[TowerTalk] Broken 3/8" Turnbuckle

[Tower2sell@aol.com]

Turnbuckles breaking by stripping the threads are very unusual. This seams to indicate that the threads were "out of tolerance" A turn buckle has a "sloppier" fit than a normal bolt and some manufactures take it bit too far. This seams to occur when they do not change the taps when they have worn out. I have seen some turnbuckles that were too loose and have rejected the entire lot. A good way to compare is to learn from a good batch of turnbuckles and swap the parts the difference in the play will be noticeable. (a good Go - No Go gage is really needed.)

Turnbuckles should be manufactured to an ASTM specification that dictates the thread tolerances and just about every thing else.

Another possible cause is not having the keeper nut tight. Without this nut being tight, the threads could fatigue and strip out.

My suggestion is to replace the entire batch and preserve the turnbuckles in case you can find the manufacturer and have them properly investigated. 

Some people just get lucky like you and don't loose their entire tower.

Tower2sell@aol.com


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