What You Need To Know About The Different Drive Belts In Your Car

With a number of different parts in a vehicle, it is practically impossible to know about them all. Drive belts are one of the lesser-known parts of cars and vehicles. This article will introduce the different mechanical belts in cars and discuss them in-depth. Let's get started!

Serpentine Belt

The serpentine belts are multi-v, poly-v, multi-rib, or drive belts. This belt is a snake-like winding belt that wraps around several engine components. The strap is also responsible for powering the alternator, radiator fan, steering pump, and AC compressor.

Serpentine belts use heavy-duty grade rubber that lasts longer than other materials.

Pros

• Serpentine belts are space-efficient that are well-suited for compact engine forms.

• These belts are readily available and do not require multiple disassembles.
• Moreover, the belts are self-adjusting, and you do not have to treat them with manual adjustment.

Cons

• Since this belt powers several engine components, there is a high risk of failure.
• A loose belt can drastically affect the components powered through the serpentine belt.

Photo Credit: : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpentine_belt

V-Belt

V-belts also go by the name of wedge-type belts. They get this name owing to its trapezoidal shape. Moreover, the straps derive power from the engines. Unlike serpentine belts, V-belts are only restricted to a couple of engine components.

V-belts replaced flat belts as these were more efficient. It is worth mentioning that this belt has a high load pulling capacity.

Pros

• As compared to the serpentine belts, the V-belts are shorter.
• V-belts are not overloaded with several components. As a result, the chances of failure are significantly lesser.
• Since V-belts power only a few components, other components won't be affected if a single belt fails.

Cons

• Serpentine belts are gradually replacing V-belts in most vehicles. Owing to this, finding a V-belt can be tricky and expensive.
• A loose V-belt can adversely affect the component it powers.
• Most V-belts in the car fail at the same time. So, the vehicle has to undergo heavy repairs at times.

Photo Credit: https://www.my-cardictionary.com

Timing Belt

Gilmer belt or crankshaft belt are other names for the timing belt. This belt performs the function of syncing the cylinder and valves with crankcase and pistons. However, the belt is not visible in the engine bay. This belt hides behind the engine covers.

Pros

• The best part about the timing belts is that they have a high level of mechanical efficiency of up to 98%.
• Timing belts have a lesser chance of significant damage to the pistons and valves.

Cons

• A malfunctioning or failed timing belt can lead to a catastrophe in the engines.
• An out of sync belt can hamper the valve and piston timings.

Photo Credit: https://resource-center.meineke.com

And that was all you needed to know about the different drive belts in cars! We hope you enjoyed reading about them!