[TowerTalk] Broken 3/8" Turnbuckle

[Eric K3NA (E-mail)]

   Perhaps another potential source of the problem:  I have seen people
adjust turnbuckles while they are under load.

   According to my understanding, the proper way of adjusting a turnbuckle
is to remove the load, make the adjustment, and then restore the load.  The
load can be removed by using a cable hoist (come-along) connected to the guy
wire on the tower side of the turnbuckle and the anchor (or whatever) on the
ground side... crank up the cable hoist until the guy in the turnbuckle
fork/eye/shackle goes slack (just a couple of clicks)... adjust... and relax
the cable hoist.

   Grinding the threads of a turnbuckle (especially without lubrication, and
after having been exposed to the weather and collecting a bunch of dirt)
with adjustments while under load doesn't seem like a way to maintain the
geometry of the threads.  That said, I don't know if the effects are severe
enough to lead to a collapse in the threads.

-- Eric  K3NA


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