How to tie a car cable. Experienced Tips: Marine Towing Unit and New Use of the Shovel. Making a loop on a steel cable

Every motorist knows that there should always be such things as a first aid kit, an emergency stop sign and, of course, a reliable tow rope in the trunk. The road is an unpredictable thing, anything can happen on the way. Has the car stopped in the middle of the road or got stuck in the mud? It is in these and similar situations that the tow rope will come to the rescue.

When choosing a towing cable, pay attention to those models that are equipped with a special carabiner or a solid hook-hook (they are designed to securely attach your car to the towing vehicle). It is better to have hooks with latches-latches - they will help to avoid accidental slipping of the hook during towing. Pay attention to how the carabiner / hook is attached to the cable itself. The most reliable are twisted cables made of high-strength ship rope - the hooks are firmly fixed due to the interweaving of the “tails” of the cable into each other. When choosing a ribbon cable, look at the stitching points of the ribbon with the hook attachment - they must be stitched several times, not only from top to bottom, but also diagonally. The carabiner is hooked to the left eye of the towing vehicle and the right eye of the towed vehicle, after which they start moving. The recommended hitch option will enable the driver of the rear car to view the traffic in the oncoming lane and control the road ahead of the towing vehicle. In this case, the towing cable will be located almost parallel to the axis of the vehicle. In the absence of a carabiner or hook, the towing cable is tied to the vehicle. There are several verified sites. One of these is a bowline (it is also called a gazebo knot). To make a bowline loop knot, bend one end of the cable and twist it with a loop. After that, the formed loop is bent to the cable and another new loop is pulled out through it. Now they push the second end of the cable into this loop, pull it until a loop of the desired size is formed and put it on the hook. Such a knot is a reliable option for attaching a tow rope without a hook. At the end of the towing, it will not be difficult to untie the bowline knot. Also one of the most common among drivers is a towing unit. To tie it correctly, one of the ends of the cable is thrown onto the towing hook of the towing vehicle from left to right in such a way that a loop is obtained and the free right end extends from below to the left from under the stretched cable. Then they make a regular loop at the left end of the cable, put it on the hook and pull the free end to the right from under the cable. Next, make a regular loop from the right end of the cable and again throw it onto the hook. The free end is tied with a knot.

A properly tied towing rope is the key to safely towing your iron horse.

A trusty tow rope is one of the most essential items in the trunk of an entire car. On the shelves of modern auto parts stores, it is allowed to find a lot of types of cables: nylon, polypropylene, iron, flat, braided, ropes.

Instructions

1. Traditionally, motorists who purchase towing ropes prefer ropes with carabiners and metal hooks. This simplifies the application, and, say, in frost or rain, there is no need to knot.

2. When towing, the cable is hooked obliquely, from the left eye of the towing vehicle to the right eye of the towed one. This helps to reduce the power of jerks and allows the second driver to see better the road behind the towing vehicle. However, some motorists reasonably believe that the connection point of the carbine with the cable reduces its safety.

3. In order to tie the towing cable to the car, several tested knots are used, for example, a towing knot and a bowline (or arbor knot).

4. Towing knot Throw the end of the cable onto the hook of the towing machine from left to right in a loop so that the free right end of the cable extends from below from under the stretched cable to the left side. Make a primitive loop at the free left end and put it on the hook with an overlap, pull the free end from the right side under the stretched cable. Now make a primitive loop from the free end of the cable to the right and overlap it over the hook. Secure the free end with an ordinary knot.

5. Bowline or bowling knot Take one end of the cable in your hand, bend it, twist it in a loop. Bend this loop to the cable and pull another loop through it (like when crocheting). This loop is movable. Now insert the remaining end of the cable into this loop, pull it until the required loop is formed and put it on the towing hook. This knot is strong and untied after towing.

Note!
Not all cables, as they say, are equally suitable. It would seem that the strongest iron cable has significant drawbacks. It rusts and must be used with extra precautions. The bouncing iron cable can easily break the bones of a man. The rules of the road also did not ignore the painful topic of towing a car. In accordance with them, the length of the towing cable must be at least 4 m, and the cable itself must be marked with red flags.

What item must be present in the car along with a first aid kit and a spare tire? Of course, a towing rope, it is also a dense and durable rope, designed for towing a car in the event of a serious breakdown or getting stuck in mud (snow).

Modern manufacturers offer consumers a huge number of types of towing cables. Now you can even buy car accessories in bulk, but buying a high-quality cable does not guarantee that you can use it properly for its intended purpose. Why?

The fact is that you can reliably attach a faulty or stuck car to a tug only by correctly tying a cable, and this is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. You will learn about all the secrets of the correct tying of the towing cable from the article.

Important nuances

Before you start tying the cable, you need to pay attention to the elements of the fastening itself:

The best are the models of cables that are equipped with a carabiner or a hook - a hook with latches - latches.
For the most reliable fixation, it is better to choose cables made from a ship's rope.
The cables with a carbine cling to the eyelet, with the left from the towing vehicle and the right from the towed vehicle. With this type of towing, the cable will be placed parallel to the axis of the car and will not interfere with the movement.

It is clear that attaching a carabiner does not require special skills, but if there is no such part on the cable, you will have to tie the cable to the car yourself.

Tying options

The most reliable nodes for towing motorists call the following:

Arbor or bowline. To tie a knot, one of the ends of the cable is scrolled in a loop, and its edge is pushed into the formed loop and scrolled again, forming another loop. The protruding end of the cable is pushed into the movable loop and tightened, and then put on the hook.
Kalmyk knot. To tie it, as in the previous version, they form a loop by bending the end of the cable, then pull the protruding end into the formed loop, and then pull the end, twisting it through the already obtained knot and tighten.
Towing unit. To tie it, the end of the cable is looped onto the hook for towing the machine, after which the free end of the cable is again wound around the tug to form a double loop. After that, the free end of the loop is pulled through a knot between the other two and the loop is again thrown onto the hook, after which the end of the cable is fixed with a simple knot.

These nodes are not only the most reliable, but also the simplest. This video will help you learn how to tie a towing knot:

A towing cable is relevant not only in construction work, we recall that thanks to it, very huge loads are dragged, but it is an important attribute for lovers of highways, outdoor advertising, and maritime navigation. Therefore, you always need to make the right choice and purchase one that will be more powerful, and therefore reliable. A cheap product is made of low quality material, so it wears out quickly. Its wear is affected by temperature drop, mechanical damage, dampness.

Thus, there are two options for choosing the right towing cable: either make it yourself, or buy it in a store. Both paths are correct.

1. Materials for creating a cable

Towing ropes vary in material of manufacture. Modern manufacturers offer the following materials for creating a cable: stainless steel (i.e. twisted steel wires in a spiral) and synthetic materials (this is kevlar and nylon). The first type is very strong and reliable, however, its main disadvantage is rigidity and flexibility. When making a choice on a stainless steel cable, it is necessary to take into account the pulling force. Since this is a steel product, it poses a danger to humans at the time of breakage. The injury can be serious. By the way, good ropes are made of anti-corrosion and heat-resistant steel. Then such a product is durable and it is able to fulfill its main purpose - fastening of cargo and lifting equipment. The cost of such a rope is democratic in comparison with the one made of synthetic material.

And now a few words about synthetic ropes. They are safer because the synthetic rope tension is stronger. Therefore, these cables are very popular among drivers, as well as professionals who use them in their work. Now in more detail. The synthetic tow rope is made from PVC, Kevlar or nylon fibers. Synthetic cables can be both twisted and made in the form of a pigtail. This is a special kind of weaving made from synthetic fibers. When making a ribbon cable, specialists use different types of sewing materials from synthetic threads.

The following is important: the strength of the Kevlar cable is not inferior to the steel one. The trouble is this: it is short-lived, so it breaks down over time. But PVC and nylon cables are durable. However, they also have their own drawback - they are not always able to withstand the declared load, therefore, they are torn as a result of an attempt to move a two-ton car from its place.

By the way, in the process of creating a cable, it is important what material its core is made of. It can be organic or metallic. The former provides elasticity and flexibility to the rope, while the latter increases its structural strength.

The weak point of the towing cable is hooks and grips. The fact is that the hooks on the towing cable are made in the form of carabiners or grips with reliable latches, which prevent them from sliding off the lugs.

When deciding between forged or solid grips, preference should be given to the former, since they are more reliable. Distinguish cast hook from forged by weight. Typically, the weight of a cast light alloy hook is a maximum of 100-150 grams, while a forged steel hook weighs an average of 500 grams.

Summing up the information about what material is better to create a cable, it is important to say the following: the quality of the goods is in the first place here, then buyers will trust, and the demand for the goods will be great. Therefore, when choosing the material for the rope, always be careful and take special interest in the manufacturers.

2. How to make a tow rope

You can make a towing cable yourself. Above, we described what material is needed for its creation and its main characteristics, and now we will try to make it. After all, not everyone buys a tow rope, there are those who are trying to make it with their own hands.

Having decided on the material (steel cable, thimble and clamp of high quality, otherwise low quality breaks very quickly), we will try to combine these parts together, so that we ultimately get a steel tow cable. Next, let's prepare a vice and a workbench. Anyone planning to make a rope should have strong hands. The process itself is not complicated, and it does not take much time. Therefore, having decided on the material and having acquired an obligatory tool, you can start tying the cable. It is necessary to learn how to do it correctly. This is a towing unit. True, it also happens that motorists buy towing cables, preferring cables with metal hooks and carabiners. The fact is that such a cable makes it easier to use.

So, for example, in rain or frost, there is no need to knot. However, now let's try to make them. We put the end of the cable onto the hook of the towing vehicle. We do this from left to right with a loop, so that the free right end of the cable can extend from below from under the stretched cable to the left side. We make a very simple loop on the free left end, put it on the hook with an overlap, pull the free end on the right side from under the stretched cable. Then we make a simple loop from the free end of the cable on the right, and again overlap it on the hook. Then we fix the free end with a regular knot.

By tying the towing cable to the car, several tested knots are used at once. For example, it can be a bowline (in other words, a bowling knot, or a towing knot. Let's try to make a bowling knot or bowline. We take one end of the cable in our hand, bend it, twist it with a loop. Bending the loop to the cable, pull out another one through it. Do it like this This loop should be movable, then push the remaining end of the cable into this loop, pull it until the required loop is formed and put it on the towing hook. The knot comes out strong, untied very well after towing.

As a result of towing, the cable is hooked obliquely, that is, it is pulled from the left eye of the towing car to the right eye of the towed one. This should help reduce the jerk force, thereby allowing the second driver to see the road much better behind the towing vehicle. There are motorists who justifiably believe that the connection point of the carbine with the cable will reduce its reliability.

Disadvantages of a tow rope

When tying a cable, it must be remembered that there are disadvantages even for the strongest steel cable. It usually rusts over time. Including, using it, you need to apply additional precautions. The fact is that a rebounded steel cable can break a person's bones.

By the way, this topic was not ignored by the rules of the road. When towing a vehicle, pay attention to the length of the towing cable. It must be at least 4 m long and the cable is marked with red flags. We will talk about this in more detail later.

3. Length of towing rope

The length of the towing cable is one of the important criteria for its selection. It is necessary for traffic safety reasons. So, for example, if the cable is too short, that is, its length is less than 4 meters, it is very likely that the driver of the towed car will not be able to apply the brakes in time, so he can hit the towing car from behind.

Any rope or cable, even though it is made of solid and strong steel, at any moment can unravel or even break. Despite the seeming complexity of the repair, any person can do it, even those who do not have special skills. The most unpleasant thing in this situation is the possibility of a collision with it anywhere and precisely when such an accident is not expected at all.

Therefore, it will be useful to know how to correctly braid a steel cable. Moreover, this does not require any special tools or special skills. In the future, it will be possible to weave both a hook and an earring into the cable. At the same time, the strength of the structure will be at a high level, and it will serve you for more than one year. It is advisable to wear protective gloves before starting work, as the sharp ends of the strands of the steel cable can seriously injure your hands.

General information about cables

In the field of agricultural and transport engineering, in the construction, oil and coal industries, in the areas of the river, ropes and cables are used from stainless or ordinary, but at the same time reliable and durable steel. They are usually used as the basis for various transport, lifting and road mechanisms. If you look closely at a steel rope, you will notice that it is a flexible metal product consisting of strands of steel wire twisted together. The number of strands in each individual cable can be different, as well as the number of wires from which each of them is twisted. On top of the strands, a zinc or aluminum coating is often applied to the cable, which improves its anti-corrosion properties. A galvanized pipe (or a stainless steel analogue) coated with such a special compound will last much longer than without it. If you don't know how to braid a steel cable, the diagram below will definitely help you.

Inside the steel rope there is usually a core, the main task of which is not to allow the development of transverse deformation in the product and the twisted strands of wire to fall to the center. This is a mandatory attribute of any rope or cable made from organic matter, metal, natural or synthetic materials. In other words, the core is the inner skeleton for its strands. Knowing the device or cables will help you understand how to properly braid the cable yourself.

Types of steel wire rope structures

Steel ropes are classified into three lay types:

In single cables, the wire of a single strand with one section is twisted in a spiral in several layers. Typically, the number of layers is one to four. In double ropes, several strands are twisted around the core. In the manufacture of three-strand cables or ropes, several cables with different or identical sections are used.

Varieties of cables according to the degree of flexibility

There are steel cables:

1. With increased flexibility. In them, 24 wires are twisted around each core of the strand. There are 144 such thin wires in total.

2. With standard flexibility. Twelve wires are placed around the core. There are 72 wires in these cables.

3. Slight cables. Only 42 wires are used in their production.

Varieties of cables in the direction of lay

1. Cross - strands are twisted into a cable in the direction opposite to the direction of the wire.
2. One-sided - the direction is the same.
3. Triple - type 1 lay is used, but the wires and strands are in different directions.
4. Combined - in such products, the left and right directions of the lay are simultaneously used.

In addition, ropes are subdivided into rotating and low-rotating ones. The material from which the core is made also divides them into organic, single strand or steel wire.

Now you can consider in detail how to braid the cable yourself. Tools required when doing the job:

screwdriver;
pliers;
nippers;
scissors for metal;
wire;
gloves.

How to braid a cable?

The scheme and algorithm of the process are not as complicated as it might seem to an inexperienced person.

1. Cut off the ends of the cable as evenly as possible, and if the ends of its veins are bent or uneven, then we slightly unweave each strand and cut off the defective areas with scissors or wire cutters. It is convenient to chop off the ends by placing them on a metal rail or a sledgehammer and striking the same place with the sharp edge of a hammer. As a rule, after 10-15 such blows, the ends of the cable are chopped off.
2. At least half a meter from the edge we unweave the cable into strands.
3. We determine the diameter of the future loop we need and, having measured this distance from the edge of the non-unwoven cable, we take 2 strands. 3-5 cm must be added to the diameter of the future loop, since it will necessarily decrease in size during weaving. We make a loop from the selected strands by wrapping them.
4. Either end of the thread is untwisted and wound into the interlaced strands. The other needs to be wrapped in the opposite direction. If the length allows, then from the resulting three strands you can weave a pigtail, alternately weaving the threads.
5. The third strand is twisted around the braid, then a loop is woven into it, and a turn is made around the braid again. In the process of weaving, the wires are passed in such a way that the previous one always goes towards the next.
6. Then all the ends of the wires are hidden inside the pigtails, and the resulting two strands are hidden inside with a screwdriver or pliers.
7. It is advisable to tighten the resulting braid with clamps in two or three places. You can use ordinary wire, which is tightly wrapped around the cable and then pulled tight with pliers. The protruding ends of such a clamp are also hidden inside the pigtails so that they do not interfere.

At the end of the work, it is advisable to isolate the place of the operation, for example, with insulating tape. It will help fasten the ends of the steel wires together and prevent future damage to the hands of the person who will use this cable.

Speaking about how to braid the cable, you should remember: in order to get a strong and reliable connection, during the twisting, it is necessary to lay the strands symmetrically and press on them evenly. Periodic crimping of the twisted strands will be an additional guarantee that the entire structure will receive sufficient strength.

Making a loop on a steel cable

Often, in addition to solving the problem of "how to braid the cable," there is a need to form a loop at its end. For example, when repairing an extension on a towing cable or on an antenna, it becomes necessary to lower something to a depth, such as a submersible pump. Since the steel wire or rope is stiff enough, it will not be possible to simply tie it in a knot at the end. In this case, there is nothing left but to braid the rope into a loop. And this is also not difficult. As well as braiding the rope

Work process

1. The ends of an ordinary seven-strand cable are cut exactly with a grinder or chopped off with a hammer (its sharp part).
2. We untwist the cable by 50-70 cm and use a screwdriver to divide it into two parts. One makes three strands, and the other four.
3. We twist the strands of both parts together.
4. Make a loop with a diameter of at least 10 cm.
5. We bend the first four-strand part towards the other, which we place in the bends of the main cable.
6. The ends of the woven threads are alternately twisted around the improvised cutting.
7. Then we twist each free strand alternately around the handle, weaving it into a loop, and repeat the process.
8. After that, putting the next one on the previous one, cover the ends of all the strands. As a result of such manipulations, we get two threads, which must be placed with a screwdriver between the looped ones. In this place, it is better to seal up with pieces of tubes, flatten them, or use insulating tape. This will help prevent injury in the future.

Fire on a rope or cable

Speaking about how to braid a cable - steel or from another material, it should be mentioned that fire can be made. This is a little tricky. At some distance from the end of the cable, a strong temporary mark is made, and the ends of its strands are fixed with the same marks. After that, the end of the rope should be released.

In the form of a loop, the cable is laid on a surface (preferably hard), all its strands are broken through. Several piercings are made, but special attention is paid to the first, since it is the most important of them. The reliability and durability of the fire is provided mainly by the first piercing. This is also an acceptable way to braid the cable. The scheme will not cause difficulties.

How to tie a loop on a cable?

If, for some reason, you decide to try to tie a loop, rather than unravel the cable and twist the strands, as discussed above, then you can use the old sea knot, the simplest one is oak. The algorithm for this method of how to braid a steel cable is presented below:

Fold the end of the rope in half and wrap it around to form a ring.
Pass the loop that formed at the end through the ring and tighten firmly. You will get a strong and very reliable knot. Its main drawback is that when pulled, it tightens very much and then it is rather difficult to untie it.

Now you can fix the steel cable yourself, because you know how to twist the cable into a loop, and henceforth such a breakdown will not cause you much trouble.

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