Sheave Inspection
- Check sheave grooves for wear.
- Check flanges for wear, chips and cracks.
- Check bearings for wobble, lubrication and ease of rotation.
- Check grooves for proper size.
Checking Groove Size For Proper Size 
Minimum groove radii for worn sheave tolerances per “Wire Rope User’s Manual” (third edition)
| Nominal Wire Rope Size (in.) |
Radii (in.) |
Nominal Wire Rope Size (in.) |
Radii (in.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 | .128 | 3/4 | .384 |
| 5/16 | .160 | 7/8 | .448 |
| 3/8 | .192 | 1 | .513 |
| 7/16 | .224 | 1-1/8 | .577 |
| 1/2 | .256 | 1-1/4 | .641 |
| 9/16 | .266 | 1-3/8 | .705 |
| 5/8 | .320 | 1-1/2 | .769 |
Sheave Fleet Angle*
- Fleet Angle is the entrance and exit angle of the wire rope relative to the sheave
- Fleet angle should be no more then 1-1/2 degrees
*NOTE: “Wire Rope User’s Manual” allows 2 degrees on grooved winch drums.