• Welcome to Jetboaters.net!

    We are delighted you have found your way to the best Jet Boaters Forum on the internet! Please consider Signing Up so that you can enjoy all the features and offers on the forum. We have members with boats from all the major manufacturers including Yamaha, Seadoo, Scarab and Chaparral. We don't email you SPAM, and the site is totally non-commercial. So what's to lose? IT IS FREE!

    Membership allows you to ask questions (no matter how mundane), meet up with other jet boaters, see full images (not just thumbnails), browse the member map and qualifies you for members only discounts offered by vendors who run specials for our members only! (It also gets rid of this banner!)

    free hit counter

Hard steering while under way

Chrisman

Active Member
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
30
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2004
Boat Model
SX
Boat Length
23
i bought a used boat 2004 sx230
It has the two bolt on rudders aftermarket i guess
I was wondering if I’d be better off removing them
Boat wheel turns easy when going slow but under way it’s almost like it’s locked straight
Is this common?
Should i remove those bolt ons?
 

Neutron

Jetboaters Admiral
Messages
3,268
Reaction score
5,434
Points
367
Location
New Bern, NC
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2016
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
24
Jet nozzles by themselves get harder to turn when high rpms are forcing the water though them. Jets skis suffer from same issues. Remember the water wants to go straight at a high force.

The fins can make it harder to turn as well. But dont expect it to be super easy without the fins.
 

DavisAR195

Jetboaters Lieutenant
Messages
685
Reaction score
707
Points
167
Location
Happy Valley, Or
Boat Make
MasterCraft
Year
2019
Boat Model
Other
Boat Length
22
i bought a used boat 2004 sx230
It has the two bolt on rudders aftermarket i guess
I was wondering if I’d be better off removing them
Boat wheel turns easy when going slow but under way it’s almost like it’s locked straight
Is this common?
Should i remove those bolt ons?
It's a balance, without the bolt on fins you lose the ability to make sharp turns and low speed steering but the added fins do create more drag when turning at high speeds.
 

Jameson Clark

Jetboaters Lieutenant
Messages
558
Reaction score
364
Points
162
Location
Laurens, SC
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2017
Boat Model
X
Boat Length
21
Can you post a picture of the fins? If they are from @Cobra Jet Steering LLC you may not have the add on fangs which make turning much easier.
 

Cobra Jet Steering LLC

Jetboaters Admiral
Vendor
Messages
5,846
Reaction score
5,331
Points
452
Location
Florida
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2021
Boat Model
Other
Boat Length
Other
Yes post some pictures, also check if the nozzles are lined up evenly.
Ironically I just returned from doing an install on a customers boat I believe it is a 2006 with original cables , I always check the steering cables for drag and found this boat to have a very bad cable on the drivers side and one starting to go bad on the passenger side, I immediately informed the boat owner so he is aware that his cables need replacing, he said he noticed it hard to turn the wheel when driving on plane so you may want to look at your cables also, if you can not turn the nozzles with your hands at the back of the boat and if you feel or even hear drag on either cable I say hear because one cable I just looked at was actually making strange dragging noises when I moved it. So if they are in need of replacing you may have found your problem.
 
Top