Bumper guard on new Nitros

[Jimmy Easterling]

People who have owned these boats for years, I am sure, already know this. I was reading a thread and something was just casually mentioned that I had no idea needed my attention, the screws behind the bumper guard. I didn't count but would guess there are about 100 that are hidden behind the removable rubber guards that holds not only the track on but the top rail also. I noticed two bulges in the guard shortly after I bought the boat, new and now 13 months old. I pulled five or six feet of the guard out at the time and found five screws almost all the way out and almost all of the others loose. I backed the screws most of the way out and applied lock tight to the threads and snugged them back up. About an hour and a half on a windy, rainy day I couldn't fish in anyway. I suggest, to those of you who haven't, check your screws, they are probably loose and could cause problems down the road.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Well known and common problem for all 2-piece top cap/hull configurations. The piece is called the "rub-rail" and you'll find a lot of discussions on cinching them up. I have to do mine every 3 months or so. Some even add more screws. It's worse after rough water trips or long trailering. Ask Mac, we were loading my boat up last year and he pushed on the top cap at the nose and it moved about 3 inches.....and the hull didn't!!:lol: My boat had been trailered about 1,800 miles though!!



TOXIC

 

[Aroldo Hernandez]

I check mine out every other trip to a big lake.

 

[fatrap]

When I had a glass boat it was S.O.P



fatrap

 

[Jim B]

3m 5200 is the best thing you can put on the screws to keep them from wiggling out. If you remove a screw all the way and squirt some 5200 i nthe hole then reinstall the screw they wone back out near as easy any more.