300/440/550 Why am I sliding so much?

[ger87410]

1987 js550. Westcoast ride plate and intake grate.

I was taking her on a bunch of sharp, quick turns and the butt was sliding out more then I like. She'd loose hook as bad as our '92 XP. It used to scare me, now it just annoys me. :saevil:

She has sponsons. Is there anything else I can do to make her hook-up more in turns?

 

[75monza]

What is your ride plate? If it is a smooth one it will slide more.

 

[ger87410]

What is your ride plate? If it is a smooth one it will slide more.

Westcoast.

Think I need a Mariner...

 

[MADMAT]

Get a JD concave?

 

[ger87410]

I wish I could find a pic of the bottom of these ride plates.

I'm looking for 1 with 'skags', or 'strakes', or 'lines', or whatever the heck they call 'em. So far the only plate I've seen with those is the Mariner and (maybe???) the stock.

I want to change my intake grate to a R&D SXR800 Stealth Aquavein or a Worx WR219. Both those grates have rails that extend below the pump cavity. That should help as well.

 

[afcblink]

I wish I could find a pic of the bottom of these ride plates.

I'm looking for 1 with 'skags', or 'strakes', or 'lines', or whatever the heck they call 'em. So far the only plate I've seen with those is the Mariner and (maybe???) the stock.

I want to change my intake grate to a R&D SXR800 Stealth Aquavein or a Worx WR219. Both those grates have rails that extend below the pump cavity. That should help as well.

Rend made some extended ride plates with removable skegs back in the day. I've seen a couple for 440/550 auctioned on eBay over the last couple of years. I picked up one for a WaveJammer last year and it was nicely made.

 

[cosander]

team butch made one

 

[Motorheads5]

I've got a oceanpro extended & finned and it still slides. all the js 550's are slippery

 

[ger87410]

I've got a oceanpro extended & finned and it still slides. all the js 550's are slippery

Hmmm...

Is just your ride plate 'finned', or both your ride plate and your intake grate?

 

[Super Dee]

I've got a oceanpro extended & finned and it still slides. all the js 550's are slippery

Absolutely right. A 550 will always have a loose back end in turns if you don't lean it over enough. The sponsons also have abolutely no effect in the hulls ability to carve a corner. I removed my sponsons from my 550 and liked the very subtle changes it made to handling. It made the hull more predictable in choppy water and doesn't affect the hulls ability to turn.

The key to turning a 550 is all in the leaning. If you don't lean enough it will always slide out. Some ride plates help a little, but in the end it's all about leaning. My favourite plate was always the Ocean Pro ride plate without the skegs that had a chevron cutout in the bottom. Unfortunately it ended up in the bottom of the lake when the hull inserts pulled out. :sad2: It's a great plate, but still doesn't keep the back end from sliding if you aren't leaned over.

This is one for sale on eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/JS-4...318QQhashZitem110275000769QQitemZ110275000769

This seller has them for sale every once in a while too:
http://stores.ebay.com/OCEAN-PRO-ENGINEERING-since-1977

 

[Flat Brapp]

Get a shreadmaster

 

[restosud]

take the sponsons off,keep the plate and leeeeeaaaannn in the turns.
a 440/550 is made for carving aggressively.
put some body english to it!

 

[ger87410]

I lean in to the turns. U gotta be careful not to lean too much or the pump intake comes outta the water.

I don't push down on the back in turns. Let me try doing that as well.

 

[Big Kahuna]

Absolutely right. A 550 will always have a loose back end in turns if you don't lean it over enough. The sponsons also have abolutely no effect in the hulls ability to carve a corner. I removed my sponsons from my 550 and liked the very subtle changes it made to handling. It made the hull more predictable in choppy water and doesn't affect the hulls ability to turn.

The key to turning a 550 is all in the leaning. If you don't lean enough it will always slide out. Some ride plates help a little, but in the end it's all about leaning. My favourite plate was always the Ocean Pro ride plate without the skegs that had a chevron cutout in the bottom. Unfortunately it ended up in the bottom of the lake when the hull inserts pulled out. :sad2: It's a great plate, but still doesn't keep the back end from sliding if you aren't leaned over.

This is one for sale on eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/JS-4...318QQhashZitem110275000769QQitemZ110275000769

This seller has them for sale every once in a while too:
http://stores.ebay.com/OCEAN-PRO-ENGINEERING-since-1977

That is the Race Plate, by far the best out there. Most are copies of each other. Westcoast (Butch's - made by westcoast), PJS, Mariner, they are all basically the same. the Schred master and JD are good also. But I would look for the OP Race Plate.

 

[SQUARE JOEL!!!]

Got a JD one here if anybody is interested........

 

[restosud]

a very nice plate was the hydronetics.smooth and controllable.could slide or hook depending on what you wanted to do.
was also the only ijsba approved plate with skegs back then if memory serves me right.
the plate was stock length to let the rear end sink in the turns.
if you can find one,get it.

 

[2XLR8]

I liked the shredmaster the best. It would turn good you just had to keep on the throttle in the turn to keep the pump hooked up. I cut the shredmaster scoop off and used it on smooth river trips and for rough I put the jetdynamics scoop. The best combo out there period in my opinion.