Transom Saver Observation

Yesterday, as I was on my way home from work, I pulled up alongside a guy from Illinois pulling about a 17 foot Lowe with a 75 hp Yamaha 4 stroke. I noticed he had no transom saver, and just had the motor tilted up. I thought I would just drive along side of the trailer for a while and observe what kind of flex I could see in the transom as the boat bounced along.

I WAS SHOCKED at how much the transom flexed back and forth every time the boat hit a bump. The transom was flexing at least two inches forward of center and two inches back, so about 4 inches.

Now, I’m not sure how much flex is built into a boat transom, but I’m guessing that over time, it has to be bad for the transom to flex that much.

I have always used a transom saver that connects to the trailer, and after my less than scientific observation from yesterday, I will never trailer without one.

Just thought I would share.

Thanks for sharing! I agree. For $50 or less, I don’t see a reason to go without one.

I would guess they are built to flex a fair amount because when you “hit it” the transom will flex because of the torque the motor is putting on it.

HOWEVER…..bouncing down the road is going to put decades of flex on your transom in a short road trip so it absolutley makes sense to use them.

I use mine ALL the time – motor to the trailer.

I have a F75 Yamaha tiller. Does anyone know of a way/product that I can use to keep the motor from turning while trailering with a transom saver? No matter how tight I adjust the steering adjustment, it turns. This results in the motor riding so that the transom saver business end rests on the side of the motor’s lower unit instead of the front of the lower unit. Thanks

i have the same problem with my 70hp yamaha, but only when traveling long distance.

i’ve though about tying the steering wheel up to the throttle, or something, just to prevent it from moving, and i doubt that would put any stress on the throttle lever, it would just prevent the wheel from turning.

I use a transom saver as well, but I would be interested to see what a high end boat would flex like in the same conditions. No offense of you have a Lowe, but from what I have read they are a low end boat, pun intended. My guess is that a Lund wouldn’t flex nearly as much as a Lowe, but I could be wrong. Has anyone ever seen a test like that?

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I have a F75 Yamaha tiller. Does anyone know of a way/product that I can use to keep the motor from turning while trailering with a transom saver? No matter how tight I adjust the steering adjustment, it turns. This results in the motor riding so that the transom saver business end rests on the side of the motor’s lower unit instead of the front of the lower unit. Thanks

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I saw on Bob Jensen’s show this year he was going through his boat launching process, and he pulled a couple of braces of the motor up by the steering arm, and he said that they were to keep the motor straight while trailering, so someone makes them for sure. I have never seen them other than on his TV show though.

I am amazed everytime see someone with a 40 horse or higher trailering with out a TS. great way to ruin your boat quickly

we have been pulling our northwood with a 40 horse on it, without a transom saver on it for years now. We would have one, but idk how to get one on there. The closest support bar is way underneath the boat. Any ideas?

Wedge transom saver

BTW…do any of those guys look familiar? Especially to the bass guys?

isnt flipping the tab things on my motor, and dropping the motor down on them doing the same thing as that m-y wedge? I thought the whole point of the long transom savers was to transfer some of that weight off your boat and to your trailer.

those centering clips are perfect.

What I have noticed which in my opinion, is just as hard or worse, is someone with a transom saver, dosen`t have the winch tightened down and the bow is bouncing up and down like crazy. In my eyes that is really putting a strain on the motor and transom.

you can make the deals to keep your motor straight by getting a piece of 3/4 pvc and cut them in pieces long enough keep the motor centered then you notch the pvc to slip over the stearing tube

I also have a Yamaha 75 4-stroke. I use a transom saver always. I tighten the bolt that holds the turn lock adjustment. I just keep an old wrench in the boat. It takes only a few seconds to loosen at the ramp. I learned this the hard way after my motor turned and got scratched on my wave wackers. I won’t forget that again.

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I thought the whole point of the long transom savers was to transfer some of that weight off your boat and to your trailer.

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Transom savers transfer very little mass off your boat (at best.) They keep your engine from rotating, pretty much the same thing as blocking the hydraulics does. The MyWedge products are pretty sweet.

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I respectfully disagree with your opinion on what a transom saver does. The my wedge thing would take the pressure off of the hydraulics there is no doubt, but the 600lbs of big outboard hitting bumps and flexing the transom would not be cured in my eyes in anyway with the wedge. The transom saver connects to the trailer and the bottom of the lower unit and doesn’t allow the weight of the motor to flex the transom on every bump. If I am wrong please explain how the wedge keeps the transom from flexing.

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I have a F75 Yamaha tiller. Does anyone know of a way/product that I can use to keep the motor from turning while trailering with a transom saver? No matter how tight I adjust the steering adjustment, it turns. This results in the motor riding so that the transom saver business end rests on the side of the motor’s lower unit instead of the front of the lower unit. Thanks

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I use a bungee strap and go around the throttle lever and thru one of the grip holes on the steering wheel.
You have to make sure the bungee is not so short that it puts to much side pull on throttle handle.

I bought the clips to put in between each side of my steering from m-y wedge. They seem to work pretty well, just got them today. Since I was getting the clips I decided to get the wedge transom brace as well. Not sure if I’ll use it or not. No offense, but I am going to pass on running a bungee cord from my gear shift.

Snowing again here, isn’t it spring? Snapped a few pics of the M-Y Wedge Hardware on my ZX225. I really like the set-up of this M-Y Wedge stuff. Going to send a note to Skeeter Boats to see what they have to say about it, don’t want to void any warranty’s. The boat came with the standard transom saver we have all seen.

IF I SEEN MY BOATS TRANSOM FLEXING 4 INCHES I’D BE SICK! I HAVE A FEELING WATER GOT INTO THAT GUYS TRANSOM AND IS ROTTING IT. I’VE SEEN ALOT OF THAT HAPPEN WHEN INSUFICIANT SILICON ISN’T USED ON THE TRANSOM BOLT ECT WHEN THE MOTOR WAS INSTALLED. ALL SEEMS, CRACKS AND BOLT ON THE TRANSOM NEED TO BE CHECKED OFTEN. UNLESS YA HAVE A RANGER BOAT THAT HAS A SOLID FIBREGLASS TRANSON AND STRINGER SYSTEM. STILL YA ALLWAYS NEED A TRANSOM SAVER!!!!

I use these steering stops from Cabelas to keep my outboard from turning on the trailer with hydrolic steering. Steering Stops Mel

Those look very similar. I like how they are hooked together with a rope. I am going to make that modification to mine. Thanks Cabela’s.

“I have always used a transom saver that connects to the trailer, and after my less than scientific observation from yesterday, I will never trailer without one”

Remember the time you ran yours to the gas station and forgot yours?

In my opinion the transom savers that run to the trailer put more stress on your transom than not using one.

With a trasom saver you are putting hydrolic aided stress on your transom year round (every day sitting in the driveway still hydrolic stress)…especially if you trim down too much when putting the transom saver in. If you trim down too far with the transom saver installed you are basically “lifting” the back of your boat off the trailer with your motor.

Now its not like you are really lifting the back of the boat off the trailer but you are definitly taking boat weight off the bunks/rollers and forcing your motor and transom to carry that load. if you don’t believe me put your hand between the motor and the transom saver and trim down like you normally would…its a lot of pressure for the quick second you hit the trim down button when putting the transom saver in.

When you have the transom saver in you are directly taking every shock from the trailer frame and transfering it directly to your transom. All the flex that occurs in the bunks/rollers and trailer frame is being transfered to the transom through the transom saver.

without the transom saver the max stress on the transom is only created by the motor itslef. the stress created by the motor moving around is pretty minimal when compared to the torque of 200+ horses on a hole shot the transom is designed to handle.

The transom saver is a false sense of security…you are basically “pre stressing” your transom so you don’t notice the minimal flexing that may/may not occur.

And the guys transom that was flexing 4″….he has to have something else seriously wrong with it for this to happen and I don’t think a transom saver is going to solve his problem.