The state-of-the art of the mechanical properties of wire ropes and the dynamics simulation of wire rope mechanisms is reviewed in this paper. A special emphasis is put on the tension dependent Young’s modulus and the damping of the wire rope in the part dealing with the mechanical properties. In the part discussing the dynamics simulation, the simplification of the complex system and the connection between the rope and the pulley are accentuated. There is plenty of literature on modeling the material properties and they can be predicted accurately. There is still room for new developments in the dynamics simulation of wire rope systems.