Diameter - The diameter of the steel cable should be measured at its widest point. A new wire rope will be slightly larger by a slight percentage (approximately 2%) to allow for the normal reduction of diameter when a wire rope is placed under load.

Stranding and Closing - This refers to the direction of the strands and wire are helically laid to form the steel wire rope. The most common are Right Regular Lay, Left Regular Lay, Right Lang Lay, and Left Lang Lay. Please see the diagram below and pay close attention to the direction of the wires and the strands and how they differ. In Regular Lay wire ropes, the direction of the wires are twisted in the opposite direction as the direction of the strands (therefore it will look like the wires run parallel with the length of the wire rope). In Lang Lay wire ropes, the strands and wires are wrapped in the same direction around the core so the wires of the strand will look like they are perpendicular to the length of the steel wire rope.

Grade of the Steel Used - There are common basic grades like IPS, or Improved Plow Steel wire rope. This is the basic standard grade wire rope and is very economical for purchasing. The next step up would be EIPS, or Extra Improved Plow Steel wire rope. This steel rope is approximately 10% stronger than the IPS grade. A newer grade is becoming more and more popular as of late which is EEIPS, or Extra Extra Improved Plow Steel wire rope. This is still in the early stages of popularity so will not be as readily available as the other steel cables.

Finish of the Wire Rope - The finish of the wire rope can vary from bright wire to galvanized wire to stainless steel to vinyl coated wire rope. The bright finish has a self colored finish and usually has a coating of lubricant. The galvanized wire rope will feature a hot dipped zinc coating to help protect the wire rope from the elements. For natural resistance, try the stainless steel wire rope which is very resistant to rust. The surface of the rope will rust but the rust will not accelerate to the core as in a standard bright or galvanized finished steel rope. A vinyl coated wire rope will offer great protection to the wire rope assuming the cable's vinyl cover remains uncut.

Core of the Wire Rope - The core of the wire rope is usually designated by the following abbreviations; FC for Fiber Core, IWRC for Independent Wire Rope Core, and WSC for Wire Strand Core. The fiber core rope can be made of many natural or synthetic materials that are generally softer and make a wire rope more flexible. The wire rope cores offer a stronger wire rope but will lose some of the flexibility of the rope.