Do i need a transom saver.?

I have 115 yamaha vmax.The dealer told me i don’t need it but i saw my motor ‘shaking’ when i hit a bump.
Thank you.

Transom savers are cheaper than a new transom or tilt and trim unit.

Getting my popcorn ready.

You’ll find a wide variety of very passionate opinions on this subject. IMO do what makes you comfortable. If it’s adding a transom saver, using a wood block, or doing absolutely nothing. It’s your boat.

Been using one for 20 years. Same boat. Same 115 outboard. No issues. I’m a believer.

I use a m-y wedge. With my motor all the way down I only have about 3/4″ of ground clearance. In normal use I don’t know if it protects the motor, I don’t know if it protects the transom, but I know it will hold it up if the hydraulics failed.

On larger outboards I think there’s some benefit to a good transom saver, but the block of wood thought is bad news as both the outboard and the transom will have un-natural stress put on them.

personally, i firmly believe in useing one.

I used to use a transom saver for about a decade. When I bought a new boat in 2015, the mechanic talked me into a hydraulic wedge instead. He stated that it serves the same purpose, takes up less space, and costs less. Done deal.

I do think that it would be a good idea to use something on a 115 outboard. Whether you use a transom saver, wedge, or something else that helps the outboard stabilize while your bouncing down the road, it will help.

YES you do!

Whats the value of your boat?
Whats a transom saver cost?

Should be easy to figure out.

Are you trying to take the stress off the lift cylinders, transom or both? If just the lift cylinders, a wedge is 100x easier. If you want to better protect the transom, a transom saver is your best bet.

I cracked the transom support bracket on my 2002 Alumacraft T14 last fall. After building a stronger bracket and bolting it in, I will never run without a transom saver.

Does this better answer your question?

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404 ERROR wrote:

I cracked the transom support bracket on my

Sure redneck Jr just wasn’t running your boat?

nhamm wrote:

Sure redneck Jr just wasn’t running your boat?

JR: “I can make that”
ME: “Fat chance…maybe at 30mph”
JR: “Better make it 35 for good measure”
ME: “I’ll walk, it’s only ankle deep”
JR: “BRAAAAAAAAAAAP. Stuck”

suzuki wrote:

Been using one for 20 years. Same boat. Same 115 outboard. No issues. I’m a believer.

Same here

I can’t think of a reason not to…….

Thank you all.
My wedge doesn’t apply for this motor.
Roller trailer doesn’t work for stick saver either.

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The roller trailer should have a cross bar about a foot forward of those rear rollers. You attach the transom saver to the rear crossbar.

I can get you a picture over the weekend.

One wrote:

Thank you all.
My wedge doesn’t apply for this motor.
Roller trailer doesn’t work for stick saver either.

They make stick transom savers for almost every trailer imaginable. Plenty of guys with roller trailers who have a stick type transom saver.

so thinking of this thread, as i drive along hwy 23 and 94 seeing boats in tow i’ve been watching.

i cant imagine why anyone wouldnt want one. the boats with the transom saver, the motors where rock solid steady, no bouncing or vibrating. the ones without where constantly bouncing, moving or vibrating and that has to in due time cause some real havoc to both the transom and motor. i know i personally would never go without one.

just an observation!!!!!!!!!!

“Rock steady” would be in relation to your visual observation of the motor, boat and trailer as a single unit. If you like to believe the boat motor and trailer all rock, bounce, move etc at exactly the same time then go for it. But similar to strapping my head to a boat chair in 4’ers, it would be rock steady, but imo that would kill alot more of the few brain cells I have left than just sitting in the chair and letting the motion of the ocean do it’s thing.

suzuki wrote:

Been using one for 20 years. Same boat. Same 115 outboard. No issues. I’m a believer.

2001 boat and motor and I bought a T/S the day I brought the boat home. never have had an issue

no……………..i mean i watched how the motor only reacted going down the road between having or not having a transom savor……dont be making this more of a deal then a simple observation i made!!!

Moisture is going to kill 100 times more transoms than bouncing or flexing ever will.

I always figured as long as your boat is strapped to the trailer in the back as I always do, the boat motor and trailer will all move in a very similar fashion causing less jarring on the transom. I have a roller trailer and stick style transom saver and take it down goat paths where it feels my head is in contact with the roof of the vehicle more than it is not.

Glenn57, you do realize that some of those could have a hydraulic wedge in there, right? If you had seen my boat rolling down the highway you would not have seen a transom saver and also not have seen a hydraulic wedge, even though there is one in there.

Kyhl wrote:

The roller trailer should have a cross bar about a foot forward of those rear rollers. You attach the transom saver to the rear crossbar.

Exactly! He will probably have to drill a hole in the bottom of the cross member, but there better be one there or what are the back rollers attached to?

the correct answer is,yes,you need a transom saver.
even though boats are designed to flex and move in the water,they are not designed to be rigidly mounted to a trailer with a motor bouncing on the back that is flexing and stressing the transom with every bounce.
think of bending a piece of wire until it breaks,anything man made only has so many fatigue cycles before complete failure.

that flexing on the transom is known to loosen the motors mounting bolts,on wooden transoms it is known to pull the bolt deeper into the wood by compressing the wood,now you have not only loose bolts but a deformed transom in the bolt hole area,leaks will occur around them sooner or later and the wood will rot out eventually.

a motor with tilt and trim can suffer from premature seal failure because of the excess loads imposed on the shaft seals,think of it this way,the bouncing is causing thousands of times more pressure cycles to be incurred substantially reducing their life span.

another point of wear happens on the shaft and bushings where the motor pivots at,once the grease is hammered out of this area its metal on metal and the bushings wear out much faster.

on older carbureted motors,the floats start bouncing when the gas is sloshed out of the fuel bowls through the vents,this wears out the needle and seats as they are being slammed together countless times during the trip to the lake and back.
I cant tell you how many customers I have dealt with that complain of flooded motors when they go to start the motor once at the lake,now,those are on short trips as the gas hasnt had a chance to evaporate completely yet.
the motors that have made it on a long trip are hard to start as the carbs are dry by the time they get to the lake and they had to pump up the bulb to get it to start,not fun when there is a long line at the boat ramp in either case.

one more point even though I could add several,think of whats happening with your fuel fittings,wiring harnesses,and steering cable if applicable with all of that needless bouncing.

we sure have to credit the manufacturers for building something that will stand up to what we throw at them every time we take them down the road.
just my three cents and many years of experience working on these things which reminds me,keep tearing them up boys,I am in the market for a newer boat myself and I need the work !

VERY good post IB1. Thank you

Yami 70…. M-y wedge ….all good here.