A short, strong, cheap, turnbuckle alternative?

The weight limitation on turnbuckles is the hook/eye not the buckle. McMaster has a Clevis-Style Turnbuckle that is rated to 300# and is 5 1/4" retracted (min length) with another 2.5" of adjustment out. But the price is more on the ouch side (19 bucks a pop). 

tremm said:

...I was thinking of a coupling nut + 2 eye-bolts, but I think they're too short (only offer @ 0.5-1" of adjustment)...

A turnbuckle has RH thread on one end and LH thread on the other end.  A normal coupling nut wouldn't work the same way.

FWIW, there are "telescoped" turnbuckles which use a combo of internal and external threads to get a shorter OAL for the same amount of adjustment travel.  Some tie rods use this kind of adjustment (Jeep JK, C3500, dunno what else).

Cheapest ideas I can come up with:

• use two parallel full-thread bolts like the awful "coil spring adjusters", with whatever works for the end plates
• j-bolt (or eye bolt) plus half of a guillotine exhaust clamp

This is an aftermarket version of the JK style tie rod adjuster: