If you are into your cars you`ve probably heard people talk about drive belts. You might be wondering what the difference between the types of drive belts is, or even how they work. The concepts are relatively simple but are often shrouded in a lot of jargon. This article aims to help you understand what the different types of drive belt are and how you might go about deciding what one would be best for you.
What Is A Drive Belt?
For those of you who don`t even know what a drive belt is, here is a brief explanation. Essentially, a drive belt is a loop of material, commonly made of rubber or other re-enforced polymer. Companies like, BE Transmission, in the UK, offer a variety of different drive belts made from different materials. The loop of material is placed over a series of wheels inside the car, one of them being attached to the part that turns your car`s outside wheels.
The other wheels, or pulleys, that the loop is wrapped around can be attached to other car accessories, such as; an alternator, a generator, an air pump, a power steering pump, an air conditioning compressor, or a water pump. In modern cars, these belts are often attached to multiple pulleys. Now that you understand what they are, you are probably wondering how they work.
How Does A Drive Belt Work?
So, you`ve got your belt wrapped around all of these different parts, but why? The principle of a drive belt is friction and it uses friction to transfer power from one place to another. In simple terms, because your drive belt is attached to the crank (which is the part that effectively turns the wheels of your car) and then also attached to your steering pump, your steering pump is using the energy that is already being generated for the wheels.
The car`s engine is its energy source and it primarily uses that energy to move the car. By attached a belt around the crank, and then around other components via a pulley you are not wasting any excess energy. This transfer of energy, through friction, is the most efficient way of powering multiple car accessories. These accessories are often crucial to the smooth running of your car and also help to look after your engine. Now, let`s get into the different types of drive belts.
Flat Belts
The most traditional style of drive belt is the flat belt. If I asked you to imagine a loop of rubber, you`d probably be picturing exactly what these look like. These original types of belts were simple to manufacture and even a basic leather belt would last quite some time. However, as cars got more powerful and people were driving larger distances, these leather belts became less fit for purpose.
Flat belts are still used today, although, modern drive belts will have a steel or strong synthetic core that is encased in rubber. This core allows the belts to remain at optimum tension for a long time, although the friction over time will still wear these down eventually.
V Belts
A more modern type of belt is the V belt. So-called because of its shape, it is more of a trapezoid shape or a V with the pointy end cut off. Due to some very clever geometry and the power of triangular shapes, these V belts exert more downward pressure on the pulleys. This downward pressure increases the friction placed on these wheels, which in turn increases the power transmission.
There are two main types of v belts, standard and narrow. As the name suggests narrow v belts are thinner than the standard types. Narrow belts can achieve the same power transmission as standard belts but due to their smaller mass can achieve higher speeds more easily. Although these belts have a greater power transmission, they require more energy to turn and are also only able to be used on one side, unlike flat belts.
Hex Belts (Double V)
In response to the limitation of V belts being one-sided, hex belts were designed. These hex belts (hex meaning six) are essentially two v belts stuck together to make a hexagon. The angles of these are slightly different so that the shape is more even but the increased power transmission still applies. Being able to harness the friction on both sides of a drive belt allows for more pulleys to be used in tandem and this can increase efficiency.
Timing belts
Another type of belt, which is less common, is known as the timing belt or synchronous belt. With any type of belt that has a flat surface turning a wheel through friction, there will always be a certain amount of slippage. This slippage is inherent in the design of normal drive belts and attempts to overcome it are made by increasing the tension of the belt.
Timing belts get around this probably by being locked into the pulleys with individual teeth. This means that every time any pulley moves within the drive belt chain, then they all move together, hence the name synchronous. These belts aren`t often used for main pulleys but may be found on smaller internal systems in your car.
Find The Right Drive Belt For You
Drive belts are an integral part of how your car operates. Although your standard belt may last 75,000 miles, it is recommended that you get them replaced regularly. If you feel like your car could run more smoothly, upgrading your drive belt could make a lot of difference. With so many different types of belts to choose from, it can be confusing to know what to get.
Speak to a local mechanic about what your options are and then go from there. As much as you might want to get a Hex belt for your old banger, it may not be compatible with your car`s internal pulley system. I hope this article has helped you understand the difference between the different types of drive belts out there. Now you should be able to make an informed decision about which one is right for you.