550sx Sponsons

[Reisser2005]

So I just bought a 550sx and am mainly a super jet person so I’m wondering what ride plate, rear sponsons, tubbies, and intake grates people like the most and help handling the most. Planning on racing this ski next season so any suggestions help. Planning on running 40:1 and 93 on the stock sx motor from what I have gathered.

 

[Reisser2005]

Also should I run BR8HS or BR8ES plugs

 

[WFO Speedracer]

Ask Myself about the tunnies he just completed a ski with the tubbies on it and he has a ski without them, he can tell you the difference.

Personally I have never put tubbies on anything and been disappointed in the handling, they always made it better.

 

[hornedogg79]

Pro watercraft performance front sponsons fit the 550 well. Really can't go wrong with their full handling package. Wax racing makes nice rear sponsons but I haven't tried them yet. I prefer the ocean pro ride plate with the v hole. Jet dynamics extra deep intake grate will provide the most grip with a stock pump. Also will brake the most when off the throttle. 40:1 is good. Use BR9EYA with a .022 gap. Your 30yr old electronics will thank you.

 

[E350]

Here's your drool thread:

Custom/Hybrid - Mini Monster

Does it flip

www.x-h2o.com

These are the waxracingproducts.com rear sponsons on the @Aquaholic (i.e., "Braap Doctor") 550sx. I also have @waxhead's rear sponsons on my FX-1, below, and they are fantastic.



I will eventually put @waxhead's rear sponsons on my 550sx too. I have @tom21 front sponsons for my FX-1 and my 550sx which I haven't installed yet. Based on my experience with the oem molded in front sponsons on my 2019 Super Jet I would expect a side to side but predictable wobble when riding straight at moderate speeds which will disappear as the place on the hull where the ski is planing moves backward (i.e., aftward) toward the rear at wide open throttle. Front sponsons are for turning. I expect that front sponsons should help the 550sx roll up easier out of a high speed turn by making the hull shape less round and more oval.

Post up photos of your ski.

 

[Reisser2005]

Pro watercraft performance front sponsons fit the 550 well. Really can't go wrong with their full handling package. Wax racing makes nice rear sponsons but I haven't tried them yet. I prefer the ocean pro ride plate with the v hole. Jet dynamics extra deep intake grate will provide the most grip with a stock pump. Also will brake the most when off the throttle. 40:1 is good. Use BR9EYA with a .022 gap. Your 30yr old electronics will thank you.

I have heard good things about the PWC tubbies and Wax racing rears. Curious to test the ocean pro and JD grate, any other competitors that I could try as well? Appreciate the recs

 

[Reisser2005]

Here's your drool thread:

Custom/Hybrid - Mini Monster

Does it flip

www.x-h2o.com

These are the waxracingproducts.com rear sponsons on the @Aquaholic (i.e., "Braap Doctor") 550sx. I also have @waxhead's rear sponsons on my FX-1, below, and they are fantastic.

View attachment 450756View attachment 450796

I will eventually put @waxhead's rear sponsons on my 550sx too. I have @tom21 front sponsons for my FX-1 and my 550sx which I haven't installed yet. Based on my experience with the oem molded in front sponsons on my 2019 Super Jet I would expect a side to side but predictable wobble when riding straight at moderate speeds which will disappear as the place on the hull where the ski is planing moves backward (i.e., aftward) toward the rear at wide open throttle. Front sponsons are for turning. I expect that front sponsons should help the 550sx roll up easier out of a high speed turn by making the hull shape less round and more oval.

Post up photos of your ski.

I have tubbies on my 16 superjet and they make a world of difference paired with the XL Wedge Rear Sponsons and I love both of them. That is why I wonder if I should try the Wax racing rears or stick with the XL PWC sponsons on both skis. Are there any 550 mods that I wouldn't know of with a superjet, like the hull reinforcements for one?

 

[E350]

Go to www.waxracingproducts.com and talk to wax or pm him here:

@waxhead

I have a Factory B Pipe and wax’s manifold and head pipe for the 2019 Super Jet which I may put on this weekend.

I also have wax’s intake manifold for dual SBN38 carbs to put on the 550sx.

 

[Big Kahuna]

Pro watercraft performance front sponsons fit the 550 well. Really can't go wrong with their full handling package. Wax racing makes nice rear sponsons but I haven't tried them yet. I prefer the ocean pro ride plate with the v hole. Jet dynamics extra deep intake grate will provide the most grip with a stock pump. Also will brake the most when off the throttle. 40:1 is good. Use BR9EYA with a .022 gap. Your 30yr old electronics will thank you.

I am with Jon here, The Ocean Pro Race plate was the best I ever used on a 550.

 

[fastgtfairlane]

My 550 had the ocean pro ride plate on it with a pjs top loader intake grate when I got it. I rode it for a season with it like that.. it porpoised really bad and no amount of weight forward helped. I ended up finding a "shredmaster" intake grate/ride plate combo "surf" version and ran that. That ride plate made significant difference in handling. No more porposing and the ski rode more flat. I ended up cutting the hull caps off the bottom, 3 inch wider tray and 1/4 Inch deeper chines. Also made my own tubbies to fit. A 3 inch shorter pole with a 650 turn plate goy the bars up for better center weight balance. Those combinations of things made my 550 handle more like a superjet. In really rough water, just forget it. Impossible to keep the hull in the water unless you're jeff Jacob's. I found my old build thread from my 550 days of learning to fiberglass and modify hulls. https://www.pwctoday.com/forum/gene...l-builds/216898-440-550-custom-build-part-iii

 

[hornedogg79]

My 550 had the ocean pro ride plate on it with a pjs top loader intake grate when I got it. I rode it for a season with it like that.. it porpoised really bad and no amount of weight forward helped. I ended up finding a "shredmaster" intake grate/ride plate combo "surf" version and ran that. That ride plate made significant difference in handling. No more porposing and the ski rode more flat. I ended up cutting the hull caps off the bottom, 3 inch wider tray and 1/4 Inch deeper chines. Also made my own tubbies to fit. A 3 inch shorter pole with a 650 turn plate goy the bars up for better center weight balance. Those combinations of things made my 550 handle more like a superjet. In really rough water, just forget it. Impossible to keep the hull in the water unless you're jeff Jacob's. I found my old build thread from my 550 days of learning to fiberglass and modify hulls. https://www.pwctoday.com/forum/gene...l-builds/216898-440-550-custom-build-part-iii

Weird setup, but it kinda makes sense because I know you . I used to have a shredmaster and I liked it for freeride. Everything changes when you start racing though. It's always really rough during a race. Especially when racing against superjets and SXRs.