That time a load line snapped on a Friday afternoon in Columbus

Everyone says wire rope lasts until the visible wear shows, but I had a 7/8 inch line let go on a 40 ton pick with zero warning signs. The manufacturer's inspection checklist missed internal strand fatigue every time. Has anyone else had a cable fail without visible fraying?

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3 Comments

jamesm485mo ago

hollyc92 nailed it with that internal corrosion thing. I read somewhere that wire rope can lose up to half its strength from inside rust before you see anything on the outside. Always made me second guess the visual checks.

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hollyc925mo ago

And internal corrosion can hide deep inside the cable long before the outside looks bad.

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nancy4755mo ago

Gotta admit, I used to just glance at the outside and call it good... never really thought about what's going on underneath. This whole thread has me rethinking my whole inspection routine.

3