Skip to main content Skip to search Skip to main navigation

Carbon Steel Stub and Stub Turnbuckles

What are carbon steel stub and stub turnbuckles? These are tensioning assemblies with plain threaded ends and no fitting at either end. That absence is the point: a stub end is raw thread you weld, machine, or thread into whatever the design requires, rather than being committed to an eye or a jaw. They are the specialist option for engineered assemblies, custom fabrication, and applications where standard end fittings do not suit. This is our widest range, covering 1/4-20 through 2-1/2 with take-ups from 3 to 12 inches. AlbanyCountyFasteners.com stocks these in plain carbon steel.

Filter products

Why choose stub ends over a finished fitting?

Because the connection you need does not come off a shelf. A stub end gives you thread and nothing else, so you can weld it into a structure, thread it into a purpose made fitting, or machine it to suit a bespoke connection. That flexibility is why stub and stub is far and away our widest range, running from 1/4-20 all the way to 2-1/2, where the eye and jaw options stop well short. Fabricators building tie rods, machinery frames, and engineered tension members reach for stubs precisely because the assembly is being made rather than assembled. The condition is that whatever you attach becomes part of the load path, so it needs to be at least as strong as the turnbuckle it is attached to.

Why choose carbon steel stub and stub turnbuckles

  • Plain threaded ends for welding, machining, or purpose made fittings
  • The widest size range we stock, from 1/4-20 through 2-1/2
  • Take-up options from 3 to 12 inches
  • Suits engineered and custom fabricated tension assemblies
  • Carbon steel welds readily, unlike stainless or galvanized ends

Sizes and take-up stocked

  • Small, 1/4-20 and 5/16-18 with 4-1/2 inch take-up
  • Mid range, 3/8-16 through 1 inch with take-ups from 3 to 12 inches
  • Large, 1-1/8 through 2-1/2 with 6 and 12 inch take-ups
  • Specified as thread diameter by take-up length
  • Widest selection of sizes and take-up combinations in our turnbuckle range

Common applications

  • Engineered tie rods and tension members
  • Custom fabricated machinery frames and supports
  • Welded structural assemblies
  • Purpose built rigging where standard fittings do not suit
  • Industrial equipment requiring bespoke end connections
  • Large diameter tensioning beyond the range of finished fittings

Where a standard fitting suits, eye and eye or jaw and jaw assemblies save fabrication time. If you need only the threaded body, see our carbon steel turnbuckle bodies.

Related Categories

Carbon Steel Stub and Stub Turnbuckle FAQs

What is a stub end?

A plain threaded end with no fitting attached. It is the raw thread of the turnbuckle assembly, intended for you to weld, machine, or thread into a connection of your own design rather than pinning to a shackle or lug.

Can I weld to a stub end?

Carbon steel welds readily, which is a large part of why stubs are supplied in it. Follow appropriate procedure for the section size, and bear in mind that welding near the thread can distort it, so protect the threaded portion and check it afterwards.

Why does this style go up to 2-1/2 when the others stop earlier?

Because large diameter tensioning is nearly always engineered rather than assembled from standard parts. At that size the end connections are designed for the specific structure, so a stub end is what the fabricator wants.

How do I know what take-up to specify?

Enough that your working tension sits mid range with room to tighten as the assembly settles. On a fabricated assembly you have some control over installed length, so choose take-up for the adjustment you need in service rather than for initial fit.

Will these rust outdoors?

Plain carbon steel corrodes in outdoor exposure. On a fabricated assembly you would normally paint or coat the whole thing after welding, which handles the turnbuckle at the same time.

Are stub ends weaker than eye or jaw ends?

The turnbuckle itself is unaffected, but the connection you fabricate becomes part of the load path. A poorly welded or undersized end connection can be weaker than the assembly it is attached to, so design and inspect it accordingly.