So you want to form an eye on your wire rope or maybe even join two cables
together using a lap splice; in this video I'll teach you everything you
should know to make that connection using wire rope clips. If you're having
any trouble selecting the right clips for your application, please visit our
website or watch the how to select wire rope clips video which is linked in the
description. A good foundation for installing these clips properly is
knowing the terminology. The parts of the clip are the saddle, sometimes called the
base or the body, the u-bolt in the nuts. For the cable you need to
know the difference between the live end and the dead end. The live end of the
cable is a longer portion of the cable that extends to the other connection
point. It will be holding the load. The dead end is a shorter portion that is
turned back just so the wire rope clips have something else to grab. When the
clips are used to make an eye or end on the cable; it is called a termination, and
the entire group of components is called an assembly. Before you begin get your
tools and reference information together you'll need a tape measure, seizing tape,
cable cutters, a torque wrench, the proper sized wire rope clips, and reference
information. Reference information can be found on E-Rigging.com's website in our wire rope clip pages.
To start prepping the cable for assembly,
cut off any unraveled or kinked portion of the cable. Before cutting it is best
to seize the cable with tape to make sure that the end is kept tight. For
larger cable, soft wire may be a better choice to hold the cable end together.
After you seize your cable, you'll need to measure and mark the turnback length.
Turnback is the length of the cable from the base of the eye to the end of
the dead end. First, measure and mark the turnback length specified in your reference material.
Next, determine how large the eye on your cable
will be and mark the live end of the cable where the turnback mark is.
Lastly, mark the live end where the dead end of the cable ends. Line up your
markings and apply the first clip to the assembly. Don't saddle a dead horse is a
common phrase to help people remember the proper orientation to apply the clip.
It means to never apply the saddle of the clip to the dead end of the rope. Be
sure to space it one saddle length from the end of the dead end. Tighten and
torque the nuts being sure they are clean dry and free from lubrication.
Alternate between the nuts to ensure even pressure. The use of a torque wrench
will help to achieve that recommended torque required for holding the load. Be
careful not to over tighten the nuts as it can permanently kink the wire rope
and lead to premature failure. Apply the second clip to the assembly, remembering
to put the saddle on the live end, and push it snug up against the thimble. If
you aren't using a thimble push it up to the lines you marked earlier. Using a
torque wrench, tighten the nuts remembering to alternate between the
nuts for even pressure. If your assembly requires three or more clips, space them
evenly between the first two clips you apply, remembering never to saddle a dead
horse and never to alternate the clip orientation. Begin tightening the
remaining clips. Starting with the clip closest to the dead end and working back
to the eye. Remove any slack in the cable between the clips by pushing the slack
to the eye as you work your way down tightening all the clips in the
termination.
After tightening all the clips it is important to do a first load on the
assembly to seat all the components. Load the assembly with the load equal or
greater to the load you expect it to see in service. Then, inspect, tighten, and
retorque all the clips. Now, your wire rope clip cable assembly is ready for
service. After proper assembly, a wire rope clip termination can be expected to
hold 80 percent of the breaking strength of the wire rope for cable diameters 1/8"
through 7/8". This number is typically referred to as
termination efficiency. Sizes 1 inch through 3 1/2" have a
termination efficiency of 90%. For comparison, a swage sleeve termination
has the termination efficiency of 90% to 96%. A benefit of using wire rope
clips, instead of swaged sleeves for making a termination, is their ability to
be reused. There are some precautions you should take to ensure your wire rope
clip is still fit for service. The first thing to check is to make sure the
u-bolt fits into the saddle with no force required. If it is too difficult to
make these two components, your u-bolt or saddle may be bent, and you
should discard the clip. Check the threads on the u-bolt to make sure they
aren't damaged and that the nuts thread into them easily. Next, inspect the peaks
and ridges on the saddle for damage or gouging. Lastly, when installing the reused
clips ensure they can accept the recommended torque. If you're using a
pulley as a thimble, add one more clip to the assembly, being sure to space the
clips at least one saddle length apart from each other. The first clip near the
pulley should be one pulley diameter distance from the center of the pulley
and achieve a 60-degree included angle between the live and dead end.
Fist grip clips are newer take on wire rope clips and are designed to make
installation easier. Their saddles are mirrored allowing them to be installed
any orientation relative to the live and dead ends of the rope. In addition, they
only have one nut on each side, so a wrench can rotate freely when tightening.
The size of vinyl coated cable and the wire rope clips that fit may be
confusing as some manufacturers measure different things.
At E-Rigging we list vinyl coated cable by the cable diameter. The coating adds
some thickness, which is called the finished or final diameter, and is listed
on our website's product pages. It typically coincides with the next
size larger cable or clip. For example, 3/16" vinyl coated cable is coated to
1/4" diameter. So, after you strip the coating off the cable it will still
be 3/16" so you'd use a 3/16" clip.
Stripping the vinyl coating from the cable in the area where the clips will be installed is recommended for maximum strength.
To figure out just how much cable to strip, measure and mark the
cable and turn back just as you would if the cable was uncoated.
Where the end of the dead end meets the live end is where you'll want to start stripping.
Once marked, strip the vinyl coating off and apply the clips just as you would normally on uncoated cable.
If you intend on not stripping the vinyl coating from your cable and apply the wire rope clips over the coating
know that the strength of your assembly will greatly reduce
and you should always test these types of connections before putting them into use.
Never use this method for critical applications as the working load limit is greatly reduced and unpredictable.
To size the connection properly, measure the outside diameter of
the coated cable or look to the product specifications on E-Rigging's website.
If the coated or finished diameter is quarter inch, use a quarter inch wire rope clip.
The preferred method for splicing two cables together using wire rope clips
is forming two interconnected eyes, but for less critical applications a lap splice can be used.
Overlap the two seized ends of the wire rope by twice the amount of turnback used in a traditional eye termination.
Using twice the number of clips required for a single eye termination, place the first clip
one saddle length from the end of one of the dead ends, ensuring you don't saddle a dead horse.
Tighten and torque that clip to the recommended torque value.
Work your way down the length of the cable
equally spacing and hand tightening the clips. Remove any slack in the line
between the clips as you work your way down. Once you've used half the clips,
reverse their orientation to saddle the live end of the other portion of the
rope. Once all the clips have been applied and the slack removed, work from
the first clip you installed and tighten and torque all the remaining clips. Your
finished assembly should look as shown.This process is even easier for fist
grip clips because saddle orientation doesn't matter which is due to their
mirror design. Single and double stamped cable clips require a slightly different
assembly procedure. First, make sure the cables final
diameter matches the clips you are using. Then, seize the end of the cable. Unscrew
the nuts and remove the top plate. Place the cable into the body of the clip and
work it into the grooves and around the bolts leaving at least two cable
diameters of dead end protruding from the body. Form the eye to the size you
require and work the cable into the other side. Place the top plate on to the
body to capture the cable and tighten the nuts by hand. Use a wrench for final
tightening while alternating between nuts to ensure equal pressure. Your
finished assembly should look as shown. For single stamped clips, use the same
guidelines as you would for a double stamped clips.
To recap, the key points to consider when choosing wire rope clips for your rigging assembly are turn back
length, torque values, number of clips required, clip size, and clip spacing.
If you have any further questions please feel free to contact us on our website
and please subscribe to our youtube channel for more information on various
rigging topics. I'm Tyler with E-Rigging. Thanks for watching.