A Complete Guide to Wire Rope Clips

What is a wire rope clip?

Wire rope clip is otherwise known as a wire rope clamp, wire cable clamp, wire clamp, wire clip, U-bolt, etc. It is widely used for making eye-loop connections or join two wire rope cable ends together. The traditional styles of wire rope clips usually have three components: a U-shaped bolt, a forged or cast iron saddle, and two nuts.

How many cable clamps on wire rope?

Generally, wire rope assemblies need at least two or three wire rope clips to secure the ends properly to the length of the rope.

Types of wire rope clips

The wire rope clips are available in a range of sizes and finishes, while you can easily find the difference from the appearance, traditional wire clips with u bolt, saddle and nuts, fist grip, stamped cable clamp.

Cast and malleable wire rope clips can only be used under light duty loads applications with relatively light loads, such as handrails, fencing, guard rails, etc.

While the drop forged wire rope clip variety is recommended for important, critical or sustaining overhead loads, such as guy lines, support lines, scaffolding, etc. The drop forged wire rope clips can be used in critical suspending, guying, and tie-down applications for the die forging process make them strong and more durable and the heating and hammering steps make their structure to be consistent and conform to the shape of the forged item.

Simplex and duplex cable clamps are also known as single stamped wire clip and double stamped cable clip are composed of stamping plate, saddle, and bolts, feature an aesthetic design, used for outdoor light duty applications.

Wire rope clips materials

Wire rope clips are available in a variety of materials and finishes but basically three types of materials, carbon steel, cast, malleable iron, and stainless steel.

Carbon steel wire rope cable clamps are galvanized, or hot dipped galvanized, the galvanised metal wire clamp has an added zinc layer to prevent rusting and protect against scratching and the addition of carbon corresponds with an increase in the hardness and strength of wire rope cable clamps. G, but stainless steel wire rope clamps are the best choice for corrosion-resistant applications that can be used for saltwater environments.

How to install wire rope clips?

Commonly wire rope clamp installation is very simple, there’s a well-known saying can help you remember how to attach wire rope clips, that reads “never saddle a dead horse.” Just follow the recommendation ways:

• The dead-end of the wire rope (the end of the cut side) must be contacted with the U bolt, then the saddle should be on the live end.
• Keep three or more wire rope clips attached at the end of the wire rope dead end, space between each wire rope clip should be at least 6 times the wire rope diameter.
• Tighten the wire rope clip closest to the thimble eye loop as possible, and never start from the one farthest from eye separately first.
• You can see the correct and incorrect ways of installation from the following pictures and find how many wire rope clips to use at one wire rope loop.
• See these posts for understanding the wire rope installation: Wire rope thimble installation & How to crimp ferrule?

How to use wire rope clips?

The saddle shall be placed on the live end of the wire rope, with the U-bolt on the dead-end side—Remember the well-known saying: “Never saddle a dead horse.” Use at least two or three wire rope clips to secure the ends properly to the length of the rope, and tighten nuts evenly one by one until reaching the recommended torque.

If you have any wire rope clips questions, you can contact us by email at info@hilifting.com. We will be glad to share with you more useful information.