Lift Cable Specs. & Rebuilding Info

[Trailman]

Going to remove the lift chains on my Mesa tomorrow, before installing my new gearboxes.
When the roadcover is in the raised position i can lift on the front right and rear left corners and they have no tension on them so i suspect i have broken cables.
What are the cable specs?
My local hardware store has stainless aircraft grade cable in stock, would that work?

Thanks,
Den

[Terry]

That will work as long as it is 3/32 in size.  Make sure that you use copper stops and then have them crimped small enough so they fit in the end of the last link.  When I tension the cables up, I try to get them so that the chain rolls up 3/4 of the length when I crimp the other end.

[Trailman]

Thanks Terry

[DDLTexan]

That will work as long as it is 3/32 in size.  Make sure that you use copper stops and then have them crimped small enough so they fit in the end of the last link.  When I tension the cables up, I try to get them so that the chain rolls up 3/4 of the length when I crimp the other end.

Thanks, that is great to know.

I have some new stainless steel cable and will rebuild some old ones in a month or two.

Important Note when rebuilding your lift cables.  The top 10 links of the chain are never used so rotate them.  Put the worn ones on the top and the 10 unused ones to the bottom where the gear box teeth will touch them.  Your chain if rebuilt this way will be like new again.

[Trailman]

OK I got most of the bits to repair the chains.
The chains when i removed them were in good shape except for the damaged #1 links on 3 of the chains.
Also the chains have 56 links, I plan to rebuild them with 56-1/2 links.
I read where i can rotate the links and also add a spacer in place of a link at the telescopic end so i have 4-pieces of plastic cut and drilled and will use the links they replace to make new #1 links
The worn #1 links have cut in half to use as 1/2 links.
I got new 3/32" stainless cable from the local hardware store cut in 8' lengths.
the only things i need now to get it rebuilt is the copper cable stops, i have looked in every hardware store plus the local Wally mart and Canadian Tire store and no luck, i may have to order them and put the project on hold.

[timsch]

Canadian Tire doesnt have it you say! Take it back I tell you, take it back, it aint so! Canadian Tire has everything! I wont believe it!!! I LOVE CANADIAN TIRE!!!!!

[DDLTexan]

The only things i need now to get it rebuilt is the copper cable stops, i have looked in every hardware store plus the local Wally mart and Canadian Tire store and no luck, i may have to order them and put the project on hold.

I got mine from a marine cable store about a year ago.  I think another thread here has the store information on it.

[Trailman]

Tim, in this instance Crappy Tire let me down, there i was armed with a suitcase of Canadian Tire money as ransome for the release of 16 of their finest 18 cent copper cable stops but the deal did not go down.

[DDLTexan]

Ahhhhh that is very sad.
 :cry:

[timsch]

Blasphamy, Traitor! Take it back!

[Trailman]

I got mine from a marine cable store about a year ago.  I think another thread here has the store information on it.[/quote

Thanks Alan, i got a bro in law into boats I will ask him.
What do the boating people use them for?

Tim i can't take it back, they had'nt got it :lol:

[DDLTexan]

I was told it was used on sail boats.

I have not owned a sail boat so I could only guess.

But they had both the stainless steel cable and stops.

[sensi3d]

when i rebuilt my 70 mesa i made my own stops. i just drilled out some stainless steel that was the right size. took them over to the hardware store and they crimped them for me. the 70 system is different but the idea is the same

[DDLTexan]

Trailman,

Here is the place I bought mine from.

I found an internet site that sells it for 16 cents - yes you read correct - 16 CENTS a foot!!!!

http://www.webriggingsupply.com.

Its type 304 7x7 3/32" stainless steel cable. I ordered 64 feet. I also ordered 16 copper button stops for 18 cents each. They cut the cable into 8-8 foot lengths and crimped 8 of the stops onto 1 end for free.

[Trailman]

Thanks Alan, I ordered the copper button-stops from Webriggingsupply today