What you should know about
Twisted
Clevis Pins
Many sailing vessels that I survey have a condition in which the jaws of a
turnbuckle attachment on a stay are considerably wider than the chainplate to
which they are attached. Eventually the clevis pin slides down to one end of
the opening, resulting in considerable twisting stress on the jaws, the clevis
pin, and the chainplate itself. This twisting stress typically distorts the
shape of the jaws over time, often resulting in even more stress being applied
to the attachment. Eventually this attachment is likely to fail.
| Examples of twisting stress on clevis pin |
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One proposed solution to this condition is to insert bushings on either end of
the clevis pin, inside the jaws, that keep the pin centered around the
chainplate. Ideally, these bushings should be made of a material that does not
retain moisture, should be slightly larger in inside diameter than the diameter
of the clevis pin, and should have minimal direct surface contact with the
chainplate and the jaws. All of the above could be accomplished with
appropriately sized "stainless steel internal tooth lock washers".
