# Twisted clevis



## Oxman (Feb 9, 2003)

Had a scare high up in a tree yesterday, when I looked down at my left hip dee and saw my grillion hanging free, unattached from my saddle. The empty, unfamiliar-looking attachment hole loomed large, seemingly big enough to drive a Wal-Mart through. This is while I was supposedly attached to the tree with the safety lanyard.





The last time I remember checking the twisted clevis was two days earlier, when I swapped ends of the lanyard, due to a chainsaw muffler meltdown spot. Is finger-tight enough with this connector? Obviously, checking every OTHER day is insufficient. 

At the time I was leaning back in a fork, re-tying my two climbing lines, which had become twisted around each other. No point of attachment secured me.

A quick glance showed the clevis still hanging on the side dee, dangling like a crystal from a chandelier. No sooner than the thought that the clevis pin was surely buried, in the ivy far below, had crossed my mind, I saw it there, resting on a fold of cloth from the tail of my shirt. Otherwise motionless, I eagerly swept it up in my hand, lest the grillion, clevis, lanyard, and aluminum rope hook be lost to utility. 

Everything was easily put right, except for my peace of mind. The fragility of my stable posture in the tree was compromised. Hopefully, compromised forever, for being slightly unsettled in our composure is the root of careful equipment-aided treeclimbing.


The instance reminded me of a previous shocking episode of the old non-locking steel rope snap that had its sheet-metal gate tweaked. This held it stuck open, and left the snap merely hooked, not gated. 

Stunned at the potential for impending doom, I imagined my body spiraling downward in an accelerating, headlong dive, deflecting slightly off unyeilding limbs, then bouncing off the ground with a thud, before settling into a bloodsoaked pile of protoplasm.


----------



## Tom Dunlap (Feb 9, 2003)

You are one lucky dude. So is your family and friends. Death tapped you on the shoulder but you dodged the call.

Do you see the hole in the pin? That's there so that the pin can be wired shut. Nylon wire ties might work too. At a minimum use a pliers to tighten them up just a smidgen. Locktite or similar thread locking adhesive is useful here.

All of the shackles that I use are the no snag variety from: http://www.bosunsupplies.com/

I carry an allen wrench in the tool pouch on my saddle in case I need to make a change in the tree.

Get in the habit of checking connections more often. If you quit posting, we'd miss you buddy!

Tom


----------



## lync (Feb 9, 2003)

*Say a prayer*

Somebody upstairs likes you!!
I use a mallion rapide tightened with a wrench.


----------



## rahtreelimbs (Feb 9, 2003)

Oxman, Glad to see you are all right. I just started using this style of clevis. I put Loctite on it and tightened it with a pair of pliers. Are you still going to use this clevis?


----------



## NickfromWI (Feb 9, 2003)

*That darn clevis*

I also use that style clevis....I got mine from West Marine. I believe it is a Wichard.

I snugged mine down gently with pliers, then, like Tom suggested, tied the pin to the main body. I used red waxed polyester twine.....double-contrictor hitch. It serves a little bit to prevent the pin from untwisting, but mostly, it's an alarm feature. In order for the pin to come out, the string has to come out. Often through out the day, I glance down to check if the string is there. I've got a Petzl Fixe pulley and two eyes of a friction hitch in there, so it get's confusing sometimes. However, that little red splotch of string is my comfort at a quick glance. 
Regardless, you've convinced me to check a bit more often.

love
nick


----------



## Kevin (Feb 9, 2003)

I've never had a problem with the twisted clevis I use on my flipline but I just added a 3/16" plastic tie wrap to it.
Thanks Ox.


----------



## John Paul Sanborn (Feb 10, 2003)

Glad to hear it was just a scare:angel: 

I know a few guys who carry a leatherman or like too in the tree for those little thing like tightening a saw blade, I have one because i use a lot of quicklinks in my system.


----------



## gitrdun_climbr (Nov 6, 2011)

*Twisted Clevis, mine came off too*

Wow, now this is pulling up an old thread but I want people using this twisted clevis to be aware. Mine came apart in the tree today. My "office" is generally in tall fir and cedar tops but Friday I was in a small cherry tree and only 10' or so off the ground. I was tied into a 3" limb above mainly for positioning, went to adjust my macrograb and the whole thing just crumbled apart in my hand...pin, clevis, grab and flipper:msp_scared: My groundsman was standing right there and we just both looked at each other like, what the hell?!

I've used the twisted clevis for almost 10 years and never had this happen. I used to use a smaller diameter clevis with a micrograb which had this clicking locking affect in the last thread. About 5 years ago I went to a larger diameter one with a change from micrograb to macrograb and the larger diameter one didn't have that locking click so I've always checked it before every climb and here and there during the day. Friday the tree was so jokie I guess my subconscious habit of checking it didn't kick in and sure enough, it failed...miserably. Well, the equipment didn't fail, I did.

Needless to say, it will have locktite and a wire on for Monday.


----------



## oscar4883 (Nov 6, 2011)

Glad you are ok. I use lockite and also put a small keychain split-ring on the clevis before installing the pin. Once everything is snug I put the split-ring through the hole in the pin so that it can't back out even a 1/4 turn.


----------



## gitrdun_climbr (Nov 10, 2011)

*figured out why*

I figured out how it happened. It was my second day climbing in an Ergovation. The red straps that come up from the leg pads grind up against the clevis pin and can actually crack it loose. Reason it never happened before is because my old Weaver saddle never hit it this way. Not blaming the Ergo, just wanting everyone to be aware. That pin has a hole in it and I highly recommend everyone use it.


----------

