Abstract: Wire rope isolators are commonly used in shipboard equipment to achieve vibration isolation and shock resistance design. However, the hysteresis model of wire rope isolators is not easy to describe, and incorrect selection will also amplify vibration and shock response. The nonlinear elastic factor and correction factor are introduced to improve the Bouc-Wen model of the spherical wire rope vibration isolators, and the equivalent linearization method is proposed to solve the dynamic equations of the nonlinear vibration isolation system, and numerical simulation method is used to analyze the vibration isolation and shock resistance of the wire rope vibration isolator and verify the performance through tests. The results show that the equivalent linearization method is accurate and reliable to solve nonlinear complex systems, and the improved model can accurately describe the mechanical properties of spherical wire rope isolators. This study provides an effective method for selecting wire rope vibration isolators suitable for shock -resistant design of shipboard equipment.