Tower Speaker Weight vs Tower Sway

MobiusMan · Newbie Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 19 City: Lewisville

Hey guys,
After finishing my tower speaker installation (pair of Fusion T-Series Combos) on my 2003 Mobius LSV, I finally got out to the lake over the weekend. I noticed on the ride out to the lake that the tower sways alot more than it used to while trailering to the lake. I am really worried about stress cracks at the base of the legs of the tower. I talked to the local dealer and he said that hanging 50 lbs of speakers on a 25 lb tower could cause stress cracks in the gel-coat. These would be cosmetic and not structural he said. I understand and agree with his explanation, but is there anything I can do to prevent the cracks? Is the additional sway and possible cracks just part of "adding Bling" to your towers? Do your towers have additional sway due to speakers, lights, etc?

acurtis_ttu · Soul Rider Joined: 16 Aug 2004 Posts: 499 City: Houston

I never had any sway untill I put up the NVS 1010's (close to 80lbs). I remove my tower speakers everytime I trailer. It's worth the extra 5 min it takes me and I don;t have to worry about keeping bug/dirt off them. I have no stress cracks yet, but its a matter of time. I get 1-2 inches of sway in chop

SMFB8 · Posted: Apr 12, 2005 7:24 am Post subject:

I jus bought some Tower Speakers and have not installed them yet. I had no idea they would do that, I guess I'll remove them before driving....

Fishmaster · Posted: Apr 12, 2005 1:09 pm Post subject:

The more weight (racks, boards, lights, speakers, etc) you add, the more sway you will get. I dont know of a way to measure sway to know at what point it could be a problem.

How much do the T-Series weight? I know there are a lot of them in the market and I have not hear of problems, with them or any others. The NVS1's are heavier than most, but then again their better than anything out there with the Defcon's gunning at them.

Geoff Standish · Addict Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 843 City: Calgary

MobiusMan, I had a 2002 Moomba Mobius...I'm assuming we would have the same tower. I was running Boss B530's and wakeboard racks. I ran them for 2 years, never took them off except for security reasons, I trailered with them, ran through rough water etc...not one spider crack.

I even remember one point I left my boat floating and a friend of mine decided to ride the tower like a bull while waves from passing boats went by! Not the smartest thing to do, but I never saw a spider crack even with that abuse.

I to saw the sway you are talking about...If you're worried, it couldn't hurt to take the speakers off.

MobiusMan · Newbie Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 19 City: Lewisville

The Fusion T-Series Combos are roughly 20 lbs each I believe. I guess there are really only two things I can do...either take them down each time I am trailering or just keep an eye on it and wait and see what happens. I guess this is why Moomba is going to larger diameter towers so it cuts down on the amount of sway. It just freaks me out when I am driving on a rough road (which most of them are here in the Dallas/Ft Worth area) and look in the rear view mirror and see the tower shaking back and forth. The price you pay for "Bling" I suppose!

Talltigeguy · Newbie Joined: 06 Jun 2004 Posts: 48 City: St. George

The tower sway is an issue. I think that I see far more directional pressure on the tower while trailering than when boating. I go faster when trailering and the trailer has less shock absorbing capacity than the water usually does. Of course, once in a while you can take a big roller very hard, but that is rare.

I am amazed (irritated, actually) that there are not decent quick release clamps out there that would save me having to worry about trailering with big speakers. I think Bill at Monster hears me...but have not yet seen them...Hopefully when his HLCD speakers come online...

Fishmaster · Posted: Apr 13, 2005 9:31 pm Post subject:

Just finished putting our coax bullet speakers on the site - http://www.monstertower.com/accessory2.html . . . and with quick release. I park where you only take out of the boat what you want to retain ownership of. I guess I'm kinda a quick release junkie Very Happy

Fishmaster · Posted: Apr 13, 2005 9:33 pm Post subject:

NVSAirWarrior · Posted: Apr 14, 2005 5:59 am Post subject:

Bill,
Nice job!

SMFB8 · Posted: Apr 14, 2005 6:14 am Post subject:

Sweet

Talltigeguy · Newbie Joined: 06 Jun 2004 Posts: 48 City: St. George

Bill,

Thanks! I thought you were listening to me! Way to chime in on cue! Laughing

mneal · Outlaw Joined: 28 Jun 2003 Posts: 120 City: St. Petersburg

Looks good Bill, I am curious, what MCAD do you use? It looks like Solidworks but hard to tell.

Fishmaster · Posted: Apr 14, 2005 7:56 pm Post subject:

mneal - I bought AutoDesk Inventor 5 at a previous company I started and still use it, works great for what I need and it's like a comfortable old sneaker at this point. All our vendors use SolidWorks and I'd love to have it (or the latest Inventor) but is huge bucks to replace something that is not broken!

mneal · Outlaw Joined: 28 Jun 2003 Posts: 120 City: St. Petersburg

Yea, i hear you, iP,lus you loswe alot od histoic stuff too if you swap. I any of the big MCAD people figure out how to keep the full functailty of the a file import you could save the old stuff at least. I have not ever used AutoCad since 2D stuff in school (R14 I think ) and have used Pro/E since I have been out working. I have heard the Inventr is pretty good though. I tey they all are pretty good these days, .

Centrider · Outlaw Joined: 21 Mar 2005 Posts: 232

Hey guys, i have the same speakers fusion t combo. IS there a quick release i can get or make?

SouthWaker · Posted: Jul 21, 2005 5:43 am Post subject:

Has anyone ever thought of replacing their backing plates with larger ones? If they covered more area it should make a stronger base.

FunkmaztafoX · Outlaw Joined: 14 Mar 2004 Posts: 238 City: Charlotte

holdsworth · Posted: Jul 21, 2005 8:56 am Post subject:

we have the same tower speakers (the fusion t-series combo) and i noticed the sway in the tower while we were on the water. i didn't notice it much and my dad said that it wasn't much to worry about, which he knows a lot about those kinda things. we don't trailer the boatr around much, but we did take them off while going down to TN for vacation, and the same for back up.

chavez · RIP MHL 04/25/1958 - 01/11/2006

All I have to say here is:

If you tower sway is a problem with 26lbs on it (each T Combo weighs a scant 13lbs), you have bigger fish to fry.

lcap · Ladies Man Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Posts: 10973 City: Homeless

Never ever had a problem with a factory CC tower! No cracks, no sway and no vibration! Guess the others should have followed their drawings a little more carefully....Hell their free to the public over the internet.

FunkmaztafoX · Outlaw Joined: 14 Mar 2004 Posts: 238 City: Charlotte

you talking about the air nautique towers? those are patent pended.