Zip line how to tighten

This will allow the rider to maintain a consistent, safe speed until the end of the ride. It is similar to a ball being rolled down a hill with a gradual decline, it will start off slowly but pick up speed as the inertia from the weight of the ball pushes it downward.

A zip line with lower cable tension will start faster, but will quickly run out of speed towards the end. Think of a ball dropped into a large bowl; starting out quickly as it drops into the low point, but slowing down as it has to travel uphill over the second half. The tension of your zip line cable will directly affect the height in which the rider will travel above the ground. If you tighten the cable it will rise your cable higher, if you give it slack it will bring the cable lower.

You must also account for the riders weight when making these adjustments. When a rider is applying their weight onto the cable it can be multiplied depending on how high your cable tension is. Be sure that your anchors are sturdy enough to withstand multiple weight loads, and always double check your installation manuals to double check that you do not provide too much tension on your cable line, this could jeopardize the safety of the cable and also the equipment.

You can check out our guide to make sure your anchor is safe. For example: The trolley on a foot zip line, on it's very lowest point, should be approximately 2 feet lower that where the end point of your zip line anchor is. Assuming you are on flat land, if your starting zip line is 7 feet high, then have then ending point 2 feet below at 5 feet high. This sounds fairly complex, but you can eyeball it fairly easily. For zip lines that are less than feet, you will be able to achieve proper cable tension by hand.

Be sure to wear gloves and pull as hard as you can after wrapping the cable around the ending anchor. Have a friend secure the cable by putting on cable clamps.

For zip lines that are feet or more, achieving the proper cable tension by hand can be a very challenging experience. We recommend using a come-along or some other type of mechanical winch that can crank your zip line tight. You can attach a winch or other ratchet device to a small loop at the end of your cable and pull it around your anchor until you've reached the desired tension.

A cable grab can also be used to pull the cable up the tree for anchoring. If you are thinking about installing a backyard zip line , learning how to tighten a zip line cable is something that varies from person to person. Though the concepts remain the same for everyone, your tools will change depending on the length of your zip line cable. We are going to go through all of the methods of making your cable taut. A cable being too slack or loose will slow down your rider a lot of faster than if it was taut tight.

It will also create cable sag which may result in your rider dragging on the floor. Everyone has different goals for their zip line, but typically dragging takes away from the experience! Here are 3 ways to effectively control the tension on your cable. We are starting with the free method. As you probably guessed, this technique requires a little bit of pulling.

You don't need any tools, but two people is highly recommended. On top of that, we only recommend tightening a zipline by hand with zip line length of around feet. Any longer, it becomes difficult unless you are superman! Wrap the end cable around the end anchor, which could be a tree or post and while you are creating tension, you can have your buddy install a cable clamp. One cable clamp will be sufficient to hold the cable up, but three clamps are necessary for the zip line to be safe to ride.

Once you have three clamps on the cable, one trick to get a little bit more tension is to move the cable clamp closest to the tree closer to the tree. This is achieved by squeezing the split zip line cable and sliding clamp over.

Be sure to readjust the other clamps to ensure they are evenly spaced and tightened. What is a turnbuckle? A turnbuckle is a device for adjusting tension of cables. It has two threaded eye bolts with each side having opposite threads. How can this be used for a zip line? The turnbuckle is placed near an anchor tree or post and works in conjunction with a cable sling which wraps around the tree and attaches to one end of the turnbuckle. The other end of the turnbuckle attaches to the main zip line cable.

When first operating a turnbuckle be sure to unscrew the ends to open the turnbuckle. These will be tightened later on to bring the cables closer together. Attach one end of the turnbuckle to the main cable line.