Learned a neat cable tension trick from a veteran mechanic

I was struggling to get good readings on an elevator cable today. My coworker showed me a counterweight method for a fast check. What do you all use for quick tension checks?

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3 Comments

thea7717mo ago

Actually, the counterweight trick is good for a rough guess. But it can be off if the pulleys aren't clean. I always use a calibrated tension meter for real work. The digital readout helps avoid mistakes, and you can log the numbers for later.

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robin6657mo ago

Ever notice we overcomplicate stuff that works fine?

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piperschmidt7mo ago

A lot gets missed if you only check tension when the car is empty. Heavy daily use stretches cables unevenly. Robin665 has a point about overcomplicating, but sometimes the simple check hides bigger wear patterns. I've seen cables pass a quick test but fail under load. It's not just about clean pulleys, it's about history. You need to know how the system behaves when people are actually using it.

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