Malibu wedge bolts broke off!

(duffy) · (duffy) **Join Date: Feb 2006** 05-05-2007, 4:59 PM

I saw the post on here a while ago about the bolt heads snapping off. Today I found one of mine snapped off, are there better bolts they can use so this will not happen again? By the way mine is an 06 and I thought this problem was on the older BU's.

(curtisco24) · (curtisco24) **Join Date: Dec 2005** 05-05-2007, 8:49 PM

I haven't heard of that on newer malibus. Are you running over 28 mph with the wedge down.

(rallyart) · (rallyart) **Join Date: Nov 2006** 05-05-2007, 9:07 PM

Yes, you can get stronger bolts. The bolt head has markings on it that indicates the grade and you can get amazingly strong bolts. Just not from WalMart.

(rallyart) · (rallyart) **Join Date: Nov 2006** 05-05-2007, 10:10 PM

Duffy, which bolt head snapped off?

(wake_upppp) · (wake_upppp) **Join Date: Nov 2003** 05-05-2007, 10:22 PM

Measure the bolts very carefully for correct length. The problem we found on a friends 02 VLX was that the bolts were a few thousandths too long and were bottoming out before they were fully seated...at least that was the case then. Of coarse Malibu denied this was the case and replaced it three times...we finally just stopped using it.

(cbrown) · (cbrown) **Join Date: Jan 2004** 05-06-2007, 12:24 AM

power wedge or standard wedge? if power malibu has been known to replace with the model that does not use bolts but rather the arms welded into the foil. If standard they will replace it under warranty if no obvious point of impact is visible.

(chaser) · (chaser) **Join Date: Sep 2006** 05-06-2007, 5:09 AM

do they use a certain grade bolt that is made to shear off in case you hit something? Instead of ripping the unit out of the fiberglass and doing some major damage?

(duffy) · (duffy) **Join Date: Feb 2006** 05-06-2007, 8:23 AM

I have a standard wedge and the bolt head that snapped off is 1 of 4 that hold the plate itself onto the arms. It's still under warranty so I will have the dealer take care of it. To answer Matt's question no I dont run the boat over 28mph with the wedge down. If you were to ask anyone who knows me, even my dealership, Im pretty anal when it comes to my stuff.

(awl) · (awl) **Join Date: Feb 2006** 05-06-2007, 9:01 AM

Be carefull with switching to a higher grade bolt. It may be by design that the bolts break at a certain strain level. Better to bolt back on the wedge, than have to fix a large hole in your hull.

(duffy) · (duffy) **Join Date: Feb 2006** 05-06-2007, 9:26 AM

Sometimes I think people try to answer questions on here just to rack up their posts. If you do not own a malibu with a standard wedge and have no Idea what your talking about please do not respond!

(wakeshoe) · (wakeshoe) **Join Date: Jun 2004** 05-06-2007, 9:27 AM

OK, this thread about an issue with a Malibu has gone on for almost 18 hours and I am absolutely amazed. Where are usual peabrains that jump in and say things like "my Sanger V215 never has the bolts break off on our wedge - its the best boat because it has wood in it and they don't use a chopper gun!!" Or, "if you bought an X1 you wouldn't even need a wedge because our wake is da bomb!!" Nothing...I can't believe it. Where is the entertainment???

(jpk) · (jpk) **Join Date: Sep 2005** 05-06-2007, 9:32 AM

The wedge foil detaching from one of the arms seems to be pretty common. Take it to the dealer and get it repaired or get it replaced. I've never had this problem, but a friend who has an older Bu with a dealer added wedge had the exact same thing happen last summer.

(duffy) · (duffy) **Join Date: Feb 2006** 05-06-2007, 10:00 AM

When I hear this is common I know Im in trouble. So I guess they will have to use more durable bolts in the wedge foil. I dont want to use it until its fixed because if the other bolt breaks the whole thing will probably bend and twist obviously.

(kevin_lsv23) · (kevin_lsv23) **Join Date: Oct 2006** 05-06-2007, 9:05 PM

On my 07 the plate is welded to the arms. If they give you a hard time about fixing it, you might ask them why they changed the design. That being said, something in the water probably hit the plate and popped the head off. If it was the just the force of the water the second bolt should have broke soon after the first.

(awl) · (awl) **Join Date: Feb 2006** 05-06-2007, 9:58 PM

Sometimes I think people try to answer questions on here just to rack up their posts. If you do not own a malibu with a standard wedge and have no Idea what your talking about please do not respond!

I don't own a malibu. I was just trying to help you out. I don't care about how many post I have. In fact, I usually don't reply unless I think I can help someone out.

(ktmwakeboarder)

WakeShoe- haha. Seriously though, I too am impressed with the abnormally high level of maturity here :-)

Way to go everyone! (hopefully I'm not jinxing it...)

(timmy) · (timmy) **Join Date: Jul 2001** 05-06-2007, 10:45 PM

I had bolts snap last fall but I am 95% sure it was from hitting a turtle.

(rallyart) · (rallyart) **Join Date: Nov 2006** 05-07-2007, 12:06 AM

The bolt snapped under a tension load. So the bolt was not strong enough for some reason, or overtightened on installation, or defective.
Over tightened? Probably not as the bolt will actually gain strength in the first part of overstressing.
Defective? There are always some.
Not strong enough? Why? Well, defective maybe, or too much speed so too much downforce (as mentioned above), or too much angle so too much downforce, or some turbulence factor which caused momentary loading (maybe on a tight corner but could be a turtle snapping)
Probably defective but you might want to check the others too.

caveat: I don't have a 'Bu, or a wedge, but I have broken lots of bolts for lots of reasons.

(srock) · (srock) **Join Date: Mar 2002** 05-07-2007, 6:24 AM

I have a 2001 wedge. Am I at risk for bolt failure?

(byrd) · (byrd) **Join Date: Dec 2005** 05-07-2007, 6:35 AM

I rode with Duffy on Saturday morning, and I know we didnt hit anything. And I believe that during the 3+ hrs of riding we only used the wedge for two sets, one for Duffy and one for me. IMO, if it was a shear issue, I would think two would have been sheared, not just one, but what do I know, I only own a 05 MC X-2, and my wake is the bomb... JK, Duffy, lol

(jpk) · (jpk) **Join Date: Sep 2005** 05-07-2007, 11:16 AM

Tim - Yes, it is a risk on the older wedges. Only time will tell if yours is one of the bad ones. This is the first report I've seen of it happening on an '06. Possible that it was a dealer add-on and they used old stock. The issue was something about the screws being glavanized instead of stainless steel or something like that. Check themalibucrew.com for more info.

(woreout) · (woreout) **Join Date: Aug 2006** 05-07-2007, 11:29 AM

Duffy, Duffy, Duffy...
I won't say a word, or a, I told you so, or a smarta$$ remark. This is real hard to do, I hope you know.

(etakk7) · (etakk7) **Join Date: Apr 2006** 05-07-2007, 1:58 PM

Billy, I saw "Malibu" and "broke" in the title and your name on the last posted list and had to look! I think you are losing your edge!

(woreout) · (woreout) **Join Date: Aug 2006** 05-08-2007, 5:46 AM

Duffy is a friend of mine so I had to take it easy on him. I'm not losing my edge, but it looks like Malibu owners are losing there Wedge.

(Message edited by woreout on May 08, 2007)

(byrd) · (byrd) **Join Date: Dec 2005** 05-08-2007, 6:34 AM

There's the Billy we all know and love, or maybe love to hate...

(big_ed_x2) · (big_ed_x2) **Join Date: Jul 2004** 05-08-2007, 11:50 AM

quote:
I'm not losing my edge, but it looks like Malibu owners are losing there Wedge.

funny and clever.....Niice!

(byrd) · (byrd) **Join Date: Dec 2005** 05-08-2007, 12:13 PM

If you think that is funny, Ed, you should have a few beers with him sometime...

(woreout) · (woreout) **Join Date: Aug 2006** 05-08-2007, 1:12 PM

You buying?

(pilot_ryder) · (pilot_ryder) **Join Date: Apr 2006** 05-08-2007, 4:51 PM

dont like them wedge holes
Upload

(05mobiuslsv) · (05mobiuslsv) **Join Date: Apr 2006** 05-08-2007, 4:57 PM

If he would have had the "magical" tapps plate, I mean trim tab, this surely wouldn't have happened.

(locwakeoutlawscom)

I have lost the bolts to a wedge as well, this was on an 03 and it was a known issue with some bad bolts. My dealer replaced them no questions as it sheared the bolts and ripped the foil around.

I would not use any bolts, I would not use any upgraded or stronger bolts. I would get the exact bolts Malibu provides to you to ensure you do not jeopardize your hull warranty by using after market equipment attaching your wedged attached to your transom.

(rallyart) · (rallyart) **Join Date: Nov 2006** 05-08-2007, 8:05 PM

Think Liquid ryder must be bored, or a board for such as useful post. Now we Albertans are going to get a bad name.

Liquid, show us a picture of a freighter that ran into something and didn't get damaged. Driver error has little to do with broken bolts.

(duffy) · (duffy) **Join Date: Feb 2006** 05-10-2007, 5:52 AM

The dealership has to replace the whole wedge. They will not just replace the bolt because its a liability. So this is an issue Malibu needs to address along with their leaking ballast system explained it my other post.

(pilot_ryder) · (pilot_ryder) **Join Date: Apr 2006** 05-13-2007, 4:34 PM

wow well how would "us albertans" get a bad name from a post of a picture, and i never said that this picture happened due to loose bolts, because it certainly did not