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Finding your flagpole parts & Accessories

Once you know the basic dimensions of your flagpole, it is time to evaluate which flagpole parts or accessories need to be replaced. It is important to make sure your parts are also compatible with each other. For example, the ornament should be able to screw into the truck, the truck should fit over the pole top or screw into the pole top and the halyard diameter should easily pass through the truck pulley. The guide below will help you get started finding the parts that work for the three dimensions, HEIGHT, TOP DIAMETER and BUTT DIAMETER mentioned above.

Ornaments

The ornament can add a lot of character to a flagpole. Typical ornaments are balls, eagles, and crosses. For tapered flagpoles, the ball ornament should match the BUTT DIAMETER. If you have a straight pole shaft you can use the Flagpole Finder to find an appropriately sized ornaments for a given HEIGHT. For example, a 20' straight pole shaft, could use a 4" ball ornament to simulate the look of a 20' tapered flagpole with a 4" butt diameter. If you're interested in an eagle ornament, the width of the wing span should be roughly equal to half the HEIGHT of the flagpole in inches (i.e. a 30' flagpole would use an eagle ornament with a 15" wing span).

Trucks

The truck sits at the top of the flagpole and has a pulley which allows the rope to move the flag up or down the pole. There are three (3) types of trucks for internal halyard flagpoles.

• Cap Style Stationary

  These trucks fit over the top the the flagpole and are secured with set screws. They are fixed and will not rotate. It is best to put the pulley away from the prevailing direction of the wind. There is a small second pulley inside the housing of the truck so the halyard (rope or cable) can travel from the outside down through the center of the pole shaft to the cam cleat.

• Threaded Type Stationary

  These trucks have a male threaded end designed for the receiving threaded end at the top of the flagpole. These trucks will NOT rotate with the wind so it is best to position the pulley with the direction of the prevailing wind.

• Threaded Type Revolving

  Most often found on our Deluxe IH Flagpoles, these trucks swivel at the top of the pole with the wind. They are threaded for the receiving threaded end at the top of the flagpole. The additional pulley inside the truck allows the halyard (usually cable) to pass down through the center of the pole shaft to the winch.

	Cap Style Stationary [?]Stationary Cap Style Do not revolve and fit over the top of the flagpole. They are secured with 1/4"-20NC stainless steel set screws.	Threaded Type Stationary [?]Stationary Threaded Type Do not revolve and have a 1-1/4" NPT threaded spindle which screws into the top of the flagpole.	Cap Style Revolving [?]Revolving Cap Style Revolve or rotate and fit over the top of the flagpole. They are secured with 1/4"-20NC stainless steel set screws.	Threaded Type Revolving [?]Revolving Threaded Type Revolve or rotate and have a 1-1/4" NPT or 1-1/2" NPT threaded spindle which screws into the top of the flagpole. *Note: The 150 Series are an exception and have a 1-1/2" NPT threaded spindle.
Internal Halyard Flagpoles [?]Internal Halyard Trucks Designed for flagpoles with a single internal halyard (or rope).	IH-1 Trucks	IHT-VS Trucks Fiberglass-IH Trucks		IH-2 Trucks

Pole Top Adapter (PTA)

Pole Top Adapters are very useful for pole shafts that require a threaded type truck but have no threading at the top of the pole. PTA's come in 2-3/8" to 6" in diameter. The size of the PTA should match the size of your TOP DIAMETER (i.e. a flagpole with a 3" TOP DIAMETER takes a 3" PTA). The PTA is secured with stainless steel set screws.

Cable (for Winches) and Rope Assemblies (for Cam Cleats)

• Cable Assembly

  Cable assemblies are designed for self-locking winch mechanisms on internal halyard flagpoles. Stainless steel aircraft cable is standard for strength and rust prevention. Note: The cable most often wears out where the cable meets the pulley.

• Rope Assembly

  Roped assemblies are designed for internal halyard flagpoles with the cam action cleat mechanism. A cam action cleat is a spring loaded locking mechanism with teeth that bite into the rope. A rope assembly is finished with a thimble at the opposite end where the retainer ring and weight can be attached. Most rope assemblies have a wire center core.

Flag Arrangements

Flag arrangements are used with flagpoles that have a winch. The size of your flag arrangement must match the hoist or height of the flag. It connects to the cable assembly with a quick-link and runs along the flag’s canvas header. The counterweight, retainer ring, and bottom swivel snap are then attached to the bottom of the flag arrangement. The flag arrangement provides stress relief for the flag as well as a safety if the flag was to rip at the hoist.

Counterweights

Counterweights allow the flag to hang properly and allow the flag to be raised and lowered. There are three (3) different weights designed to accommodate various flag sizes (3-1/2 lbs., 7 lbs., and 14 lbs.). The right counterweight depends on your wind zone and the size of flag you are going to fly. Tip: It is only necessary to add a counterweight below the flag. Use our Flagpole Finder to determine the size of the counterweight used on poles similar to your own.

Retainer Rings

Retainer Rings keep the bottom of the flag close to the pole. The diameter of your retainer ring should match the BUTT DIAMETER of your flagpole. Aluminum flagpoles use a beaded retainer rings while fiberglass flagpoles require a rope retainer ring. The beads on a beaded retainer ring roll along the side of the pole as the flag is raised and lowered. Tip: Over time, these beads can become hard, crack and break off the retainer ring. When enough beads break the flag can get caught on the retainer ring and cause the flag to rip. Replace your retainer ring every few years or when the beads begin to wear down and crack.

Swivel Snaps

Swivel Snaps for internal halyard flagpoles are generally made of nickel plated zinc, brass, or stainless steel. Nickel plated zinc and brass swivel snaps are the most common and work best on commercial flagpoles in moderate wind zones. Stainless steel swivel snaps are the heaviest duty and are used on large commercial flagpoles in heavy wind zones. Tip: If any of your swivel snaps begin to show signs of wear it is advised to replace them before they eat into the flag. If noise is a concern, add a vinyl snap cover to each swivel snap to help reduce noise.

Illustration of how to attach a swivel snap to the halyard

Winches, V-Cleats & Cam Action Cleats

Before you buy any flagpole parts, you should know what mechanism secures your halyard in place at the bottom of the pole. There are three (3) types found on internal halyard flagpoles, the Winch, V-Cleat and Cam Action Cleat.

• 
  Winches

  Winch

  The Winch (typically made of stainless steel) allows the flag to be raised or lowered with the use of a removable crank handle. When the flag is raised to the top of the pole, the excess stainless steel cable is tightly wound around the drum of the winch. TIP: If the winch is made of stainless steel, make sure you lubricate it with a non-oil based lubricant once per year.
  
• 
  Cam Cleats

  V-Cleat and Cam Action Cleat

  The Cam Action Cleat is a spring loaded, self locking cleat while the V-Cleat is a pressure fit cleat shaped like a "V". In both cases, these cleats are located on the inside of the flagpole. The excess rope below the cleat falls to the bottom of the pole inside the shaft.
  

Flash Collar

A flash collar is an aesthetic finishing piece. The flash collar rests on the bottom of the flagpole and wraps around the base covering the foundation. Make sure the flash collar ID matches your flagpole BUTT DIAMETER (i.e. a flagpole with a 5" BUTT DIAMETER could use a 5" x 12" x 1-3/4" flash collar). Flash collar sizes are displayed as For Pole Diameter (in.) x Collar Outside Diameter (in.) x Collar Height (in.). TIP: A split collar can be useful when replacing or adding a collar to an existing flagpole.

Foundations (and Mounting Hardware)

There are four types of flagpole foundations:

• Ground Sleeve

  
  Ground Sleeves
  Ground sleeves are the most common type of flagpole installation. For residential and budget commercial flagpoles, the ground sleeve is made of PVC. For larger commercial flagpoles, however, the ground sleeve is made of galvanized steel. Concrete is poured around the sleeve to set the foundation. After that, the flagpole is placed inside the sleeve with sand (add wooden wedges to help level larger flagpoles).

• Shoe Base/Tiling Shoe Base

  Shoe Base installations are very common for light poles, but not as common for flagpoles. A form is used to set anchor bolts into concrete. The flagpole is then set on top of the anchor bolts, leveled and secured with nuts and washers. Tilting Shoe Bases have a hinge so the flagpole can be lowered after it has been secured to the anchor bolts. Tilting Shoe Bases are recommended for one-piece flagpoles only.

• Counterbalance Tilt System

  A counterbalanced flagpole has two beams which suspend the flagpole with a cotter pin. The flagpole has additional weight welded into the bottom so the flagpole can pivot around the cotter pin. Counterbalanced flagpoles are installed much like shoe base flagpoles with anchor bolts and a form.

• Wall Bracket

  There are two different types of wall brackets for commercial flagpoles, vertical and outrigger. For all other applications, try our brackets for small flagpoles. Wall brackets allow a flagpole to be anchored to a wall or surface. Vertical brackets allow the pole to stand parallel to a building and often extend past a roofline. Outrigger brackets allow the flagpole to extend outward at an angle (generally 45^° or 60^°). Most wall brackets are secured to a surface, with threaded rods set in an epoxy gel, thru-wall bolts, or mounting bolts with expansion shields.

Other useful information to keep in mind

Flag Size (and the # of Swivel Snaps Required)

The number of swivel snaps required to hoist each of our American Flags varies by size. See the chart below.

Size	# of Thimbles	# of Grommets	# of Swivel Snaps Required
12" x 18"	-	2	2
16" x 24"	-	2	2
20" x 30"	-	2	2
2' x 3'	-	2	2
2-1/2' x 4'	-	2	2
3' x 5'	-	2	2
4' x 6'	-	2	2
5' x 8'	-	2	2
5' x 9-1/2'	-	2	2
6' x 10'	-	2	2
8' x 12'	2	1	3
10' x 15'	2	1	3
10' x 19'	2	1	3
12' x 18'	2	1	3
15' x 25'	2	3	5
20' x 30'	2	3	5
20' x 38'	2	3	5
25' x 40'	2	5	7
30' x 50'	2	5	7
30' x 60'	2	5	7
40' x 70'	2	7	9
40' x 75'	2	7	9
50' x 80'	2	9	11

Flying multiple flags

When flying more than one flag on the same pole, you want to separate the flags by about 6 inches for the best fly-ability. Simply adjust the location of the swivel snaps so there is a small space (about 6 inches; doesn't have to be exact) between flags.

The second thing to keep in mind is the maximum wind speed rating flagged of your flagpole. Different flagpoles are designed to withstand different maximum wind speeds. Check your flagpole's wall thickness, butt diameter, and height to determine the appropriate flag size for the pole. From there you can reasonably judge what the appropriate flag sizes you can fly.