Winch Shear Pins

73m819 said:

There is no such thing as a "shear bolt" at least for deuces and 5ts, no matter WHAT was used on you truck when you got it. I would REPLACE your "shear bolt" with the CORRECT shear pin before you break the winch gear case OR bust the pto and transmission.

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Actually I have seen the replacements that the military was using. They where actual aluminum bolts with fine threads. I remember this because I have never seen aluminum bolts before.

Thank You, as old as I am, I can still learn, though the "shear bolt" in question DOES NOT look like aluminum but looks can be deceiving.

Anti-corrosion Zinc Chromate etching on an aluminum surface CAN make it look like brass or similar to the "Gold Chain" now required for hoisting operations.

I posted the picture of the bolt you are discussing.

You guys know more than I do. All I can add is that one of those shear bolts snapped when I winched a dead tree out of the woods. It hit a standing tree, resistance was greater than the shear bolt could stand, and SNAP!!, the bolt protected the winch. Luckily, I had another one in the truck, swapped the broken one for a new one, and continued winching. My wet backside did not affect the winching one bit but I keep a small tarp in the truck since then just in case it ever happens again when the ground is wet.

Sorry, no pictures of dead tree and certainly not of wet backside.

Akicita said:

I posted the picture of the bolt you are discussing.

You guys know more than I do. All I can add is that one of those shear bolts snapped when I winched a dead tree out of the woods. It hit a standing tree, resistance was greater than the shear bolt could stand, and SNAP!!, the bolt protected the winch. Luckily, I had another one in the truck, swapped the broken one for a new one, and continued winching. My wet backside did not affect the winching one bit but I keep a small tarp in the truck since then just in case it ever happens again when the ground is wet.

Sorry, no pictures of dead tree and certainly not of wet backside.

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Wet ground was certainly not the cause of the wet backside when I first pictured this story!

I do not have the original pin because that one broke when I first used the winch... it broke just pulling my truck. I replaced it with a grade 2 bolt. It is not correct but I also use my head when I use the winch. When i have and sliver of doubt, I always use the snatch block. Its big and heavy but the extra insurance it gives me not to break my winch, its worth it.

We machine ours out of 6061-T6 aluminum rod stock. We have sheared them with no damage to the winches.

According to the data in this thread, the stock pin is 2024T361 aluminum and is stronger than a pin made out of 6061T6 aluminum.

sedohr said:

emailed paul at memphis to inquire about this cause frankly, i have NO idea at this time where to get these pins from here's his response: (9/27/11)


These are authentic military surplus pins from the U.S. Government. They are older stock pins made from pot metal when they only made shear pins from pot metal. I have heard all of the talk on Steel Soldiers about how the pins are incorrect if they are made from anything other then Aluminum. I have also heard about how the Aluminum pins break easily before winching a truck out. I have yet to hear anyone say that their winch broke due to our pot metal shear pins. You will just have to be the judge on this issue. Please let me know if you have any more questions.

Thanks Paul

P.S.: Earlier this year we sold 25 M35A2 trucks with winch’s to a foreign military. These trucks have gone thru testing in this country, while I do not know how intense or how much the winches were used-tested. We have had no complaints on anything related to the winch’s or shear pin’s.

randy
ohio

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Pot metal is mostly zinc, and has a low shear strength, so it might explain why some people on this thread found their NOS shear pins were breaking too easily. Otherwise, in a pinch a brass bolt sounds like a reasonable option.

Some of you might find the Engineer's Toolbox useful for finding out, and calculating, the physical properties of various alloys. You can find it at this link: https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/properties-aluminum-pipe-d_1340.html