Avalanche C4 wakeplate

C4Avalanchen · Outlaw Joined: 27 Aug 2005 Posts: 189 City: Reno

Can somebody tell me what exactly this plate does, and how it will fix a little washout I have on the port side when I'm running fully weighted. I can fill my rear tank on the port side, and keep the starboard side half full, and the port side wake will look good. However the starboard side wake will then washout a little. I can never get them both clean at the same time.[/list]

oshensurfer · Posted: Sep 07, 2005 7:00 am Post subject:

Do you have a manual plate or hydraulic. If you have a manual, you can tweak one side down further and this should help clean up your wake. It may not fully fix the issue, though.

Are you running weight in the front also or just stock? Throwing a 500lb sack up front will do wonders for that boat.

rskamar · Newbie Joined: 25 Jun 2005 Posts: 37

The plate's primary purpose AFAIK is to correct for porpoising. Putting a lot of weight in the back of a planing hull (such as in a V drive wake boat) moves the center of mass further back. As speed rises, wetted surface decreases, moving the center of "lift" aft. As center of lift and center of mass approach eachother to some critical degree, pitch instablility results (higer psi loading of remaining wetted surface probably also palys a role)--this is the essence of porpoising.
Moving the center of mass on a boat is difficult (unless you are using a flesh sac ballast system), moving the center of "lift" somewhat easier by forcing the bow down, increasing wetted surface. This is where your "wake" plate comes in to play. if you discover you are porpoising, move the plate down, the bow follows (same effect as adding weight forward in the boat)...
Some will move the plate up to change wake charcteistics, what they are doing is allowing more bow rise and and changing the running angle of the boat, which will change the character of the wake but this is really more of a side effect, not the originally intended purpose of the plate. Messing with the plate can make popoising , especially when ballasted more likely.
Conventional wisdom dictates leaving the plate at a neutral position then moving it down if porpoising becomes an issue.

grapic · Outlaw Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Posts: 192

I have an 05 Avalanche with a hydraulic wake plate. We leave it in the max-up position almost all of the time. I won't spend the money for a hydraulic plate on another avalanche. The wash on one side is probably due to weight imbalance. I have found this boat to be more sensitive to side to side balance than previous boats. It can/does get clean when balanced. I have also found that it is better with more weight in the rear and less up-front than most wake boats. I have some lead weights that we move side to side to balance weight.

C4Avalanchen · Outlaw Joined: 27 Aug 2005 Posts: 189 City: Reno

Thanks for your input guys. Oshensurfer, I have a manual wakeplate, and tweaking it up and down on the port side didn't help. Also, where would I put a five hundred pound fat sac up front, from the fact that there is a built in ice chest and two steps leading to a small bow filler section. I also have stock center ballast, (250lbs).RSKamar, your comment was right on par with the rep at fineline, in that it is a porpoising plate but also a wakeplate. The rep also said to keep it up for wakeboarding, and put it back down if speeding across the lake is needed. Grapic, I will try to balance out my C4 as best as I can and see if this helps. Any one going to Bullards Bar Sept 23,24,25.

grapic · Outlaw Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Posts: 192

Move enough weight to the starboard side to force it to wash out on the starboard side and then move small amounts back to the center or port side to balance. It may be a little more senistive but it is a great wake when set-up properly.

C4Avalanchen · Outlaw Joined: 27 Aug 2005 Posts: 189 City: Reno

Grapic, do you have a C4. Cause your boat in your profile is exactly like mine color-wise.

Centrider · Outlaw Joined: 21 Mar 2005 Posts: 232

Hey guys, i have an Elite C4 (manual plate too) and i am finding that my passanger side is almost always washy. However, i did notice that when i have 3-4 people sitting on that side and only me driving, the wake start to clean a bit on that side but then the driver side starts washing out, this is with only the stock 260# center ballast. Any of you experinse this? It seems like i cant get both sides really clean at once.

rskamar · Newbie Joined: 25 Jun 2005 Posts: 37

I don't worry about getting it perfect. I shoot for darn close, when my rider begins their cut the extra torque on their target side firms the wake up for them in time for their trick.

Failing that.. "just shut up and ride" seems to work also.

Not that that is going to satisfy the hardcore web-boarder... Wink

grapic · Outlaw Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Posts: 192

Yes I have an avalanche. You can get the wake clean on both sides. As I said earlier it is more sensitive than some but is a very solid pro-quality wake when balanced.

Here are a couple pics, Rider with 80ft rope at 24mph

Jared A. · Newbie Joined: 02 Jun 2005 Posts: 31 City: san jose

i have an 05 avalanche (not a c4) and the port side is ALWAYS washed out no matter what!

grapic · Outlaw Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Posts: 192

Jared- you have to get more weight on the port side. Put so much on that side that it washes out and then move a little back to starboard. I know it can be done because we have done it.

dmkhnr · Criminal Joined: 14 Jun 2004 Posts: 89

This problem isn't boat specific, most comp boats list to one side while under power causing a washy wake. The reason is the prop spins, and the torque will cause the boat to lean. In your case, and my case also its the port side that is washy. There are a few things you can do, as describe above. Its just the task of getting the boat balanced. Usually you can get it so the wake is a little washy while the rider is out on the stbd side, when rider comes across to port side, his tension against the boat will be enough to clean that wake up. If its not, start draining the stbd tank off while pulling, and it will eventually clean up. You can have the seating arrangment moved, so there are more bodies on the port side, put a waterbed tube in the port side back hatch. Experiment, you'll get it.
DK

Jared A. · Newbie Joined: 02 Jun 2005 Posts: 31 City: san jose

rskamar · Newbie Joined: 25 Jun 2005 Posts: 37

elyse · Posted: Sep 11, 2005 2:29 pm Post subject:

grapic, WOW that is a nice wake!