I guess Denny sorta underlined it for me . . . the originals DO seem "Half-arsed". You're really only getting holding power on half the retainer. I guess e-clips aren't necessarily better, though you get retention beyond 180 degrees, at least.
And yeah, the big bolts have pins that are over an inch in diameter, so the clips are uncommon.
I think I'll futz around with some e-clips and snap rings and see if I'm confident in their performance - I'll report back.
-Michael
