Lost speed with Lithiums in a Ranger?

[Ruddiger]

Howdy,

I was talking to my Ranger dealer the other day on an order and he shared that a recent customer installed lithium batteries and lost speed. While counter intuitive, it appears he lost ballast in the rear and it resulted in less bow lift and more drag.


Considering some boats are built for speed (520 series) and some for ride (522D & Fisherman series) I was wondering if anyone else has seen a similar phenomenon. Obviously propping could compensate for part of this but I also heard from another gentlemen that the lack of ballast in another lithium equipped boat made it a bit squirrelly in the rear.

I assume that Ranger designs these hulls so that there is a minimum amount of weight in key areas of the boat. Therefore, are some models better suited for standard batteries?

Take care,

Ruddiger

[howieranger]

I have never heard of a Ranger slowing down if it looses some weight, Low fuel (40 gallons weighs a lot more than the weight saved with Lithiums) no partner, empty live well etc.

[mikesxpress]

Ridiculous. Anytime you can shave weight out of these pigs they will run better and a slight bit faster.

Removed 33lbs of on-board battery charger (which is now on the wall in the barn) and 26lbs of 2 stroke oil tank/remote fill when the new V8 four stroke 250 went on my Z21 Intracoastal. Noticeable difference in hole shot and handling with a few mph increase in speed in the summer. If the lithium technology was a bit more advanced and economical I would yank those three group 31's out at 78lbs each and put the lithium's in and shed some more weight.

[fishing122]

With that much weight loss he should be considering a different prop too but loosing speed is a joke

[Angler103]

My boat gained MPH when I added a talon. Its a 118 with a 150 pro xs. My only thought is that I was able to get a touch more lift.

[DrewFlu33]

The set up that worked before isn't going to be the best anymore when you change the weight distribution. It's an extreme example, but you can't set up a motor for a Ranger then stick it on a Bullet with the same setup and expect the Bullet to run as well as it would if it were properly set up.

[Bronzeback]

I added dual 12ft talons on my 97 492vs and gained 5mph. Could never get the boat to lift the nose. The talon weight I can get some serious air now.

[Lou r Pitcher]

Both decrease in speed and the loss of handling" cases sound plausible.....significant change in C of G seems might adversely affect bow rise at/above cruise speed especially on Rangers with little bow rise like the Z series. Drag can have a big impact.

[Dh0ckey11]

New prop with more lift will help, or move crap to the back boxes instead of the front.

[berudd]

New prop with more lift will help, or move crap to the back boxes instead of the front.

Moving stuff is a great idea. If it does really need weight in the back, it helps that and this has the added advantage of taking it off the front as well.

[dean c]

If anything..stern lift should improve and the ass end of the boat should feel much looser. It did in my boat with lithiums. The guy will definitely have to find the set up that works with the reduced weight. My boat picked up 1 maybe 2 mph, but handling change is what I noticed the most.

[bassin70]

So if I gain weight my boat will get faster?

[Cnsickles1]

I lost probably 2 mph when I added lithium’s. Your setup changes to get the lift back. I had to lower my motor to get the lift back. Lower motor equals more drag which equals slower boat. I would have said bs to someone who told me I’d lose speed from less weight too but it’s true. My boat is 2008 z520 with a 250 G2

[Toadman]

I made the switch to lithium in 2015. My rig is a 2012 Z520 with 250 ProXS with Fury 25p. Replaced all 4 batteries with Smart Batteries. 26 pounds each. I gained hole shot with no difference in speed. I thought with the weight saving that it would be faster but it wasn't. The plus for me was I didn't lose any speed.

[bassmasterffej]

You have to adjust your set up accordingly. You may even have to redistribute the weight within your boat.

Does your boat run the same with a buddy as it does when you are by yourself? Typically, you lose 1-2 mph with a fishing buddy...

[Cnsickles1]

I’ve got an atlas hydro jackplate so I can adjust on the fly. I like the way it runs now because when the live wells are full and you’ve got a co-angler i don’t lose much at all. Believe it or not the hole shot is better than before. The G2 is known for the hole shot but lithium batteries makes it even better. I will say that if I put a 26 fury on it and my top speed returns but the hole shot suffers in comparison to the Raker HO. The Raker HO is the better all around prop for my setup.

[capt odie]

Weight and Balance
C / G
moved c/g forward by getting rid of battery weight
adjust your load
when I get ready to replace my 3 trolling batteries, i’m Thinking of pulling two batteries and go for a test run to see how the boat like it.

[flatsboy]

Howdy,

I was talking to my Ranger dealer the other day on an order and he shared that a recent customer installed lithium batteries and lost speed. While counter intuitive, it appears he lost ballast in the rear and it resulted in less bow lift and more drag.


Considering some boats are built for speed (520 series) and some for ride (522D & Fisherman series) I was wondering if anyone else has seen a similar phenomenon. Obviously propping could compensate for part of this but I also heard from another gentlemen that the lack of ballast in another lithium equipped boat made it a bit squirrelly in the rear.

I assume that Ranger designs these hulls so that there is a minimum amount of weight in key areas of the boat. Therefore, are some models better suited for standard batteries?

Take care,

Ruddiger

Maybe he should move some of the 500 lbs of plastic lures from the bow to the stern!