tm mount

after 5 yrs of dealing w my tm mount im finally welding it on. it had just been screwed down and was 7 inches too long. i have a piece of plywood on top to raise it up a little more off the deck. im thinking of sandwhiching a piece of eva foam between the tm and the plywood. my thinking is it will help absorb shock and vibration and raise it a little bit more. any opinions?

I would think that a piece of rubber would be a better option. You could cut it to size and never be able to see it

I would definitely weld it on then id look into mounting the TM using the Motorguide isolator bolt kit. Itll set it up off the deck and absorb any vibrations.

I agree with Wyatt. Definitely weld it. If you're gonna use the isolator little you might wanna read this first https://www.walleyecentral.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-83489.html. I was originally gonna go with the kit but decided to use a quick release mount with rubber truck tubing between the TM and the mount. Solved all my issues

Truck tire tubing.

any ideas where to pick up tire tubing?

i agree with the idea of isolating. the eva foam will match the footprint of the mount, it will squish down some. the original mounting had toggle bolts, u can see how big the holes had to be to get the toggle thru. if the holes cant be welded full then i will go with toggles in the front 2 holes and 1/4-20 bolts w fender washers and locknuts 4 fpor a total of 6. the mount stops short of going all the way to the front of the bow, i will probably hav the welder fill it in w scrap. that will give me a totally flat mounting area, then maybe ill use the iso;ator bolts up front . if i had a truck tire tube i would use that, i will look around. thanks

You can get a free inner tube from most places that sell Farm and tractor trailer tires. I went in and asked them if they had any used tube station and they gave me 3. This may seem like a cheap fix, but doing it this way it will absorb the whole bracket when it vibrates.

Welding my trolling motor mount was the single most, absolute best decision I've made with my rig... I fought them stupid screws and then them motor guide isolators for years...

So I decided on a raised mount and welded if to the deck... Raised so I could access below it to be able to through bolt the mount down with stainless nylock nuts on bottom that can't loosen over time(second best decision I've ever made). I didn't put any rubber or anything but I do like that idea, even though I love how mine is Rock solid, no vibration...

went and had the mount welded today. rock solid. have a 3/4 pc of plywood under it and a 3/4 pc of plywood on top. routed out a section of the plywood on top to make it flush all the way to the bow point. gonna have to use toggles on the holes at the front. would it be better to sandwhich the foam between the wood and mount or between the tm and plywood? opinions welcomed. i am using the plywood to get the motor up off the deck more, this way i dont hav to turn the head after i deploy

waiting on some paint to dry will post pics and open up the discussion soon

Why the plywood?

the plywood raises the motor and gives the washers on the bolts something to bite into. i previously could not put nuts on all the bolts so i used lag bolts into the plywood. i routed out a groove for a weld and took a ply off to level the mount out. will be mocking up today, will post and ask for opinions.

its upside down , but u can see the foam between the mount and plywood. i did ot this way because it levels the tm out better.any opinions before i install?6 1/4 -20 bolts w fender washers and nylocks. actually the front 2 bolts are toggles.

You'll be redoing it in 2 years or less...

Best boat mod I've ever done, hands down, period....

Now I just need to put it back together and get back to fishing!! Haven't fished since last March when my outboard got stolen.. Been traveling out of state working so I took everything off my boat for safer storage.. I have a new 30 Yamaha now, fixing to rig it up and get it back together...

marshman i did have it welded. the actual mount is welded to the boat. the plywood and foam will be boltted thru.