Selecting Wire Rope Clips
Below is our video explaining different wire rope clips and the different environments in which each wire rope clip is best suited.
If you would prefer a text and picture explanation of the video, keep scrolling.
If you are seeking information on the proper installation of wire rope
clips, please look to our
Wire Rope Clip
page, our
YouTube Channel, or the direct link to the video at the end of this article
.
Want more information? Please contact our team by using the link provided at
the end of this article. We look forward to assisting you with any of your
rigging questions.
Wire Rope Clips
may also be referred to as Wire Rope Clamps, Cable Clamps, Wire Clamps,
Wire Clips, U-Bolts or other local terms. These typically all refer to the
same group of products.
Wire Rope Clips are used to form a load bearing eye at the end of a wire
rope/cable and to connect two cables together using a lap splice.
E-Rigging carries a variety of wire rope clips in different materials,
styles, and coating types. These wire rope clips are suited for less than
permanent applications. They can be secured with common hand tools and are a
cost effective alternative to swaged sleeves, if you only have to make a few
assemblies.
There are 3 types of Wire Rope Clips Materials: 316 Stainless Steel, Hot
Dipped Galvanized, and Malleable Zinc Plated.
- Most Corrosion Resistant
- Best for outdoor applications as they are highly resistant to corrosion, especially in or near saltwater environments.
- Lower cost than stainless steel
- Suited for outdoor environments.
- Not as corrosion resistant as stainless steel wire rope clips.
- May be used outdoors, but may exhibit signs of surface rust quicker than Hot Dipped Galvanized wire rope clips; especially if used in rain, snow, salt air, or saltwater environments.
Styles of Wire Rope Clips: Traditional, Double Saddle, Drop Forged,
Cast, Malleable, Single Stamped Cable Clamp, and Double Stamped Cable
Clamp
Composed of three different parts: The saddle, the u-bolt, and nuts.
Composed of only the saddles and nuts. The saddles are mirrored on this
type of clip so there is no need for a u-bolt and provides unique
advantages during installation.
Drop Forging
Drop Forging is the process of heating and hammering steel to the shape
desired. This allows the steel’s grain structure to be consistent and
conform to the shape of the forged item. Cast and malleable wire rope
clips may fracture under heavy use due to the steel’s random grain
structure created during manufacturing.
E-Rigging’s Drop Forged Traditional Style and Double Saddle Style wire
rope clips are the strongest and most durable type of clips that we
offer.
These clips are the best choice in critical suspending, guying, and
tie-down applications.
Best used in applications that do not involve overhead suspending and
are non critical.
Cost effective alternative to drop forged wire rope clips.
Slightly less reliability than drop forged wire rope clips due to the
difference in manufacturing processes.
These cable clamps are also known as Simplex and Duplex Cable
clips/clamps and are composed of the saddle, top plate, and bolts.
They can be used as an alternative to wire rope clips in some
applications.
Most cost effective stainless steel option.
Suitable for light duty applications.
Double clamps are capable of holding a little more load than the
single clamp.
Feature an aesthetic design that some customers use as the deciding
factor when given the choice between using a wire rope clip or cable
clamp.
How to Size Wire Rope Clips and Cable Clamps to Wire
Rope/Cable
An important aspect of purchasing and assembling these items for
your project is to properly size the wire rope clips to the cable.
This will help insure that you have a safe and secure assembly.
Size the clip to the size of the cable used.
If you are using ¼” cable, use a ¼” clip
IMPORTANT: The working load limit of the cable assembly will decrease if the vinyl coating is not stripped from the cable. This occurs because the saddle and u-bolt are making contact with the soft and pliable vinyl coating and not the wire rope, which may cause slippage in the assembly and can lead to failure. It is also important to note that different companies size vinyl coated cable differently. E-Rigging lists vinyl coated cable by the cable diameter without the coating. The vinyl coating adds a little thickness to the cable. We have the finished/ final diameter of the cable with the coating listed on our website.
Size the clip to the vinyl coating diameter of the cable used.
If you are using a 3/16" cable, coated to ¼” final diameter, use a
¼” clip.
Or, to insure a safer assembly, you can strip the vinyl coating
and follow the sizing rules below.
Size the clip to the size of the cable used.
Same rules as if using regular, uncoated cable.
If you are using ¼” cable, use a ¼” clip
Now that you know the wire rope clip size and type you need
for your project, check out our video on
Installing Wire Rope Clips.
We hope this information was helpful to you. If you need more
information, please contact our team by clicking
here . Let
us assist you in ordering the correct rigging supplies to get
your next project started.