Smart tabs install on Q6

mccownk

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 4, 2009
Messages
192
Re: Smart tabs install on Q6

Check out this thread

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=250038&highlight=smart+tabs

There is a recommendation by Nauticus for the 80lb tabs for the Q6 as well. After installing them, others switched to the 60lb tabs and had perfect results. The 150 lb diffence is negligible, like adding a teenager as a passenger to my boat.. The 40 horsepower really has no bearing other than you should come on plane sooner and compensate for the extra 150 lbs..

Your call, but Nauticus was wrong about the Q6 recommendation. What is the price difference?
 

mccownk

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 4, 2009
Messages
192
Re: Smart tabs install on Q6

OK, I did some research and the Q6 and Q7 have the same hull dimensions. Therefore I would definitely go with the 60lb tabs.
 

no worry's

Cadet
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
8
Re: Smart tabs install on Q6

Well I really do appreciate the info ya'll have provided for me. Ya'l have been more than helpfull. Now all I have to do is get back from Australia so I can pick my boat up and try them out.....thanx a million. 2010 Q7SF 5.0 V8 MPI
 

bricegraham

Cadet
Joined
Sep 7, 2011
Messages
6
Re: Smart tabs install on Q6

hey, i ordered my smart tabs after seeing your pics and instructions, did everything you suggested and they installed perfect. my only problem now is that i can't get out on the lake and try them out till the weather turns warm (around late April), very excited to see how they perform. i also ordered the sfx60's for my Q6 tahoe with the 5.0 V8. thanks for your pics and instructions
 

grendelsniper

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jul 18, 2011
Messages
84
Re: Smart tabs install on Q6

These are the best upgrade or addition, money well spent for the dramatic improvement they produce.
 

wagnerz

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 13, 2011
Messages
105
Re: Smart tabs install on Q6

Do smart tabs effect the wake that the boat makes? Does it make the wake smaller for wakeboarding?
 

PrinceValium

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 2, 2010
Messages
421
Re: Smart tabs install on Q6

OK, I did some research and the Q6 and Q7 have the same hull dimensions. Therefore I would definitely go with the 60lb tabs.

Hi,
I have a 2011 Q7i and wonder if I am really in need of these tabs or not. Did you notice an immediate handling difference besides the porposing? I believe we have the same motor in our boats...and mine is just barely broken in. I believe we had the boat to about 58 MPH (not on GPS) which I thought was great! Mine has a 3 blade stainless prop. Do these tabs help get a skier out of the water easier? Thanks for your instructions...they look pretty easy to install. I am in Vacaville and regularly go to Lake Berryessa for boating as well as Sly Park and Union Valley Reservoir.
 

mnypitboat

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
May 31, 2010
Messages
1,091
Re: Smart tabs install on Q6

Hi,
I have a 2011 Q7i and wonder if I am really in need of these tabs or not. Did you notice an immediate handling difference besides the porposing? I believe we have the same motor in our boats...and mine is just barely broken in. I believe we had the boat to about 58 MPH (not on GPS) which I thought was great! Mine has a 3 blade stainless prop. Do these tabs help get a skier out of the water easier? Thanks for your instructions...they look pretty easy to install. I am in Vacaville and regularly go to Lake Berryessa for boating as well as Sly Park and Union Valley Reservoir.

I had a Q7 prior to my current Monterey. If I had known how much of a differance they made it would have been the first thing I did to my Q7. I installed them on my Monterey 214FS, and that hull is vastly better in rough water to the Q7. HOWEVER, even with as well as it already handled rough water it made such a huge differance. The Monterey is a much heavier boat than the Q7, and the Q7 had a 5.7, and my Monterey has a 5.0 EFI. The Q7 lept out of the water, but was a rough ride. I had to slow down for all wakes so my wife didnt yell at me. The Monterey is sluggish to get out of the water, but was nice on rough water. It had a tendancy to porpoise after going through wakes, and I still had to slow down for some wakes.

With the tabs, I no longer have to slow down for any wake. It is smooth. No more porpoising at all. It doesnt leap out of the water, but it is about as perfectly even as can be. The bow does not come up at all and the tabs shaved the planing time to half of before.

As far as skiing, I am not sure. We just installed them and it has been too cold for skiing. Most people report a slight drop in top end. I actually gained about 3mph according to the GPS, and that was on rough water. We tested before the tabs on a smooth lake. I will tell you that at full throttle, completely trimmed up, I get a small rooster tail. The trim tabs put off a bit of wake themselves.

Overall, we are very very happy with the performance. We had the Q7 for about 6 years and had I known how big a differance these made, I probably would not have sold it. I only sold it because of how rough it was. There was nothing else wrong wrong with it at all. We loved the boat. But, live and learn.
 

mnypitboat

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
May 31, 2010
Messages
1,091
Re: Smart tabs install on Q6

This is just a guess, but I think the gain in MPH for us was due to the fact that I couldnt trim the drive up high enough to get maximum speed. It would porpoise on smooth water at full trim. Now I can trim it much further, and I think the efficiency made the differance. I get about 56mph out of mine now, and before was 53mph, but remember I have a 5.0l and the boat is very heavy. That is on GPS. My Q7 would do 59mph on GPS, so if you have the 5.7l, you are probably close at 58mph.
 

PrinceValium

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 2, 2010
Messages
421
Re: Smart tabs install on Q6

This is just a guess, but I think the gain in MPH for us was due to the fact that I couldnt trim the drive up high enough to get maximum speed. It would porpoise on smooth water at full trim. Now I can trim it much further, and I think the efficiency made the differance. I get about 56mph out of mine now, and before was 53mph, but remember I have a 5.0l and the boat is very heavy. That is on GPS. My Q7 would do 59mph on GPS, so if you have the 5.7l, you are probably close at 58mph.

We have a V6 in our Q7 but with 220 hp. It moves along quite well on top end etc. we also slw down for large wakes etc. if I am trimmed up too high it will propose but to solve that I usually just trim back down some. Of course you burn more fuel trimmed down at higher speeds. I am all for saving money...and we also need a Bimini for the boat too so everywhere I can save would be best.
 

mnypitboat

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
May 31, 2010
Messages
1,091
Re: Smart tabs install on Q6

We have a V6 in our Q7 but with 220 hp. It moves along quite well on top end etc. we also slw down for large wakes etc. if I am trimmed up too high it will propose but to solve that I usually just trim back down some. Of course you burn more fuel trimmed down at higher speeds. I am all for saving money...and we also need a Bimini for the boat too so everywhere I can save would be best.

With a V6, you would profit from the tabs even more. They are worth every penny.
 

PrinceValium

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 2, 2010
Messages
421
Re: Smart tabs install on Q6

I hope someone will chime in that has a Q7i and has some pics of their installation!
 

Ret USN CPO

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 7, 2007
Messages
135
Re: Smart tabs install on Q6

PV, I have a Q7iSF, and would have gotten rid of it by now had I not found and installed these tabs. They make a world of difference in the handling and stability and my hole shots are quicker. I don't really have any data for fuel usage. I don't want to sound arrogant, but if I was worried that much about fuel, I probably wouldn't have a boat.

I had tried on of those dol-phins, and stopped in the middle of the lake and took it off. It was VERY unstable to the point of being dangerous.

I have a posting on here somewhere...http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=250038&page=2&p=1795378#post1795378...that has pictures of my install. It was very straight forward once I got the right part from the manufacturer. But when I ordered my tabs, they weren't making them for our hull style yet, and I had to call and talk to the company to explain what I needed. They were VERY responsive and VERY understanding. They sent the parts I needed overnight and didn't charge a dime. Customer service is outstanding.
 

BiggerDee

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jul 20, 2011
Messages
82
Re: Smart tabs install on Q6

PV...if you haven't gotten the Smart Tabs yet then by all means do so. I have a 2011 Q7i (Q7ssi) with the 5.0 TKS V-8, and the Smart Tabs (SX9510-80) truly make it a different boat! No bow rise at all, it's almost like a hand below the water lifts the boat up on plane. The Q7i should have Smart Tabs as standard equipment, no lie. This pic is from the day that I installed the tabs. I have about 30 hours on them since then, and they are worth every penny. For the record, I am running a 21p Vengeance prop (different prop than the one in the pic and the chuck out of the cav plate, which happened thanks to a submerged log 30 minutes into my first trip in the boat(!), has been repaired). The boat is by no means my first, and I really love it. I get a lot of compliments on it and I would buy another today, provided I could get the Smart Tabs for it. They really do make the boat perform like it should.smarttabs.jpg
 

gt2003

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 11, 2010
Messages
293
I've had possession of my 2007 Q6 for less than 10 hours and have already put on smart tabs and changed out the old aluminum 14.25x21, 3-blade prop for an aluminum Alpha 4, 14x20, 4-blade prop. Putting on a skeg guard tomorrow then hitting the water Saturday morning. I expect a good 1st ride under my ownership. Better than the 1st outing with the previous owner without these things installed.
 

GA_Boater

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
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May 24, 2011
Messages
49,038
This topic has had no activity for 2 years. Please start a new topic, Thanks.
 
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