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Old     (RidingTheNW)      Join Date: Apr 2010       09-03-2012, 1:00 PM Reply   
My friends dad bought a 02 vlx. What's the best way to weight it? I'm not a fan of the wedge cause it makes the wake soft. I have to keep the stock tanks in the back too cause he doesn't want to pull them out. What should we add in the back and what else should we do to make the wake sick with out the wedge?
Old     (johnny_defacto)      Join Date: Sep 2006       09-03-2012, 2:05 PM Reply   
my buddy had the same boat, sick wake. Had 750's in the rear, no tanks, so put a couple 400's or 500's in there on top of your tanks. throw a 650 or 750 in the bow, then put another 750 in the walkway.

this is really close to how my buddy had his, no wedge, very big and fun.
Old     (joeshmoe)      Join Date: Jan 2003       09-03-2012, 3:16 PM Reply   
If your wedge makes the wake soft your probably going too slow, my wedge gives me an extra 2ft of pop and I wouldn't be riding malibu if it didn't have the wedge
Old     (RidingTheNW)      Join Date: Apr 2010       09-03-2012, 5:33 PM Reply   
The wedge seems to work great on boats after 05 and up but it seems like it makes that SV23 hull have a soft wake. I usually ride at 23-24 mph at 75-80ft depending on the boat. I usually ride a slammed 02 super air. I rode a Malibu echelon a lot that has the wedge and same hull as the 02 wakesetter. It was a direct drive though so I did 600 lbs on both sides of the motor box, 750lbs in the back and 500lbs in the nose at 24mph at 80ft. We didn't use the wedge cause it made the wake too soft. On the 99-04 vlx what's the best way to make the wake sick?
Old     (joeshmoe)      Join Date: Jan 2003       09-04-2012, 2:23 PM Reply   
" I usually ride a slammed 02 super air."
There's the problem,
Old     (beleza)      Join Date: Mar 2010       09-04-2012, 4:22 PM Reply   
I'm not a big fan of the wedge either. Throw 750s in the rear 750 in the bow and 500 or so in the front part of the walkway and you should get all the wake you need.
Old     (shawndoggy)      Join Date: Nov 2009       09-04-2012, 4:36 PM Reply   
Tell the friends dad how much storage he'll gain by removing the tanks. Then tell him if he doesn't like them removed that you'll put the hard tanks back in.
Old     (spencerwm)      Join Date: Feb 2009       09-05-2012, 9:45 AM Reply   
Use the Malibu Tank Buster Kit and remove those tanks. Replace them with 750's. Put a sac in the center locker and add the Integrated Bow Sac under the seats up front. You might need additional weight up in the mid ship or bow if you are going to fill those rear bags to capacity. With that hull sometimes the wedge is counter productive if you get it weighted down.
Old     (RidingTheNW)      Join Date: Apr 2010       09-05-2012, 11:08 AM Reply   
Thanks for all the great info everyone! We are going to take it out and play with it this weekend. I was thinking of adding 300lbs side sacs with the tanks in both lockers to get around 500lbs on each side... but from what everyone keeps saying it sounds like 750lbs is the magic number for the back on both sides of the engine. I've got a 600lbs sac to put in the bow and the boat has a center ballast sac. Anyone know how much the stock center sac holds and can a larger one fit in there?

Sounds like those rear tanks have gotta go! Does anyone have pics of the wake of this boat weighted properly?
Old     (liquidmx)      Join Date: Jun 2005       09-05-2012, 1:37 PM Reply   
I agree with what has been said 750's in the rear, AT LEAST 750 in the bow, 350 in the locker...plus a little lead and you are good to go These were all taken around 80 ft and approx 25.5 mph I think...maybe a little faster. The wake will get substantially bigger at slower speeds and shorter lines.
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Old     (twowake)      Join Date: Jun 2010       09-05-2012, 1:58 PM Reply   
Kyle,
I have had several vlx's and the way i have mine weighted now is the sickest wake i have had. I have 2-1100's in the rear, i have the hard tank in the middle but you can fit a 400lber in the locker, integrated bow in the front under the seats, 400lb sack in the front on the floor. I have another 400lb sack i will throw in the front if we have more than 4 people setting in the back. You will need a really good prop to load it like this but it is sick!!!
Old     (polarbill)      Join Date: Jun 2003       09-21-2012, 8:29 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by twowake View Post
Kyle,
I have had several vlx's and the way i have mine weighted now is the sickest wake i have had. I have 2-1100's in the rear, i have the hard tank in the middle but you can fit a 400lber in the locker, integrated bow in the front under the seats, 400lb sack in the front on the floor. I have another 400lb sack i will throw in the front if we have more than 4 people setting in the back. You will need a really good prop to load it like this but it is sick!!!
Hard tank in the front? I though those era VLX's only had the front ski locker bag. Did you add some sort of hard tank or something?

So what do you think you get in total ballast? 1500 in the front and 2000 in the rear?
Old     (liquidmx)      Join Date: Jun 2005       09-05-2012, 2:44 PM Reply   
Two, how do you even fit or fill 1100s in those rear lockers? As it is my 750s don't fill all the way due to locker space restrictions. Are they shaped to go underneath the seats or something?
Old     (twowake)      Join Date: Jun 2010       09-06-2012, 2:29 PM Reply   
NO. I have had 750's and they don't fill the whole area. I have installed braces to support the weight on the dividers by the motor. The 1100's fill the whole area! You cant fit a life jacket in there when its full. lol.My buddy has the same boat with the same setup with the exception of the rear. He has 750's and a 400 we lay in the floor and the wake is not as big as mine. It definitely makes a big difference.
I'm not sure why your 750's want fill up all the way. Mine did and my buddy's do. Did you take the tanks out?
Old     (liquidmx)      Join Date: Jun 2005       09-06-2012, 8:27 PM Reply   
Yup I have no tanks in the locker and the 750s fill the entire thing, to the point that my 5/8 plexiglas motor dividers get pushed off their tracks. However I can fit maybe two life jackets back there on top when they are full. Unless you have a 23 foot lsv I am baffled where you extra locker volume is. Even my locker dimensions are smaller than the dimensions of fly highs 750 bag. What year is your boat, mine is a 01.
Old     (twowake)      Join Date: Jun 2010       09-21-2012, 8:14 AM Reply   
We went out yesterday so i snapped some pics of the 1100's filled in the rear. As you can see they fill it completely.
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Old     (Nordicron)      Join Date: Aug 2011       09-21-2012, 8:46 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by twowake View Post
We went out yesterday so i snapped some pics of the 1100's filled in the rear. As you can see they fill it completely.
Those 1100's aren't even close to being full! I challenge you to do this. Fill your 1100 port bag in the locker. Take out your starboard bag and then take your external pump and fill the bag from your port bag to the bag you removed on the floor of the boat. I'm guessing it won't even be enough to fill a 750. You will be surprised.
Old     (twowake)      Join Date: Jun 2010       09-21-2012, 9:21 AM Reply   
Brett,
I believe you are pretty close on the weight. One of the guys i ride with started calling it the "BLUE MULE" because it kicks so hard. lol
I have a 04 VLX and it has the hard tank in the center. One of the guys that i ride with has a 04 just like mine but was manufactured earlier in the year. They are pretty much identical except his has the center bag. I guess they changed sometime that year.


Ron,
I had the 750's before i installed the 1100's. There is a huge difference in the wake and the 750's would fill completely, still leaving space for life jackets,wet suits, etc . It is about volume and the 1100's take advantage of all the space in the rear locker, You cant put a heater top in the locker when they are full!
I really don't understand how you think a bag that fills every inch of the compartment would not fill a bag that does not. That's like saying a 5 gallon bucket that only has 4 gallons in it would not fill a 3 gallon bucket. The math does not work!
I have had both and i as well as the crew i ride with notice a substantial difference with the bigger sacks. Just my experience. Thanks
Old     (shawndoggy)      Join Date: Nov 2009       09-21-2012, 9:51 AM Reply   
I think you guys are both right. A 750 on the floor will "plump up" when totally full in a way that it cannot in the back because of the confines of the locker. Similarly, the 1100 is taller than the 750, so when it's in the locker, it fills more vertically (toward the top of the locker), which I'll concur my 750s never filled as high as twowake's pics of his 1100s.

So even if the 1100s aren't "1100," they are heavier than a 750 in the same locker.
Old     (twowake)      Join Date: Jun 2010       09-21-2012, 12:09 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by shawndoggy View Post
I think you guys are both right. A 750 on the floor will "plump up" when totally full in a way that it cannot in the back because of the confines of the locker. Similarly, the 1100 is taller than the 750, so when it's in the locker, it fills more vertically (toward the top of the locker), which I'll concur my 750s never filled as high as twowake's pics of his 1100s.

So even if the 1100s aren't "1100," they are heavier than a 750 in the same locker.
That was my point exactly. Thank you
Old     (durty_curt)      Join Date: Apr 2008       09-24-2012, 9:48 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by twowake View Post
That was my point exactly. Thank you
next time you go out, can you snap some pics of your reinforced engine divider?
Old     (nitrousbird)      Join Date: Sep 2008       09-21-2012, 10:41 AM Reply   
I have the same size locker ('01 Sunsetter VLX); even with the 750 bags 100% full there is additional room in the locker. I can store several life jackets on top and there is more room.

An 1100lb bag will obviously fit. Will it fill all the way - of course not. But I am betting you get at least 900lbs out of it, and more likely 1000. That's still a significant amount of additional weight over the 750's.

As for the SV23 hull not being good with the wedge, there are varying opinions and it depends on which SV23 hull. With the SV23 wake hull, some like the wedge, some don't. With the SV23 Diamond hull, I've yet to hear anyone say anything other than it is a must have.
Old     (nick_in_ssp)      Join Date: Aug 2006       09-21-2012, 11:04 AM Reply   
Sometimes I run the 750's in the lockers, 400 in the ski locker with nothing else. If you do that, the boat is almost to the point where it starts to porpose, (bow jumping up and down) but the wake gets about as vert as a malibu wake can get. When you start to add weight to the bow it gets bigger and starts going more to the rampy side of the spectrom. I usually add a 440 in the bow and that is a great wake.
Old     (Nordicron)      Join Date: Aug 2011       09-21-2012, 12:39 PM Reply   
Guess that was my point also. When you guys are talking about the 1100's is this with the hard tanks pulled or no? Because yes if hard tanks are pulled sure you gain some over just the 750's but I'll argue if it's 750's on top of hard tanks your gain is minimal because by your picks that bag is prob only 80% at most.
Old     (twowake)      Join Date: Jun 2010       09-21-2012, 12:57 PM Reply   
Im not really concerned with filling the sack but utilizing the entire space available. Of course my right knee is killing me today from going so big. lol
Old     (liquidmx)      Join Date: Jun 2005       09-21-2012, 2:25 PM Reply   
Thanks for the pics twowake; I was curious where you found space to actually fill a bag that big. Any pics of the wake and details (rope length, speed, etc)? I would like to compare since you said it made a noticeable difference.

In general I think we are all guilty of over-stating weights (myself included). In all honesty my 750 sacs probably fill to MAYBE 650-ish at best. There is no way twowake's sacs are 1100 or even a g each in that locker...having actually filled a G sack up...those things take up a LOT of room...like an entire interior 21ft boat area to be precise. Heck even my extra 750 completely full pushes on my driver's and passenger seats and doesnt fill all the way in the seating floor (lengthwise). I think the only "true" way to weight actual weight being run would be to put the boat on a scale and fill up the sacs with a hose...I think a lot of us would be surprised how much off we are from our estimates....probably 20-30% I imagine...at least, likely more.
Old     (jeff_mn)      Join Date: Jul 2009       09-25-2012, 8:41 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by liquidmx View Post
Thanks for the pics twowake; I was curious where you found space to actually fill a bag that big. Any pics of the wake and details (rope length, speed, etc)? I would like to compare since you said it made a noticeable difference.

In general I think we are all guilty of over-stating weights (myself included). In all honesty my 750 sacs probably fill to MAYBE 650-ish at best. There is no way twowake's sacs are 1100 or even a g each in that locker...having actually filled a G sack up...those things take up a LOT of room...like an entire interior 21ft boat area to be precise. Heck even my extra 750 completely full pushes on my driver's and passenger seats and doesnt fill all the way in the seating floor (lengthwise). I think the only "true" way to weight actual weight being run would be to put the boat on a scale and fill up the sacs with a hose...I think a lot of us would be surprised how much off we are from our estimates....probably 20-30% I imagine...at least, likely more.
You are probably right but who really cares at the EOD? Is the wake big and do you get booted? Do you like the size? Cool, enjoy riding it. It doesn't really matter if you have 2k or 2500 or 4500 - a nice/big wake is a nice/big wake. Just seems like semantics. The end result is a wake that is fun.
Old     (twowake)      Join Date: Jun 2010       09-25-2012, 7:36 AM Reply   
M,
I ride at 75' and 24.5 mph. checked with GPS. One of our crew rides at 70' and 24MPH and it is still clean. The sweet spots seems to be at 75 and 24.5 though.
Old     (twowake)      Join Date: Jun 2010       09-25-2012, 7:56 AM Reply   
Here is a pic of the brace i installed. It works really well. I haven't had my divider push out since i installed them.
The picture of the surf wave is the first time i ran the 1100's. It is a little more dialed in now. The guy in the pic is 5'11. There is 2 people in the boat.
The picture of the wakeboarding wake is with the 750's before i installed the 1100's running 24.5. I don't have a good one with the 1100's. I will take a few next time i go out.
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Old     (twowake)      Join Date: Jun 2010       09-25-2012, 9:29 AM Reply   
Exactly JD. I am not by any means in a contest to say i have the most weight or whatever. I just wanted to share the best way i have found to weight this hull to get the biggest bootieest (i know its not a real word) wake. Just want to help others enjoy there BU to the fullest.http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/image...es/biggrin.gif
Old     (liquidmx)      Join Date: Jun 2005       09-25-2012, 4:11 PM Reply   
J.D. I agree that it can be semantics unless you are trying to replicate something that someone else did with different bags, media's etc...then it becomes an issue since you cannot rely on the numbers. In addition, it becomes an issue when one person is running lead (true weight) and the other is running water (speculated weight). In this instance I am very curious in twowake's setup since I have not talked to many people (currently) running a decent amount of weight in this boat.

Twowake...what kind of prop are you running? I am just curious since mine seems to porpoise when I have my weight distributed in a similar fashion to yours and I am thinking that a more aggressive prop may be in order. I imagine you must be on that fine-line before porpoising which is probably ideal? Is that why you add that 400 in the bow with more than 4 people? Driving wise...do you just barely touch the bow's rubrail coming off plane and are the bottom of the D-cleats in the back just touching the waterline? Sorry for all the questions, I just wanna compare setups since I am constantly fiddling with mine.
Old     (durty_curt)      Join Date: Apr 2008       09-25-2012, 4:31 PM Reply   
I've been wanting to do something like that reinforcement you have done to your Bu. What is the floor bracket of the reinforced divider connected to?

(sorry to thread jack)
Old     (twowake)      Join Date: Jun 2010       09-26-2012, 6:04 AM Reply   
M,
I am running a ACME 1873 which is 141/2 X 12 X 150 cup. I have tried several others including the new 15" prop and this is the best one i have found for my boat.I have had it fully loaded with 9 people in the boat and it comes off plane"slow" but does it.
Yes, I add the front sack to overcome the porpoising when i have several people in the rear. I load the boat so that the front hook is barely above the water line and the back platform is just under the waterline.Keep in mind i have a 04 boat with the fiberglass platform, I have had older VLX's that the platform sets lower on. I try to load it so its just on the verge of porpoising. If its rough water i add a little more to the bow since The rough water will make it porpoise more.
Filling the back of the boat full of water is more of an issue than submerging the nose while coming off plane. I just feather it and turn right. No worries.
It took me a good 2 weeks of playing with the weight distribution to get it the way i wanted it.

DC,
I used uni strut for the support. Most of your home improvement stores carry it. The bottom bracket is just a L bracket that is made for the uni-strut. It is bolted to the boat with a screw in anchor.
Old     (durty_curt)      Join Date: Apr 2008       09-27-2012, 9:27 PM Reply   
Twowake, i purchased all the supplies to make the support brackets. Except the screw in anchors. What type exactly did you use?
Old     (twowake)      Join Date: Jun 2010       09-28-2012, 6:43 AM Reply   
This is what i used to attach the L bracket.
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Old     (durty_curt)      Join Date: Apr 2008       09-28-2012, 9:25 AM Reply   
Is that a 5/16 or 3/8 by 3 inches?
Old     (twowake)      Join Date: Jun 2010       09-28-2012, 9:53 AM Reply   
I think i used a 3/8 but you could go bigger. That is just what i had on hand.
Old     (durty_curt)      Join Date: Apr 2008       10-22-2012, 7:04 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by twowake View Post
I think i used a 3/8 but you could go bigger. That is just what i had on hand.
For anchoring the lower L bracket to the bottom of the boat, what is that you drilled through to hold it in place? Is it a stringer? Fiberglass or wood? Metal from the motor mount? Did you use silicone to secure it as well or just the screw. And has there been any problems of cracking, hull damage etc since you have done that?
Sorry about all the questions, its tough for me to screw straight down into my boat.
Old     (twowake)      Join Date: Jun 2010       10-22-2012, 11:17 AM Reply   
In my boat it looks like it is just fiberglass where they built the floor up to be level.
Old     (twowake)      Join Date: Jun 2010       10-10-2012, 12:22 PM Reply   
Here is a picture of my buddys VLX we rode behind yesterday evening.
Attached Images
 

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