Boat pulls to the left! Normal??

blueplastic · Newbie Joined: 15 Mar 2004 Posts: 5 City: Orlando

A few weeks ago the propeller and strut on my 1999 Toyota Epic 22 were damaged because they were hit by something underwater. I think we might have beached the boat on shore too fast and the underwater mechanics got bent. We were getting a strong vibration that shook the entire hull from the back of the boat. My boat shop in Orlando has replaced the strut with a new one and realigned the propeller. The drive shaft checked out okay. Now the vibration is gone.

I test drove the boat today to make sure everything was alright before taking the boat home. Now the boat is pulling to the left. Is this normal?

Basically the boat drives like a car with bad alignment. When going from 0-15 mph, there's a strong pull to the left, about 20 degrees to the left. When going 21 mph, there's less of a pull, about 7 degrees. The service rep at the shop is telling me that this is normal and all ski boats pull a little.

Now when I pull a wakeboarder out of the water, I have to hold the steering crooked till the boat gets to 20 mph, then slightly straighten it out a bit.

I remember I used to have no pull on my Epic 22 before the repair. There might have been a tiny amount of pull one way, but it was unnoticeable unless I was going backwards.

Do you guys have a pull to the left on your boats? On my Epic, the pull is very noticable at under 15 mph, and goes away at about 35 mph.

What do you guys recommend I do?

Here's what my boat looks like:
http://www.pbase.com/blueplastic/toyota_epic_22

Tyler~Moore · Posted: Jun 04, 2004 5:07 pm Post subject:

If it is a ture ski boat i know they are designed to pull one way, im not sure if its left or right. you might want to ask your dealer tho...

onthewater · Posted: Jun 04, 2004 10:21 pm Post subject:

rudder shape determines pull, was that changed at all?

(yes ski boats pull under normal conditions)

MrBlean · Posted: Jun 05, 2004 5:39 am Post subject:

This is a guess but it sounds like bent tracking fins. The logic behind this thought is that the tracking fins have a variable effect depending on boat speed. At low speed, the shape of the hull has some impact on tracking as does the rudder. The fins also play a part. At higher speed, the hull dominates the tracking, the rudder has second strongest influence and the fins third.

You'll know that faster you go, the more effect your rudder has. So, if it was a bent rudder, the pull should get stronger with increasing speed (but the angle would stay the same). You say the angle changes so it can't be a rudder problem.

However, because the tracking fins are short (from bow to stern) as the boat goes faster their effect is less strong compared to that of the hull and the rudder so the pull they exert through misalignment is less noticeable.

Also plausible given your comment about fast beaching.

I think Tyler~Moore is confusing prop-walk (the pull effect in reverse) with the pull you are describing. Ski boats are designed to run in a straight line with no discernable pull in either direction so it sounds to me that something hasn't been spotted and fixed correctly. Especially as it's not different to what it was pre-damage. That says it all, really.

One final point, are you confusing steering wheel alignment with rudder alignment? Just as in a car, if the steering (rudder in the case of a boat) isn't perfectly aligned when the steering wheel is added, to drive straight will require the wheel to be turned to compensate. However, it should not "pull" in those circumstances as the alighment is correct, only the relationship between wheel and rudder incorrect.

Anyway, get the boat on the trailer and have a darn good look underneath - especially at the fins.

ncstateharvey · Newbie Joined: 05 Feb 2004 Posts: 48 City: Neenah

I agree w/ the last statement. Do you just have to drive w/ the steering wheel tilted to the left. If so it probably means that the steering wheel wasn't in the home position when they installed the new rudder. This happened to me and I just unbolted the steering wheel and rotated it a little to make it line up stright.

chaz28o · Posted: Jun 11, 2004 12:11 pm Post subject:

They do make the boats "load" which can also be described as "pulling" to one side or the other

This is done in two ways -

1) The rudder is not dead-center of the prop, but on one side or the other, by about a half inch

2) Shaving one side on the rudder

This is done so that you put "constant" pressure on the stering - the theory is that you hold against the pressure (load) and thus drive in a straighter line

When the rudder is "loaded" there's a tendency to wander to the right or left, depending on prop rotation

WaffleJam2250 · Criminal Joined: 29 Jun 2003 Posts: 81 City: Green Bay

I know every one and a while with our boat,(It has a 200 merc outboard) It feels like it will pull to one side. We just stop and turn it off and trim it up all the way and then lower it againand go. I dont know if it really did anything but it felt like it.