hey guys gotta 1998 javelin 400b with 200 venom and when i am cruising down the lake for some reason it can be hard to turn left. right is easy no matter what speed but turning left is a pain. the faster i go the worse it gets.. whats up??
-- btw side question.. any of you own a 1998 400b javelin?? or something close to it? need pics of dashboard controls. mine are rubbed off and i dont know what all the buttons do haha...
i have a 96 javelin 367a, and my owners brochures may have some pics of the console, i will check tonight for you.
maybe someone else can answer your questions before tonight, but if not then i will look and see what i can get from the brochure.
i do know that the hard steering issue in my last boat was the cables. but it was hard both ways. so sorry cant help for sure on this one.
2004 Triton TR186, 150hp Mercury XR6
thanks for looking up the pics... you can email them to me at mkgarrison5@aol.com.. that would be great thanks!
The hard steering issue you are seeing is because of the engine torque. The reason it is easy to turn right......the rotation of the prop constantly tries to turn your boat to the right. When you try to turn left, you are going against the natural pull of the prop, thus requiring increased effort to turn.
Now, with that being said, it shouldn't be impossible to turn right. You obviously have cable steering, because with hydraulic steering, the torque is basically unrecognizeable. Engine height can have a tremendous affect on the amount of torque you are feeling. Measure your propshaft height. If it's not there, set it at 3 1/2" below the pad. This is a good starting point for your boat. Move it up 1/4" if it is already at 3 1/2" below. You will find the sweet spot and when you do, the steering torque will be much less. It will not go away, but it will not be near as bad.
Another thing you can do to help with steering torque is to run a 4-blade prop. I've always had better luck performance wise with 3-blades, but a lot of people run the 4-blades because they are easier to drive.
One last thing, I don't think your steering cables are contributing to your problem unless this hard steering is also evident when idling and when the boat is out of the water. But, if those are still the original cables, you may want to look at investing the little bit of money it would take to replace them, and do it. Having a cable break while running the boat is not something you want to happen.
Jason Phillips
If they are old... and need replacing, it's be a gppd time to invest in a Seastar Hydraulic Steering system... it is a little pricey but you will be glad you did... it is a night and day difference...
Jose
thanks for the heads up on that! it steers fine when idling.. its when i am flyin down the lake it can be a real PIA... ill see happens... how do you lift your motor??or the bracket you are talking about?? ........ the cables are fine. we checked them
Does your boat have a jackplate? If so, you'll change the height by loosening a couple of bolts and wrenching on it a bit.
If you don't have a jackplate it is a much more involved job. You actually have to unbolt the motor. If you don't have a jackplate, I'd encourage you to invest a couple hundred dollars and get one.
Jason Phillips
ok idiot time....... what does a jackplate look like?? sorry guys first bassboat i ever owned. still learnin' !
thanks guys btw
there's alot of different ones out there, i am just using this as a picture.
http://www.alibaba.com/catalog....html
but you can check on different makers. Bobs is one of the most common.
2004 Triton TR186, 150hp Mercury XR6
Well, here's a question for you......When you're running down the lake are you trimming the motor up? You said you're new to boating, so just thought I'd ask.
If you aren't trimming up enough, you're plowwing through the water which can also create a lot of torque.
The jackplate goes between your motor and the transom of the boat. It sets the motor back and allows you to adjust it up and down. If you don't have one, the motor bracket will be mounted directly to your transom and there will be no way to adjust it.
Jason Phillips
yeah i trim the motor. i have had boats before just not a bass boat.. one other thing about triming. the guage on it doesnt read that well. one minute it will say its half way up and the next its quarter the way down.. the needle jumps constantly.. is this normal.. the only way i get a good reading is when i am running over 40 mph or more
The 'trim guage' should not be jumping around. The only one that should fluctuate would be the water pressure. You may need a new guage.
Jason Phillips
would it be the gauge itself (in dash gauge) or maybe a sensor or whatever attached to the back of the boat that reads the angle of the motor?
It shouldn't be anything at the engine causing the needle to bounce around on the trim gauge.
Jason Phillips
what the gauge does is when i start off and i know the motor is all the way down or close to it. as i go down the lake and lift the motor to trim out the needle wont move until i go up about half way and then the needle will bounce around the half way mark.. hope that made sense
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