken the bracket so there are still a few drive location angles that will rub the platform at full up but still 99% better.

I installed the steering and tabs while the engine was out. I know what you mean, climbing in the boat over the seat and under the hatch does get old. If you have some help it might be worth pulling the hatch. That alone makes in much more comfortable working back there.

My cap did hit the swim deck. I installed the factory merc trim ram spacers in the rams. This limits the rams extension. I also reset my trim limit switch to stop the ram before it contacts the swim deck. My drive will hit if it is turned first, then if I straighten it out with the steering wheel I can raise it some more for trailering. These boats sit so low on their trailers I wanted to be able to raise the skeg as much as possible from the road. So, now you can raise the drive with the switch on the throttle regardless of the drive angle and the limit switch will stop it before it hits then when it’s on the trailer I straighten out the steering wheel and raise it with the transom trailer switch till the ram spacers stop it. I have no chance of dinging my swim deck setup like this.

if you do external steering you have to move them out, If you look at my boat I had to move them

[IMG]http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/t...d/IMG00163.jpg[/IMG]

had to move my exhause out when i put hyd steering

Powdercoat777,

Not to be a killjoy... but IMCO makes a tight fit external steering system that would have probably fit inside your stock exhaust location. A picture of a 1/2 system in the tight fit configuration can be seen in post #7

Looks like you went to a lot of extra work.

Chris

Ya I deff should of done a lot more research before I started this whole mess.. I spoke with nordic today and they told me to put 12x17" trim tabs on.. but some people say 24, I think 18" should be more then plenty

A little late figuring this pic thing, but here's another example, though my pipes appear to be further out from the factory?
http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/7959/file0005v.jpg