www.iFourWinns.com

Our hinged walk-thru cushion that's between the rear loungers will not stay in the up position. Sometimes it will momentarily but then it slams down. All of the hardware including the black friction clip (lack of a better description) appears to be in there.

I searched past threads and didn't find anyone having this issue. I'm about to simply remove the cushion all together before the kids loose a limb. Well its not really that bad but it is annoying.

Am I the only one with this problem? If not, any solutions other than removal?

Thanks!!!

Mine has always been a bit tenuous, but I've never had it slam down. We just make it a habit to not leave it up. Not out of fear of having it slam, it just seems like a trip hazard or otherwise "bad idea" to leave it up. As to the "black friction clip," I don't think I have anything like that and wonder what it is.

I bet you could put some brass or stainless shims (or washers, depending on the thickness of the gap) over the bolt between the hinge(s) to add enough friction to fix it. Now that I say that, I might look into doing the same .

Honestly, I'd be more concerned about half of a hinge being exposed to bare feet (if you removed it) than having it slam.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Thanks Mike.

I understand your concern about the hinge sticking out. My wife and I just don't like walking on the cushion and its hard to hold the cushion up and walk thru the small space. We are both tall so its like walking with one hand on the ground. Know what I mean? lol

I looked at tighening up the hinge bolts but come to findout they are not bolts but rivet type things. I will take a pic and show you the black clip and hinge arrangement later today.

I probably wouldn't remove the cushion but it has crossed my mind a few times.

?? I would swear mine uses bolts with stainless Nylock nuts. Now I have to go and look...

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

LOL - I know I always have to go look at things once I read the posts. Don't you hate it. Excuse the dirt!

Maybe I've never looked closely enough at mine, but I don't think mine looks like that. Do you know when your boat was built?

Would bold heads hurt anything if you drilled out the rivets and replaced them? Looks like a shim or two inside the hinge would take care of it.

Oh - and dirt=usage=good --- clean=driveway=bad

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

I think bolts would tear/wear the cushion covers. That would be a bad thing. I might pinging them to see if I can snug them up.

I'm not sure that black clip is actually doing anything. Maybe its not all there anymore. If you get a chance maybe a picture of yours would help.

The build date was in April (?) 2005 or close to it, delivered in July.

P.S. I have 12 hours on it now since changing the OD!!!!!

Yeah. I'll get a pic as soon as I can. Now my curiosity is piqued.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

It looks like the black plastic thing might have worn; there's a recess machined in the metal presumably for a protrusion on the plastic piece to spring into when the arm is in the upright position. I can't imagine the plastic piece would have worn the recess in the aluminium. What is the small off white plastic piece for? Has it been put there to increase the force which the black piece exerts on the hinge in the open position? In which case, it might be what's caused to black piece to wear.

Graham

I'll be danged.



And no, mine doesn't stay up too well either. It doesn't seem that anything could be harmed by having it slam (anything on the boat that is), but it is annoying.

It might work better if they'd put one of those spring things on both hinges, but it's only on one. The walkthrough is simply too heavy for one of those to support, at least in rolling water.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Thanks so much Mike. I agree two of the black things would have helped. I still might ping my rivet arrangement to see if I can tighten it up. I also agree nothing will probably be hurt by it slamming down, I just don't like holding it up while walking thru it. Thanks again!

I was surprised to see those too.... ; ) Unless we're in street shoes, we just walk on the cushion (barefoot only!)....and this is pretty much only when getting onto/off of one of the toys or helping someone with a tow rope or ladder, etc...... it shows no more extra wear than anywhere else....

Ernie

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JustBreathe
'05 230 Horizon

Maybe remove or 'thin' the white plastic piece between the hinge and the black plastic spring thing? I'm thinking that the hinge would travel more allowing the walkthrough cushion to go past vertical a bit, which might provide more stability. I'm guessing that that white plastic piece is there to prevent the hinge from hitting the fiberglass, and might just be too thick to allow the walkthrough to balance when upright.

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2007 Horizon 200
4.3L GXi/ SX 225 HP

You got the idea right, Jim, but unfortunately that's just a piece of mylar/plastic tape to keep the paint on the hinge from getting scraped off.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Obviously the black plastic/rubber stop has fatgued. It is supposed to apply pressure to the hinge when it's vertical and stop it from easily coming down. I would recommend that either you replace the "black springy thing" or get some type of compressible material (red rubber gasket) and glue it in the opening "V" so the "black thingy" will force against the hinge.

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Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive