Wire rope clips, also known as cable clamps or wire rope clamps, are devices used to secure the ends of wire ropes or cables by clamping them together. They can be used to form a load-bearing eye at the end of a cable or to connect two cables together with a lap splice.

They consist of a U-shaped bolt with a saddle and two nuts. The saddle fits over the wire rope, and the nuts are tightened down onto the saddle, compressing the wire rope securely.

Wire rope clips are popular because they can be installed in the field and provide 80-90% efficiency of the rope's breaking strength, depending on the diameter of the wire rope.

Common Applications

• Wire rope end termination on a crane cable or winch.
• Running a length of wire rope through an eye bolt or shackle.
• Tensioning perimeter cables on docks, parking lots, and fencing.

1. U-Bolt Wire Rope Clips (Forged)

The base (saddle) is made from drop-forged steel. Forged clips are heated and hammered into the desired shape, resulting in a consistent grain structure in the steel. Forged clips must be used for critical, heavy-duty, overhead loads such as winch lines, crane hoist lines, guy lines, tie-downs, and scaffolds.

2. U-Bolt Wire Rope Clips (Malleable)

The base is made from malleable cast iron. These are used for making eye termination assemblies only for light-duty uses with small applied loads (e.g., hand rails, fencing, guard rails). Malleable iron may fracture under heavy shock-loading and does not possess the structural integrity of forged steel.

3. Double Saddle Wire Rope Clips

Double saddle wire rope clips consist of two saddles (each with a leg) and two nuts. Because they have saddles on both the top and bottom, they can be used in either direction, taking the guesswork out of identifying the "live" vs. "dead" end during installation.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to see a wire rope clip applied incorrectly. Any of these mistakes can lead to decreased efficiency, rope slippage, or catastrophic failure:

• Not Torquing Properly: Clips require a torque wrench. Over-torquing crushes the wire rope threads; under-torquing allows the rope to slip under tension.
• Not Using the Recommended Number of Clips: A minimum number is required based on the rope diameter.
• Incorrect Spacing: Clips must be proportionally spaced along the rope to distribute friction evenly.
• Saddle on the Incorrect End: The saddle MUST rest on the live (load-bearing) end of the rope.
• Incorrect Turnback: Turning back too little rope decreases the efficiency of the eye loop.
• Using the Wrong Type: Using malleable clips for critical or overhead applications instead of forged clips.
• Mismatched Sizing: Using a 3/4" clip on a 5/8" rope will result in slippage.
• Failing to Retighten: After installation and initial loading, the rope diameter will shrink slightly. You must cycle the rope and retighten the nuts.

• Step 1: Wrap the wire rope around the thimble to form the eye, and turn back the correct amount of rope (the "turnback" length) as specified by the manufacturer.
• Step 2: Apply the first wire rope clip at the very end of the dead end, leaving about one base-width of space from the cut tip. Use a torque wrench to tighten the nuts evenly.
• Step 3: Apply the second clip as close to the eye loop or thimble as possible. Hand-tighten the nuts.
• Step 4: If more than two clips are required based on the rope diameter, evenly space the remaining clips between the first two.
• Step 5: Apply tension to the assembly to seat the rope, then use a torque wrench to tighten all nuts to the manufacturer's recommended torque value.