I was working on this post when the SITE went down, took me so long to build it, i need to post it
Hate to say it but GREASE only lubes the OUTSIDE of the wire rope (cable), to thick to get into the inside, On a fiber core wire rope (which the mil. cable is), you need the core saturated, other wise the wire rope fiber core WILL pick up moisture, ROT the core AND rust the wire rope from the inside out, making a VERY dangerous situation, you can tell when a fiber core wire rope is lubed correctly is when you put a good load on it and as the wire contracts with the load a bit of lube is squeezed out. Fiber core wire rope takes a lot more care then a steel core.
Steel core STILL needs the insides lubed so when the wires and strands move, the ware is GREATLY reduced, a dry steel core cable will die from the core working on it self and the surrounding strands, greatly reducing strength.
The wire that makes up good wire rope is file hard, so dry wire rubbing on each other is like two files rubbing on each other (why shackles are softer then the cable, so the shackle wares not the cable)
Ues a good penetrating cable, drive chain lube like "LUGRIPLATE Chain and Cable Fluid Penetrating Oil", if you can, lube the cable (wire rope) as it goes over a sheave, this opens the cable a bit. helping to get the lube IN the cable, on areas where you can't do this, spray real slow so it will soak in.
On the outside of the cable just use a rag with diesel to wipe things down just a head of where you are lubing the cable, this is just to get any dirt off the cable, help with surface rust. the wipe down can be done on winch cables that get in the dirt each time it is used, with the CABLE lube being done depending on the amount of use, being used every day with a good load then a once a month lube, time your services from that but at least 3 to 4 months, maybe stretch to 6 months for steel core, fiber core needs twice the service that the steel core needs because once the core starts to dry, moisture starts to get in then rot and rust.
On the crane hoist, again used everyday, lube once a month but does not need a dirt ripe like a winch cable, just now and then, just a bit of use, I would say every three months for fiber core, up to 6 for steel core.
DO NOT PAINT your cable, this prevents lube from getting onto the cable AND masks some defects in the outer wires, also holds moisture in.
Remember a happy cable (wire rope) will not hurt you, a UNHAPPY one will try to KILL you. Look at your cable, bend it so it open look in the center, put it to your ear as you bend it, you CAN here if it is dry .
I think that the first crane that I ran was a stiff leg on top of the GREAT PERAMID, things have gotten a bit better since then, better equipment, better cable and care, GREASE on cable is a thing of the past, that was standard back in the 50s to early 70s, heck when I started pig fat was the standard. The military calls for 10 or 30 wt because it is in the supply chain instead of cable lube, they can afford cables, and as a side note NEVER NEVER use used motor oil, the acids do NOT make a healthy cable.
