Designed to reduce shift noise and vibration in high-horsepower outboards with heavy-duty 1-1/4-inch propeller shafts, Mercury Marine’s Flo-Torq SSR HD propeller hub system has been named a 2016 Top Product by Boating Industry magazine. The news was announced in a press release from the Fond du Lac, Wis., marine engine, propeller and accessories company.

The Flo-Torq hub also won an Innovation Award at the 2015 International Boatbuilders Exhibition and Conference.

“The innovative Flo-Torq SSR HD enhances the boater’s experience,” said Jared Reichenberger, brand manager for Mercury Propellers, in the release. “The ability to offer the cushioning effect of a rubber hub, yet provide the strength of a durable solid hub is a win-win for boaters, particularly those with high-horsepower Verado outboards, such as the 350 and 400R.”

Introduced in late 2015, the Flo-Torq SSR HD is the first propeller hub of its kind to employ Mercury’s new SSR—Soft Shift Rubber—technology, according to the release. The system reportedly delivers a 25-percent improvement in shift noise and vibration during “shifting events.”

“The SSR hub delivers these benefits without sacrificing the strength and durability of a solid hub designed for high-performance marine engines,” the release stated.

The SSR system is based on a traditional, solid-steel hub that also has a bonded rubber sleeve on one end of the hub that provides cushioning to the system. The bonded rubber sleeve cushions the propeller during shifting events, absorbing shock and vibration. When the propeller comes under load, the stainless steel end of the hub engages the core of the propeller, creating a solid hub that can reliably transfer the significant power generated by today’s four-stroke outboards.

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