Forum:
hi, ive just replaced the belts on my sportrak but on the motorway doing about 70 the both decided to snap. how or why would this happen, also they werent to tight either , any ideas?
also the warning light has come up on the dash . its the one that looks like the handbrake one buts not, it look like this
(!) any ideas? . cheers all
Obvious question is were they
Obvious question is were they too loose, when new belts are fitted they need a few miles to bed in, then retension as they stretch slightly.
If this is the case then they have become slack and been thrown.
If they were too loose then they have probably slipped and worn through at one point.
I always advocate the following procedure for new belts: remove the old ones and scuff the pulleys with sandpaper to remove the sheen or glaze. This is created through the belts working, and reduces the belts bite, once removed it gives the belts more bite when new ones are installed.
Tension the belts slightly tightly, but not too much, this means a little give when they stretch. Retension the belts after about 100 miles of running, this counteracts the initial stretch.
cheers , will do that
cheers , will do that
Just one thing to check, are
Just one thing to check, are they the correct width, most "V" belts are 9.5mm wide, many off road vehicle belts are the uprated 11.5mm wide belts.
If 9.5 are used on 11.5 pulleys they bottom out and drive off the bottom of the belt instead of the tapered sides, this causes them to be thrown and snap.
If 11.5 belts are put onto 9.5 pulleys they do not sit deep enough to properly contact, any slack and they are off.
(!)
(!) indicates a problem with the brake fluid. Check the reservoir is at the correct level. If it needs fluid then I suspect there is a fluid leak at a wheel cylinder.
Belts.
Remove the entire rack, including the alternator, and clean it. Check for missing/snapped bolt - one bolt at the bottom does drop out and you cannot see that it is missing when viewed downwards.