steering on bass boat

[jackhammer]

When the outboard (Vmax 150) is trimmed all the way down the steering is very hard to turn. Once I'm on plane with the motor barely trimmed up the steering is ok. Why is the steering so hard to turn with the motor trimmed all the way down??? Any help apprciated.

[kydonky]

Trim is a critical part of steering control. The tork of the prop turning will make the boat pull hard to the right. Trimming the motor up will relieve a lot of this tork. To trim the boat out properly you need to power the boat to plane, Trim the motor up to the point just before cavitation (prop drawing air or comming out of the water). If you trim it up past cavitation, do not worry, just pull it down a little. Once properly trimmed steering will be easy and will respond quickly. Depending on your prop setup you may have to watch your rpm. Do not cruise over your operating limit. I don't know your 150 rmp range, but a 90 hp is 6000 max and a range of 5500 to 6000 cruising range.

Motors without power trim need to be trimmed manually to the best cruising angle. Trim tabs will also help.

The short answer is that it is normal for steering to be hard with trim down.

You need to use your trim for best steering, to improve speed, fuel economy, planing speed and amount of wake created.

[kydonky]

Trim is a critical part of steering control. The tork of the prop turning will make the boat pull hard to the right. Trimming the motor up will relieve a lot of this tork. To trim the boat out properly you need to power the boat to plane, Trim the motor up to the point just before cavitation (prop drawing air or comming out of the water). If you trim it up past cavitation, do not worry, just pull it down a little. Once properly trimmed steering will be easy and will respond quickly. Depending on your prop setup you may have to watch your rpm. Do not cruise over your operating limit. I don't know your 150 rmp range, but a 90 hp is 6000 max and a range of 5500 to 6000 cruising range.

Motors without power trim need to be trimmed manually to the best cruising angle. Trim tabs will also help.

The short answer is that it is normal for steering to be hard with trim down.

You need to use your trim for best steering, to improve speed, fuel economy, planing speed and amount of wake created.

P.S. Trim setting will affect your RPM. Trimming up will increase your RPM, trimming down will decrease RPM. A seperate issue is good prop selection for your boat. After planning you boat out with proper trim and easy steering, make sure your RPM are within the operating range at full throttle. If not you will need to reprop with a higher pitch to decrease RPM or a lower pitch to increase RPM. Your boat is probably pitched correctly, just letting you know this because this sounds like your first boat with power tilt and trim.

[Fishing04]

I just fixed the same problem, your cables may need to be changed. A good sign is if the steering is more difficult when cold and better when it warms up.

[RICHYD4U]

I know that my boat (not top-shelf by anymeans) is hard to steer when I'm on plane with the trim all the way down....however, I have to keep my trim all the way down, or I start to porpose. Wish I could trim up and save on some gas, but oh well.

-Rich

[floatman]

sounds like your cables the problem, they should turn fairly easy when stopped or at idle, there is a sweet spot when cable are worn my boat did the same thing, and was also hard to turn when trimmed out, my boat is a 93 Ranger with a 200 and since 93 I have put 2 sets of cables on it, and the last time it needed cables was in 07 and I think the price for 2 cables was around $600, and I talked to the boss lol and convinced her that for $400 more I could get hydraulic steering, and would never have to do it again, and its great I can go down the lake @5500rpm and take my hands off the wheel, it's really nice

jackhammer, if you have two cables like most bass boats with 150s or bigger one of the cables could be broke and you could be one cable, and if that is the case if you are on plain and that one breaks it could be bad, let us know how it turns out

Gary

[Shimano4Life]

I know that my boat (not top-shelf by anymeans) is hard to steer when I'm on plane with the trim all the way down....however, I have to keep my trim all the way down, or I start to porpose. Wish I could trim up and save on some gas, but oh well.

-Rich

Check your trim tab/sacrificial anode on the lower unit and adjust it to the 1 o'clock position.

[floatman]

I know that my boat (not top-shelf by anymeans) is hard to steer when I'm on plane with the trim all the way down....however, I have to keep my trim all the way down, or I start to porpose. Wish I could trim up and save on some gas, but oh well.

-Rich

yah rich some of the guys years ago that had Hydra Sports had a problem with purposing some of them put wedges on the rear corners to keep them from doing that, what kind of boat you got?

Gary

[lroberts]

I guess that there a lot of variables here....but, I don't understand why anyone would run the motor trimmed ALL the way down on plane. A little maybe, but all the way seems out of sorts. It hurts steering, speed, and gas mileage. I drive a Triton 21x2 with a Merc 250 Pro XS and NEVER run trim all the way down on plane. My suggestion is to raise the trim slowly as you approach plane, and the steering response should increase. I know not all boats are the same, but I can get on plane and raise the trim in less than five seconds...therefore steering is easier (more responsive), and quicker.

[floatman]

I guess that there a lot of variables here....but, I don't understand why anyone would run the motor trimmed ALL the way down on plane. A little maybe, but all the way seems out of sorts. It hurts steering, speed, and gas mileage. I drive a Triton 21x2 with a Merc 250 Pro XS and NEVER run trim all the way down on plane. My suggestion is to raise the trim slowly as you approach plane, and the steering response should increase. I know not all boats are the same, but I can get on plane and raise the trim in less than five seconds...therefore steering is easier (more responsive), and quicker.

Rich said he runs the trim all the way down because when He trims it up it start to purpose

Gary

[kydonky]

sounds like your cables the problem, they should turn fairly easy when stopped or at idle, there is a sweet spot when cable are worn my boat did the same thing, and was also hard to turn when trimmed out, my boat is a 93 Ranger with a 200 and since 93 I have put 2 sets of cables on it, and the last time it needed cables was in 07 and I think the price for 2 cables was around $600, and I talked to the boss lol and convinced her that for $400 more I could get hydraulic steering, and would never have to do it again, and its great I can go down the lake @5500rpm and take my hands off the wheel, it's really nice

jackhammer, if you have two cables like most bass boats with 150s or bigger one of the cables could be broke and you could be one cable, and if that is the case if you are on plain and that one breaks it could be bad, let us know how it turns out

Gary

I think that if he has good steering and response when he is trimmed out properly, the problems he is having is just the tork from the prop when trimmed down and that's pretty much normal. I would agree if its hard to steer in any trim position he probably has a more serious problem.

[lroberts]

Rich said he runs the trim all the way down because when He trims it up it start to purpose

Gary

By this does he mean what some people call Chine-Walking....where the back end starts to "fishtail" like a truck on slick roads??? I think maybe the spelling is off too....porpoise (like the animal???). Not being a smart @*#....just trying to figure out what you guys mean. Does it do this at low speeds on plane or just higher speeds? On the Triton I mentioned I can steer through chine-walking....which starts happening about 67-68 mph.