Home Forums General Discussion Technical Questions Dover Selector Cable Twisting

I have a problem with a Dover Traction Selector Cable that keeps unravelling. We have replaced the cable 3 times in the last several months. Thought we had bad cables but we have tried different suppliers. Pulleys look good and are free and drum looks good also. Anyone know if Dover used different lay cables on some selectors. Anyone have a similar problem in the past?

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks

Where on the cable does it start?
Any pictures?

If you find a start point. Then you can run the car on inspection where it contacts your pulleys. If they are fraying with the car shut down see if you can wobble the pulleys on their shaft.

Tension could be a little tight. We use cable from local hardware supply. I doubt it would be the cable. As JKH said check the pulleys well. It could also be rubbing at the unistrut Dover used for the shields, or something in the shaft is intermittently contacting the cable.

Thanks for the information. I'm going to change the pulleys and try that. They seem to be free and minimal wear but I have to give it a try.

Any idea on the proper Tension or sprig length that's under the car. We have the cable pretty loose if anything.

Thanks

I do not know what the proper tension is. It has got to be tight enough so that any bouncing of the car will not trip the broken cable switch.

The spring underneath the car should be a certain length... somewhere around 19"? I'm sure someone here knows the correct measurement?

Hell I picked up some Composites on my route once and one car someone had just wrapped the spring around an angle on the bottom of the car... no spring at all.

Back in 1990, we had this issue. We were using bulk cable at $.11 a foot. Factory was charging back then, about $.80 a foot for galvanized aircraft cable, but it made the difference. The price has dropped since then. Since then, have always used cable from Dover/Thyssen for selectors.

Get you some stainless selector cable














And a whole pile of idler sheaves 😝

21"

Had similar cars at McCarron International in Las Vegas. When car is running, get eyes on cable and see if you have any slippage on drum. We had problem and it was slight slip in drum and causing breaks in cable.