# smart tabs installation



## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

well i took the leap of faith and installed smart tabs on my boat today. they are a nitrogen gas filled actuators or kinda like a shock absorber that controls a trim tab type plate. basically an automatic trim tab. their purpose is to reduce bow rise, eliminate porpoising & chine walking, improve fuel economy because of faster time on plane, better stability at high speeds, bla, bla, bla...i got them to reduce bow rise and for some stability. started at noon and was done by 1:45pm. they came from brecksville, ohio. so it's kind of a local company. they came with very clear and easy to understand directions. 3 contact phone numbers in case you have any problems. now that i got them installed i can't wait to get to the lake and test them out. they have minor adjustments to make to really fine tune your ride.

here's a few photos and explanition of steps. i'll fill you in later on the preformance after i test run tuesday.....

1st photo...mark and drill your mounting holes. i really was concerned about drilling 14 holes in my boat , but i took care to check everything 3 times before i drilled. i did notice that the gel coat chipped a little when i test fit the screws, but it really isnt an issue.

2nd photo...assemble the plates and mounts with the stainless hardware, apply the water proof gasket to the hinge, fill the holes with clear marine silicone(thats my idea, not in directions)

3rd photo...hang the plate, bottom side first. careful tighten but don't overtighten the screws.

4th photo...then attach the top(don't forget the water proof gasket here either).

5th photo...the finished job. now i need to hit the lake to check out the product. i have been researching these and all i have heard is very good reviews. i hope so because im the one who put the 14 holes into my boat today.


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## LakeRaider (Apr 5, 2004)

Your going to love the money spent on those tabs. I installed those on a 14 ft G3 deep v with a 40 yammie tiller with trim that had serious porpose issues.
Instant well behaved rocket. zfish was in that boat a lot. Performed flawless
after the smart tab installation. Well worth the money!!!! Raider


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## Zfish (Apr 5, 2004)

I was in that G3 Boat a lot. It handled like a dream after the tabs were installed. If I ever have a boat that doesn't ride top notch then those will go on because it's definatly worth it


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## freyedknot (Apr 10, 2004)

will they interfere withyour kicker motor?? i see you have a kicker bracket?


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

freyedknot said:


> will they interfere withyour kicker motor?? i see you have a kicker bracket?


shouldn't because they are held in the down position at lower speeds and i tilt the kicker up when i when i get on it. besides that im guessing i have about 8" of clearance between them.(eyeballed it with a straight edge). i will find out today when i put the kicker back on


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## Hook N Book (Apr 7, 2004)

I was wondering the same thing as Freyed...! From the looks of them they will add a lot of stability as well as getting that bow in the water.


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## fishingguy (Jan 5, 2006)

Those look nice. I got tabs on mine, trouble is I have to manualy adjust them. Every once in a while I tweak them. I think you will be pleased with the improved ride.


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## Snobal (Jul 26, 2005)

I saw a set of those on "Ship Shape TV" the other day. They were actually removing them though. They will do wonders for getting on plane and such but their concern on the show was backing up. They said that the tabs caused a lot of problems due to being all the way down at slow speeds. Just something for you to watch when you first take it out on the water.

As far as the gelcoat chipping when you installed the screws, this is preventable. Next time you have a project such as this or anything else installing screws into gelcoat, buy yourself a chamfering bit and chamfer the holes first. This will give you an angled entry all the way around the hole and will prevent almost all chipping!


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## Two Hip (Oct 27, 2005)

Ez,

I put Bennett 120 Sport Tabs on my 23 footer last year,and a set of trim tabs are the best improvement you can make for performance and handling. ( NO LIE!!) And, believe it or not they helped to slow my troll somewhat when I run them all the way down in calm water.Man, you will get on plain quick,and no more poupoising.

Doesn't seem like we buy and install something new on the boat every year?
Or, is it just me? LOL


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

Two Hip said:


> Doesn't seem like we buy and install something new on the boat every year?
> Or, is it just me? LOL



i wish it was ONLY once a year..LOL..


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## KaGee (Sep 8, 2006)

Hey ezbite, 

John from Nauticus posts alot on Iboats. He has recommended that the guys remove the foil off their outboards. Just my .02 worth. 

SmarTabs going on my boat sometime this month. Going with the new SX series.

I saw the Ship Shape show... I take what he says sometimes with a grain of salt... Bennett sponsors the show, so you think he's going to bad mouth them? Bennetts have their place. So do SmartTabs.


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## KaGee (Sep 8, 2006)

Here is a recent post from John re: the argument of SmartTabs vs hydraulic.


> Well guys here we go again - my least favorite debate!
> 
> As the manufacturer / inventor of Smart Tabs I have always said that the choice should be made based on the application, the use, and personal preference.
> 
> ...


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

KaGee said:


> Hey ezbite,
> 
> John from Nauticus posts alot on Iboats. He has recommended that the guys remove the foil off their outboards. Just my .02 worth.



i was wondering about that. do you have any reason why it should be removed??


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## KaGee (Sep 8, 2006)

ezbite said:


> i was wondering about that. do you have any reason why it should be removed??


I tried to find a response to that question but, the IBoats' search function is screwed up until they install a new forum.

It has to do with the foil working against the tabs in certain conditions... I don't specifically recall the technicalities. Call or Email them direct and get the answer from them.


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

Hey EZ, keep in mind when you first put the boat in the water they may require some adjusting my buddy put them on his lund and he had to tweak them and actually even get a differant actuator. once you get them nailed down you will love them, your bow will slice right through chop on erie creating a much better ride, less bow rise and pounding, it will be worth every penny. You can't put a price on a good ride on Erie. 

Good Luck let us know how it turns out for you.


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## rippin lip (Dec 3, 2005)

i won a set of smart tabs at the fishing college at the ix center last year - i installed them on my 17'6" lund fisherman (took a while to convince myself to drill holes in my boat) - best thing i ever did! they work great - i got the pro troller series that flip down adding resistance if desired - last year found my boat going instantly on plane with the trim all the way up - i would recommend.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

rippin lip said:


> i won a set of smart tabs at the fishing college at the ix center last year - i installed them on my 17'6" lund fisherman (took a while to convince myself to drill holes in my boat) - best thing i ever did! they work great - i got the pro troller series that flip down adding resistance if desired - last year found my boat going instantly on plane with the trim all the way up - i would recommend.


thanks, i still haven't got a chance to check them out yet. maybe next week. damn work


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

yea, smart tabs rock

finally got them adjusted and boy what an improvement. on plane quicker, able to stay on plane at much slower speeds. a much more stable ride. im VERY happy with this product. i ran once with the whale tail on but then took it off at the recomendation of a fellow OGF'er. it was a good recomendation. thanks KaGee 

if your having stability issues or on plane issues give them a try. im very happy i did


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## KaGee (Sep 8, 2006)

Congrats! Glad they worked out for you.


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## Workdog (Jan 10, 2007)

Had an I/O walkaround a few years back that was very azz heavy. I started out with one of those lower unit mounted foils, which didn't help very much. I put on trim tabs which worked superbly, but I began to notice more than before, how much drag the foil was causing in certain conditions (especially turns). I would have to say, if you can live without the doelfin your boat will be more efficient in the water, and save you some gas money.

Workdog


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

bump up for commodore64.


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## COmmodore 64 (Jun 24, 2006)

Ezbite: Thanks a ton! The Protroller looks li ke a neat idea. It's only about 50 bucks more than the vanilla tabs.

http://www.nauticusinc.com/ProTroller.htm


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## KaGee (Sep 8, 2006)

COmmodore 64 said:


> Ezbite: Thanks a ton! The Protroller looks li ke a neat idea. It's only about 50 bucks more than the vanilla tabs.
> 
> http://www.nauticusinc.com/ProTroller.htm


If I recall the picture of your boat, your transom may not accommodate the ProTrollers. You can always call them direct. They are most happy to talk to you and provide their expertise.


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## COmmodore 64 (Jun 24, 2006)

KaGee said:


> If I recall the picture of your boat, your transom may not accommodate the ProTrollers. You can always call them direct. They are most happy to talk to you and provide their expertise.


I'm pretty sure the transom will accommodate the pro-trollers, however, using them would be pretty much an exercise in futility. I think you'd have to lean way out over the back to pull the lever to put them in the trolling position because of the step up. See the pic blow:









I think I'll just get the standard set.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

bump up for sstaz


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## UFM82 (Apr 6, 2004)

Or just pulling the tabs up when you don't want them down. You pull the tabs up manually and hook them to the stern eye. It keeps the tabs in the up position and they don't drag in the water. 
I put the tabs on my 19' center console and it helped in a couple ways. One, it cut the bow rise significantly. I didn't have that much of a problem anyway but it was nice to eliminate some of that. Secondly, it almost completely eliminated the agggravating "bow wander" common to V-hulled boats. It makes running through a no-wake zone much easier since you don't wind up see-sawing on the wheel all the time. Thirdly and best of all, it cuts down on porpoising which is the most uncomfortable ride you can get in a boat. My family hates it when the boat bounces up and down at cruise and the tabs stopped that cold. My speed didn't change once I adjusted the strength of the tabs for my boat. Installation was simple and quick, BUT do chamfer the holes before putting the screws in. Make sure the gelcoat is GONE from the hole or the threads will chip. Put some sealant in the hole and put the screws in. I was skeptical at first that the screws would hold because the actuators are strong but after three years I've had no issues. The plates are still mirror shiny and have held up very well. I like them and recommend them. 

They tell you to remove the L/U plate because depending on the angle of trim, the plate can actually pull down on the stern at times and that works against the tabs. When the outdrive is trimmed up and it pulls the stern down to lift the bow, it goes against the tabs trying to lift the stern. It adds drag and can slow you down. The added benefit of the tabs versus the plate is that there is no stress added to the L/U. That added pressure can work against your trim pump and cause issues. 

UFM82


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