Alternative To Buying OEM Tower Pads

[mk_deuce]

Didnt want to wait for the local dealer to order these pad and take 2 weeks to get them to me so I picked up these rubber surface step pads from walmart for $7. It is the perfect width and one strip will make 2 pads. Easy to drill through, has a 3m sticky back and with the rubber traction nubs its even just a bit thicker than stock. Installed it with the sticky side up on the alluminum and it has been holding perfect so far.

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll190/mk_deuce/trailerpad.jpg

[patricioroel]

Can you attach a picture of the pad installed?

Regards

[mk_deuce]

sure will, wont get a chance to get to the boat till tues night though. i think the majority of the time the reason why these pad slip out is due to the screw holes tearing.

[patricioroel]

Great, I will be waiting.

Thanks

[mk_deuce]

here ya go. 6 hours later, still holding strong.

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll190/mk_deuce/towerpad2.jpg

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll190/mk_deuce/towerpad1.jpg

[patricioroel]

The look great, very nice work and very crative.

Thanks.

[lewisb13]

Looks good! Just a small comment, I would almost think you would want to mount the sticky side to the boat. Over time this is going to rub your gel/clear/paint or whatever off. If you put the sticky side on the boat, all you have to deal with is some adhesive remover if you ever want to change them and youll be rubbing on the stainless and not the boat. This looks awesome on your boat, and Im assuming you probably wont change these before you sell the boat because it looks like theyll last a longgggg time. Just was giving my $.02. Cheers.

[mk_deuce]

Looks good! Just a small comment, I would almost think you would want to mount the sticky side to the boat. Over time this is going to rub your gel/clear/paint or whatever off. If you put the sticky side on the boat, all you have to deal with is some adhesive remover if you ever want to change them and youll be rubbing on the stainless and not the boat. This looks awesome on your boat, and Im assuming you probably wont change these before you sell the boat because it looks like theyll last a longgggg time. Just was giving my $.02. Cheers.


I thought about that but I believe the stock ones have the adhesive on the tower side as well. The "traction nubs" are made of the same stuff as the entire pad so there shouldnt be any worries of this rubber going thru the gelcoat. Either way would probably work fine though. one quick note, if you put the pad on the tower first you know that anywhere the tower leg touches the boat it will be protected. If you put it on the boat first you may misjudge where the tower leg sets by an 1/8th of an inch and then have a aluminum rubbing gelcoat issue.

[zegm]

Great looking work there!

Quick question: what's up with the swirl pattern in the paint? It looks cool whatever it is!

[mnpracing]

proper installation per XTP is to mount the adhesive side to the tower. Doing it the other way causes the pad to creep out from under the tower foot.

[lewisb13]

I stand corrected. I was just thinking out loud. :-)

[viking]

Great looking work there!

Quick question: what's up with the swirl pattern in the paint? It looks cool whatever it is!

Reflection from the corrigated (sp??) walls i assume?

[mk_deuce]

Great looking work there!

Quick question: what's up with the swirl pattern in the paint? It looks cool whatever it is!

I spent $10k for a custom ghost zebra swirl clear coat! Haha No its the reflection of the inside of the tin on the storage building.

[moomba85]

hey great idea! Mine too are in need of replacement. How did these hold up now that its been about a year?? Thanks

[brain_rinse]

Heide at Atlanta Marine will get you the OEM pads shipped out quick and cheap.

[mk_deuce]

hey great idea! Mine too are in need of replacement. How did these hold up now that its been about a year?? Thanks

they have actually held up quite well. I can see them lasting probably another 2-3 seasons. The problem lies within the tower design. The tower feet are just to small an area not to have them try to push out whatever is under them. My tower has 3 boards & 4 heavy HLCD tower speakers so I get a lot of sway when trailering. When the holes in the pads that the screw come through rip out then the tower will naturally push out the pads no matter if they are my walmart setup or the oem pads.

[DOCDRS]

I wonder if you could just go old school and use 3m 5200 like the way the strut is held on?

[mk_deuce]

must of had a ton of trailer sway because all my pads had shifted quite a bit last friday. The home made pad I had put in actually ripped a bit. I have decided this tower design is definately not the best!!

[mk_deuce]

Heide at Atlanta Marine will get you the OEM pads shipped out quick and cheap.


Went ahead & called Atlanta Marine. They said the oem black pads had a bunch of problems and the new clear pads were way better. Ordered all 4 since I have two that are close to being toast. Was only around $12 total so I'll post an update after the install with the new OEM pads.

[mmobius2001]

was looking for updates on this, i need to replace mine bad, they are almost all the way off!

is it an easy swap out? all i need is to unscrew the tower from the boat correct? and just replace pad and screw back in?

[mcdye]

humm... I hope the next person that tackles this job will do a How To about the pad change out.

[mmandley]

was looking for updates on this, i need to replace mine bad, they are almost all the way off!

is it an easy swap out? all i need is to unscrew the tower from the boat correct? and just replace pad and screw back in?

Yes all you have to do is unbolt the tower, you can do it in sections as well. Take one foot off at a time if you cant support the tower weight. I just pulled the front foot of my tower up yesterday because it was leasking water into my cubby where all my amps are. I used clear silicon to reseal it. The foor was stuck on the boat and it took some persuasion to get it to loosen up but once it did i was able to have Claudia hold the foot up while i applied the silicon sealant. Then i reattached the foot to the boat and sealed the outter edge of the tower foot so there should be no way to ever get water threw that foot again.

[mk_deuce]

humm... I hope the next person that tackles this job will do a How To about the pad change out.

There is nothing to it. Just get a couple buddies and do one pad at a time. Take all the bolts out first, the tower may wanna "kick out" just a bit when you have all the bolts out but not that much. While one guy is holding up the tower leg off the gel coat, just a couple inches, the other guy can pull the old sticky pad out. You may want to have a towel folded over & ready if you need to set the tower back down in place before you get the new pad in. Thats pretty much it. Definately a 2 man job if you leave the tower up & do it like I did.

[mcdye]

Thanks, mk_deuce, earlier post you mentioned going with the new clear ones. Do they seem like they will be any better?

[mk_deuce]

Thanks, mk_deuce, earlier post you mentioned going with the new clear ones. Do they seem like they will be any better?

Too early to tell at this point. They are made out of a more "pvc type" material where as the older pads were a rubber. I know the old ones were junk so if you're goint to replace just get the new ones. They are pretty inexpensive.