[TowerTalk] Torque Bars...another way to look at it.

[Cqtestk4xs at aol.com]

I'm no engineer, but whether the torque bar actually does work better is a 
matter of how the guy wire is installed.  

The old style Rohn guy brackets were designed in a way that almost 
necessitated the use of a torque bar.  If the bar was installed and tightened into place 
the was almost no flexibility at the joint...hence the stiffening effect.  
Without the bar there is more play, somewhat more flex at the joint. 

The remedy to the increase in flexibility is to 'fill' up the gap which was 
created by the removal of the bar.  The shackle or thimble which loops around 
the bracket 
bolt has play on either side if the bar is not used.  The solution is to add 
heavy duty spacer washers on either side of the thimble or shackle to fill the 
space and firm the joint.

Rohn did this when they redesigned the brackets in the 90s.  Beside going to 
just one bolt at the joint, they put a heavy D ring sandwiched between spacer 
washers to firm up the joint.  The thimble is connected to this D ring without 
benefit of a torque bar.

Whether the torque bars add to the 'diameter' of the tower or provide some 
other benefit I don't know.  I do know that without adding the spacer washers 
the joint is sloppier if there is no torque bar.  This sloppiness from the loose 
joint would increase the ability of the tower to twist more than if the joint 
was tight either from the bar being in place or from the addition of the 
spacer washers.

Bill  K4XS