Starlock Washers

A starlock washer - also known as a push-on retaining washer or E-clip washer - is the stamped spring steel disc that pushes onto a smooth shaft or pin and locks in place by the biting action of its inward-pointing teeth, creating a permanent one-way retention that prevents the shaft from sliding back through the component it was installed to retain. At the DIY Hardware Store, our starlock washers are available in the shaft diameters most commonly encountered in domestic appliances, automotive components, and general mechanical assembly.

Starlock washers are used to retain pins, axles, handles, and spindles in place without the need for a threaded section, nut, or separate retention feature. They push onto the shaft end with finger pressure and grip the shaft surface with their teeth - removal requires deforming or destroying the washer, making them effectively permanent. This is exactly their purpose: as a one-way, tool-free retention device that holds a component in position and resists the axial loads that would otherwise work the shaft free in service.

Available in zinc-plated spring steel in shaft diameter sizes from 3mm to 20mm at the DIY Hardware Store, sold as singles for matching to specific applications.

  • Push-on retention - locks permanently onto smooth shaft or pin
  • Inward-pointing teeth bite shaft and resist axial removal
  • No thread, nut, or separate retention feature required
  • Effectively permanent - removal requires washer destruction
  • Used for pins, axles, handles, and spindle retention
  • Shaft diameter sizes 3mm to 20mm available