To investigate the fretting wear of steel wires in hoisting ropes, specimens were made of 6 × 19 point contact ropes. A model for the fretting wear was developed and a fretting wear test rig was designed in laboratory. A series of experiments were performed on this test rig. The wear volume was taken as a characteristic parameter to describe the fretting wear in relation to the contact load, reciprocating cycles and amplitude. Moreover, the wear mechanisms were discussed in the fretting process. To investigate the fretting wear of steel wires in hoisting ropes, specimens were made of 6 × 19 point contact ropes. A model for the fretting wear was developed and a fretting wear test rig was designed in laboratory. A series of experiments were performed on this test rig. The wear volume was taken as a characteristic parameter to describe the fretting wear in relation to the contact load, reciprocating cycles and amplitude. Moreover, the wear mechanisms were discussed in the fretting process.