[TowerTalk] dxengineering U-bolts froze??

[Dubovsky, George]

Bob,

It's called "galling" and most stainless alloys are prone to it. It's just like the parts weld together. The cure is to always lubricate stainless fasteners during assembly. I carry a brush-top can of Never-Seez whenever I'm doing tower work, but any light grease will work just fine.

73,

geo - n4ua

-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Bob AD5VJ
Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2010 8:38 AM
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: [TowerTalk] dxengineering U-bolts froze??

I like dxengineering parts; however, I installed my new th6dx this last
weekend with the help of the Azle Ham Club here locally. After taking down
my Hornet Tribander I was disassembling the Hornet from the mounting plate
that I bought from dxengineering.

I bought it with the recommended stainless steel U-bolt clamps they sell
when I put the Hornet up. It was up less than a year on the tower. While I
was loosening a couple of the U-bolt from the mast, the nut holding a couple
of the U-bolts became very hard to take off until I had to place the
assembly in a vice to get enough torque on my wrench to finally get the nut
off along with using a spray lubricant.

The threads are ruined on the nut and the U-bolt since it seemed to cross
thread as it came loose for no apparent reason.

I would have hated to have been trying this on top of the tower hanging from
a strap trying to get it apart.

Has anyone else had a problem like this, I remember it wasn't hard to
tighten when I assembled it as it went on very easily, just taking it off
was very difficult.

73,
Bob AD5VJ


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