B27081/24AZ - S.A.E. Standard Clevis Pin - 3/8 Diameter x 1-3/32 Inch Long

Buyers Products Clevis Pin is manufactured to SAE standards and available in multiple sizes to fit your application. The clevis pin is used with rods, cables, yoke ends, and other assemblies. It can be ordered with a cadmium- or zinc-plated finish in quantities to your specification.

Specifications

Technical Overview: S.A.E. Standard Clevis Pin - 3/8 Diameter x 1-3/32 Inch Long

The S.A.E. Standard Clevis Pin, with a nominal diameter of 3/8 inch and an effective length of 1-3/32 inches, represents a fundamental component in mechanical linkage systems requiring reliable pivot points and secure fastening. Engineered and manufactured by Buyers Products, this specific clevis pin adheres rigorously to Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standards, ensuring dimensional precision, material consistency, and performance reliability across a multitude of industrial and commercial applications. Its design facilitates connection between components such as rods, cables, and yoke ends, providing a robust, yet articulative, joint. This technical discourse will delve into the critical aspects of this clevis pin, including its adherence to SAE standards, detailed dimensional analysis, material science, corrosion protection methodologies, diverse applications, and intrinsic mechanical properties.

Adherence to SAE Standards: A Foundation of Reliability

The designation "S.A.E. Standard" is paramount to understanding the inherent quality and interchangeability of this clevis pin. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) establishes and maintains engineering standards for automotive, aerospace, and commercial vehicle industries. For fasteners like clevis pins, adherence to SAE standards, such as those typically outlined in documents like SAE J494 or general fastener specifications, mandates precise control over several critical parameters:

• Dimensional Tolerances: SAE standards specify permissible variations from nominal dimensions. This ensures consistent fit and interchangeability with corresponding components designed to the same standard. For this 3/8-inch pin, the specified diameter of 0.375 inches (A) will conform to a tightly controlled tolerance range, guaranteeing proper clearance in mating holes without excessive play or binding.
• Material Composition: While not explicitly detailed, SAE standards for clevis pins generally recommend specific grades of low or medium carbon steel. These materials are selected for their optimal balance of tensile strength, shear strength, and ductility, making them suitable for applications involving dynamic loads and shear forces. Material undergoes testing to confirm composition and properties.
• Mechanical Properties: SAE specifications often include requirements for mechanical properties such as minimum shear strength, hardness, and sometimes tensile strength. These properties are critical for the pin’s ability to withstand operational stresses without deformation or failure. Manufacturing processes, including cold forming and heat treatment (if applied), ensure consistent property achievement.
• Surface Finish Requirements: Standards address the quality and type of surface finish. For plated finishes like zinc or cadmium, SAE standards dictate minimum coating thicknesses, adhesion properties, and corrosion resistance performance, often tested via salt spray.
• Quality Assurance: Adherence to SAE standards implies a comprehensive quality control system throughout the manufacturing process, from raw material sourcing to final product inspection. This ensures batch-to-batch consistency and long-term reliability.

By conforming to SAE standards, Buyers Products guarantees that this 3/8-inch clevis pin is not merely a component, but a precision-engineered fastener designed for reliable integration into critical mechanical assemblies.

Comprehensive Dimensional Analysis for Precision Integration

The functional efficacy of a clevis pin is intrinsically linked to its precise dimensions. The specifications provided for the S.A.E. Standard Clevis Pin - 3/8 Diameter x 1-3/32 Inch Long offer a detailed blueprint for its geometry. Let's meticulously examine each dimension and its significance:

• A: Pin Diameter (0.375 inches or 3/8 inch)
  This is the nominal diameter of the pin shaft, the most critical dimension for determining the fit within the clevis or yoke. A diameter of 0.375 inches ensures compatibility with standard 3/8-inch bores. Precision within strict SAE tolerances is crucial to minimize slop, prevent premature wear, and allow necessary rotational movement.
• B: Head Diameter (0.500 inches)
  The head diameter defines the overall width of the pin's top flange. The head provides a bearing surface against the clevis arm, distributing the load and preventing the pin from passing entirely through the assembly. Its larger diameter relative to the pin shaft (0.500 inches vs. 0.375 inches) ensures a secure shoulder, critical for load retention and structural integrity of the joint.
• C: Head Thickness (0.125 inches)
  This dimension dictates the axial thickness of the pin's head. A robust head thickness is essential to withstand the clamping forces and lateral stresses exerted on the pin, preventing deformation or shearing of the head itself. It also contributes to the overall stability of the assembled joint.
• D (Min.): Minimum Grip Length (0.938 inches)
  The "Minimum Grip Length" (D) is a vital parameter, representing the shortest effective length of the pin shaft that can engage with the components being joined. A minimum grip length of 0.938 inches ensures that the pin can securely fasten components with a combined thickness of at least this value, guaranteeing the cotter pin hole is fully exposed for a retaining fastener. This dimension is critical for preventing incomplete engagement and maintaining structural integrity.
• E: Length from Underside of Head to End (1.094 inches or approximately 1-3/32 inches)
  This dimension, 1.094 inches, directly corresponds to the stated product length of 1-3/32 inches (approximately 1.09375 inches). It measures the working length of the pin shaft from the underside of the head to the very end of the pin. This is the primary length for matching the pin to the clevis/yoke depth, ensuring it fully traverses components and protrudes sufficiently for a retaining clip.
• F: Total Overall Length (1.219 inches)
  Considering the relationship between E (length from underside of head to end) and C (head thickness), F (1.219 inches) logically represents the total overall length of the pin from the very top of its head to its distal end. This is derived from E + C = 1.094 + 0.125 = 1.219 inches. While E defines the functional engagement length, F provides the total spatial requirement of the pin, including its head.
• G: Cotter Pin Hole Diameter (0.078 inches)
  This dimension specifies the diameter of the transverse hole drilled near the end of the pin. A diameter of 0.078 inches (approximately 5/64 inch) indicates the size of the cotter pin or hairpin clip required to secure the clevis pin in place. This hole, strategically positioned beyond the maximum grip length, is essential for preventing the pin from dislodging due to vibration or axial forces, thereby completing the secure linkage.
• (0) Drill No.: 38 (.101)
  The inclusion of "Drill No. 38 (.101)" warrants clarification. While "G" specifies the cotter pin hole diameter (0.078 inches), Drill No. 38 (0.101 inches) is a distinct specification. Most plausibly, this indicates a manufacturing-specific drill size, an allowance for a slightly larger cotter pin, or a related assembly component drill specification, distinct from the primary cotter pin hole "G". For this specific pin, G=0.078 inches is the supplied cotter pin hole diameter.

Material Science and Precision Manufacturing

The integrity of the S.A.E. Standard Clevis Pin hinges significantly on its material composition and the precision of its manufacturing processes. Typically, clevis pins of this specification are fabricated from low to medium carbon steels, such as AISI 1008, 1010, 1018, or 1035. These steel grades are chosen for their excellent balance of ductility, which allows for cold forming, and their ability to achieve requisite strength characteristics through subsequent processing.

• Material Selection: Low carbon steels offer good weldability and formability, ideal for cold heading. Medium carbon steels provide higher strength and hardness, often used when greater load-bearing capacity is required, potentially with additional heat treatment. The specific grade selected ensures the pin can withstand intended shear and bending stresses without brittle fracture or excessive plastic deformation.
• Manufacturing Process: The production typically involves several stages:
  1. Wire Drawing/Rod Stock Preparation: High-quality steel wire or rod stock, controlled for diameter and material properties, serves as raw material.
  2. Cold Heading/Cold Forming: Raw material is fed into a cold heading machine, using immense pressure to form the head without heating. Cold forming enhances strength, improves surface finish, and maintains grain structure integrity, reducing stress concentrations.
  3. Machining and Drilling: After heading, the pin is precisely machined to achieve specified diameter and length. The transverse hole for the cotter pin (dimension G) is then drilled with high precision for correct alignment and ease of assembly.
  4. Deburring and Finishing: Edges are deburred and the pin undergoes surface preparation prior to coating.
• Quality Control: Throughout these processes, rigorous quality control measures are implemented. This includes dimensional inspections (using calipers, micrometers, and go/no-go gauges), material hardness testing, and visual inspections for surface defects. These checks ensure each clevis pin meets stringent SAE standards and Buyers Products' own internal quality benchmarks, guaranteeing consistent performance and reliability.

Advanced Corrosion Protection: Zinc and Cadmium Plating

To extend the service life and maintain the aesthetic and functional integrity of the clevis pin, protective surface finishes are applied. This S.A.E. Standard Clevis Pin is available with either a zinc-plated or cadmium-plated finish, each offering distinct advantages and suitability for different environmental conditions.

Zinc Plated Clear Finish (as supplied for this specific product)

The "Zinc Plated Clear" finish on this particular clevis pin is a widely adopted and highly effective method of corrosion protection.

• Mechanism of Protection: Zinc plating offers both physical barrier and galvanic (sacrificial) protection. When the zinc coating is compromised, the zinc, being more anodic than steel, preferentially corrodes, protecting the underlying steel. This sacrificial action is critical in preventing rust and maintaining structural integrity.
• Clear Chromate Passivation: The "Clear" aspect refers to the chromate conversion coating applied over the zinc layer. This thin, transparent passive layer significantly enhances the corrosion resistance of the zinc, particularly against white rust. Clear chromates are aesthetically pleasing, providing a bright metallic appearance, and are generally trivalent chromium-based, ensuring RoHS compliance.
• Benefits:
  • Good Corrosion Resistance: Offers substantial protection in atmospheric and moderately corrosive environments.
  • Cost-Effective: Zinc plating is a relatively economical finishing process.
  • Aesthetic Appeal: Provides a bright, clean, and professional appearance.
  • Galling Reduction: The zinc layer can reduce friction and prevent galling between mating steel surfaces.
  • Environmental Compliance: Modern clear chromates are often RoHS and REACH compliant, suitable for a broad range of applications.
• Applications: Zinc-plated clevis pins are ideal for general industrial, automotive, agricultural, and construction applications where moderate corrosion protection is required and a clean aesthetic is preferred.

Cadmium Plated Finish (Alternative Option)

While this specific pin is zinc-plated clear, the option for cadmium plating highlights a critical performance variant. Cadmium plating offers distinct advantages in specific, often more demanding, environments.

• Mechanism of Protection: Similar to zinc, cadmium provides sacrificial corrosion protection to steel. Cadmium offers a more consistent corrosion rate and effective barrier in aggressive environments.
• Superior Performance Characteristics:
  • Enhanced Corrosion Resistance: Provides superior corrosion resistance, especially in marine, saltwater spray, high-humidity, and alkaline environments, surpassing zinc.
  • Lubricity: Its inherent lubricity reduces friction, improving torque-tension characteristics and preventing galling, beneficial for fasteners requiring smooth insertion or repeated adjustments.
  • Solderability: Cadmium plating offers excellent solderability, a key attribute in some specialized electrical or electronic applications.
  • Fungus Resistance: Possesses good resistance to fungal growth, an advantage in tropical or damp environments.
• Environmental and Health Concerns: Cadmium's primary drawback is its significant environmental and health impact as a highly toxic heavy metal, leading to strict global regulation (e.g., RoHS, REACH). Due to these concerns, cadmium plating is typically restricted to critical applications where its unique performance advantages are indispensable and where no suitable alternative exists, predominantly in aerospace, military, and specific marine applications.
• Availability: The ability to order with a cadmium finish, albeit subject to regulatory compliance and specific application requirements, underscores Buyers Products' capacity to meet diverse and highly specialized industrial demands.

The choice between zinc and cadmium plating is a crucial engineering decision, balancing corrosion protection needs with environmental compliance and cost-effectiveness. For general use, the zinc-plated clear finish provides robust and environmentally responsible protection.

Functional Applications and Assembly Principles

The S.A.E. Standard Clevis Pin serves as a versatile and indispensable component across numerous industries, facilitating the creation of robust yet articulating joints. Its fundamental role is to connect two or more components, typically a "yoke" or "clevis" fitting, to another component (e.g., a rod end, cable terminal, or eye bolt), allowing for rotational movement while bearing significant shear loads. This 3/8-inch pin is ideally suited for medium-duty applications requiring controlled articulation in diverse sectors including agriculture, construction, automotive, marine, and general industrial machinery.

• Mechanical Linkage Systems: Clevis pins are primarily used in mechanical linkages where a pivot point is required. This allows relative angular movement between components, transmitting shear and tensile/compressive forces without bending moments. Specific examples include:
  • Agricultural Machinery: Connecting implements to tractors, securing hitch points, and articulating control linkages.
  • Construction Equipment: Used in hydraulic cylinder attachments, bucket linkages, and boom assemblies.
  • Automotive and Transportation: Found in braking mechanisms, steering linkages, and trailer hitches, where reliability is paramount.
  • Marine Applications: Utilized in rigging, control linkages, and securing components, particularly with appropriate plating.
  • Industrial Machinery: Employed in conveyor systems, material handling, factory automation, and custom machinery for actuator connections and tensioning.
• Rods, Cables, and Yoke Ends:
  • Rods: Connect pull rods or push rods to levers or other actuating mechanisms, transmitting linear force into rotational motion.
  • Cables: Connects cable end fittings to control levers or pedals, providing secure, flexible attachment.
  • Yoke Ends: Designed with parallel arms and a hole, perfectly suited to receive a clevis pin which passes through the yoke and a corresponding hole in a mating component, forming a pivot.
• Retention Mechanism: The final and crucial step in assembly is the insertion of a retaining fastener through the cotter pin hole (G=0.078 inches). This is typically a cotter pin or a hairpin clip, essential for preventing the clevis pin from dislodging due to vibration or axial forces, thereby completing the secure linkage.

Mechanical Properties and Performance Considerations

Understanding the mechanical properties of the S.A.E. Standard Clevis Pin is crucial for engineers and designers to ensure its suitability for specific load conditions and operational environments. The primary mechanical property of concern for a clevis pin is its shear strength, though other properties also contribute to its overall performance.

• Shear Strength: Clevis pins are primarily designed to withstand shear forces, acting perpendicular to their longitudinal axis. In typical double shear applications (where the load is distributed across two shear planes), the pin's load-bearing capacity is significantly increased. Ultimate shear strength, combined with cross-sectional area (A), determines maximum safe shear load; SAE standards mandate minimum values.
• Tensile Strength: Though not primarily for axial tensile loading, tensile strength indicates overall strength and resistance to bending moments from off-axis or dynamic forces.
• Yield Strength: This property indicates the stress level at which the pin material begins to deform plastically. Operational stresses must remain below yield strength to prevent permanent deformation and maintain joint integrity.
• Hardness: Important for wear resistance in articulating joints; excessive hardness can lead to undesirable brittleness under dynamic/shock loads.
• Fatigue Resistance: Crucial for cyclic loading, fatigue resistance is enhanced by material selection, surface finish, and cold forming's beneficial compressive residual stresses, extending operational life.
• Impact Resistance: Ductility and toughness are critical for absorbing energy from impacts/shock loads without fracturing, ensuring robust performance.

Quality Assurance and Strategic Sourcing from Buyers Products

Buyers Products' commitment to S.A.E. Standard Clevis Pins underscores dedication to quality, reliability, and customer satisfaction. The production of a fastener to stringent SAE specifications is not merely a statement of compliance but a testament to a comprehensive quality assurance framework.

• Rigorous Testing: Each batch of clevis pins undergoes a series of inspections and tests. These typically include:
  • Dimensional Verification: Precise measurement of all critical dimensions (A, B, C, D, E, F, G) to ensure adherence to published specifications and SAE tolerances.
  • Material Analysis: Verification of steel composition through spectrometry or other analytical methods to confirm the correct alloy grade.
  • Mechanical Property Testing: Destructive or non-destructive testing to confirm shear strength, hardness, and other relevant mechanical properties meet or exceed SAE requirements.
  • Coating Thickness and Adhesion: For plated pins, tests ensure the zinc or cadmium coating meets minimum thickness requirements and exhibits proper adhesion, crucial for long-term corrosion protection.
  • Corrosion Resistance Testing: Salt spray testing (e.g., ASTM B117) is commonly employed to evaluate coating effectiveness in a controlled corrosive environment, predicting real-world performance.
• Supply Chain Reliability: Buyers Products' ability to offer clevis pins in quantities to specification, with options for cadmium or zinc plating, reflects robust supply chain management and manufacturing flexibility. This ensures consistent availability, timely delivery, and capacity to meet standard and bespoke industrial demands. The availability of multiple sizes within their product line further solidifies their position as a comprehensive supplier of essential mechanical components.
• Engineering Expertise: The design and manufacturing process are supported by experienced engineering teams who understand the nuances of fastener performance, material science, and industry standards. This expertise translates directly into products that perform reliably in their intended applications.

Selection Considerations and Installation Best Practices

For optimal performance and longevity, proper selection and installation of the S.A.E. Standard Clevis Pin are critical.

• Matching Dimensions: Match pin diameter (A) to the clevis/yoke bore for a snug, non-binding fit. Effective length (E) or minimum grip length (D) must accommodate component thickness, ensuring the cotter pin hole (G) is fully exposed.
• Load Requirements: Assess maximum shear load against the pin's rated shear strength, applying a safety factor for critical applications.
• Environmental Conditions: Select the appropriate finish based on the operating environment. Zinc Plated Clear performs well for general use. For extreme marine/corrosive environments, cadmium plating may offer superior resistance if regulations permit.
• Retaining Clip: Always use a correctly sized cotter pin or hairpin clip (matching G) to securely fasten the clevis pin, ensuring proper installation to prevent disengagement.
• Regular Inspection: Periodically inspect clevis pin assemblies for signs of wear, deformation, corrosion, or damage to the retaining clip. Worn or corroded pins should be replaced promptly to prevent failure.

Conclusion

The S.A.E. Standard Clevis Pin - 3/8 Diameter x 1-3/32 Inch Long from Buyers Products is more than just a fastener; it is a meticulously engineered component designed for critical mechanical linkages. Its adherence to stringent SAE standards, precise dimensional specifications, robust material construction, and advanced corrosion protection options—particularly the environmentally compliant Zinc Plated Clear finish—ensure unparalleled reliability and performance. From agricultural machinery to industrial automation, this clevis pin provides a secure, articulating joint, embodying precision engineering and consistent quality, making it an indispensable choice for demanding applications where durability and safety are paramount.