When inspecting wire rope, it is crucial that you know the difference between Crown and Valley breaks. Crown breaks originate at the OUTSIDE of the rope and are mainly caused by the interaction between the rope and sheave or drum. If you discover Crown breaks you can count the number of breaks and compare the number to the published retirement tables.

If you detect Valley breaks, these originate at the INSIDE of the rope and are caused by non-visible inside rope fatigue. You will NEVER know how many more breaks are hidden INSIDE the rope. All Inspection Table and Standards limit the number of Valley breaks to either ‘0’ or ‘one’ only. The rope MUST be replaced IMMEDIATELY.

https://www.unirope.com/crown-valley-wire-breaks