Hard steering to the left 2015 r20

[Casual152]

Today we took our new boat out for the first time and it steers very easily to the right, but when under way we have to hold the wheel turned left in order to go straight, and then it is very stiff and unresponsive to turn left. Can anyone give me any ideas? It will obviously be taken in for warranty, but we are out on vacation for a few more days and would like to use the boat.
Thanks in advance

[trace]

It's called chine lock, while trying to turn left, ease back on the throttle and it will release and turn easily left.

[WakerideN]

not so sure it would be chine lock... not sure that boat should encounter that given its a 2015 and that was the first time out. sounds more like steering cable alignment issue. might be worth taking a few minutes and see what your full range of rudder is on the trailer, one person turning, another seeing its doing what you think it should be.

[trace]

WakerideN,

Good point on things to check to make sure it's right. I know that my boat, 2015 Tige Z1 with 40-ish hours will occasionally get hard to turn left in the high 20's, back the throttle off a bit, the steering unloads and turns left easy peasy, no issues at slower speeds, my 2014 Z1 did it as well.

[WakerideN]

trace this a trip.. never had that on my 11 rz4, but **** it could very well be that. but I think given it was his first trip it might be worth looking at given it was that extreme.. then again maybe he was moving pretty fast..hahaha

[trace]

WakerideN,
LOL, it's just because your driving that tank of an RZ4....

[WakerideN]

WakerideN,
LOL, it's just because your driving that tank of an RZ4....

could very well be, but my tank throws a great surf and board wake!

[Casual152]

trace this a trip.. never had that on my 11 rz4, but **** it could very well be that. but I think given it was his first trip it might be worth looking at given it was that extreme.. then again maybe he was moving pretty fast..hahaha

It is doing it at all speeds, I will have to try putting it on the trailer and checking. I was hoping it was something easy, but that never happens. Haha...

[Dandy]

WakerideN,

Good point on things to check to make sure it's right. I know that my boat, 2015 Tige Z1 with 40-ish hours will occasionally get hard to turn left in the high 20's, back the throttle off a bit, the steering unloads and turns left easy peasy, no issues at slower speeds, my 2014 Z1 did it as well.

Trace - there seems to be something in the Z1 Hull ('13+) that tends to do this. I know that ours did, JMo has made mention of it and Z1Fan has beat up the Z1 because of it. I have not heard/read much on the other hulls with regards to this, so I am guessing it may be something different.

Best of luck to Casual hunting this down. My fingers are crossed for it being something quick and easy for you.

[trace]

Dandy,
I thought it might be chine lock based on Casual originally said it was happening while he was underway, I assumed that meant at speed. He clarified later that it was happening at all speeds which like you and WakerideN said indicates he's dealing with another issue. Can't agree more with everyone that I hope Casual figures it out and it's something simple.

[WakerideN]

curious to hear the results... I have been thinking about this.. makes me wonder if the cable is not defective.... then I think to myself.. maybe its as simple as a hose in the bilge in the way???

[Maurice Cashman]

I'm curious to hear what you find. I have a 2015 R20 with the VX and the boat doesn't respond as well to the left as the right. It's not to the point of having to hold the wheel to the left to go straight, but it is a notable difference. I'll do some of the troubleshooting mentioned here and see if I find anything as well.

[Casual152]

I'm curious to hear what you find. I have a 2015 R20 with the VX and the boat doesn't respond as well to the left as the right. It's not to the point of having to hold the wheel to the left to go straight, but it is a notable difference. I'll do some of the troubleshooting mentioned here and see if I find anything as well.

If you do find anything, please let me know. I looked down in the bilge and cannot see any source of binding or interference. I won't get a chance to check it on the trailer until tomorrow as we are docked in the water during our vacation. I will be scheduling an appointment with service hopefully as soon as we get back. I'm wondering if this is also affecting our surf wave on the starboard side. We can't seem to get it clean and get any push out of it.

[Ewok]

Does it do it at all TAPS settings? When you accelerate are and get on plane are you adjusting the TAPAS plate to trim for a good running attitude? The TAPS plate is just a trim tab that helps adjust the running attitude of the hull, and it can raise or lower the bow. I've seen another TO with a new Z1 that didn't touch his TAPS plate, and he was plowing his bow into the water and causing the boat to lean slightly right while on plane, his TAPS plate was set to 0.

Try this, set the TAPS plate to zero, get up on plane and slowly increase the TAPS plate to raise the bow. Do it in very short bursts and let the bow stabilize before increasing TAPS. When the bow starts to bob up and down, slowly decrease the TAPS until the bow stops bouncing and stabilizes, that is your optimum running attitude for that speed and load condition. If people move around or you increase or decrease speed you will have to adjust TAPS again to re-trim the boat to the optimum running attitude. Your dealer should have showed you how to operate the TAPS plate.

The TAPS plate is also used to "shape" the wake by adjusting the attitude of the boat. Bow high = TAPS high; Bow low = TAPS low. With a high TAPS setting you can make the wake a little bigger but it will tend to wash out earlier at slower speeds. If the wake is washing out try a lower TAPS setting, it should clean up the wave.

[Maurice Cashman]

I'll let you know as the boat is on the trailer in the garage currently. Tough to see much around the raptor. I'll say that we too have had trouble cleaning up the starboard side wave as well. Seems to be there but not clean. With a hole 8 hours on the boat you know we haven't been playing around to figure it out very much yet. I'm assuming from reading other posts I might be dealing with not having sufficient weight with the addition of the VX.