belts , belts, and belts

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J

Johnny248

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Detroit, MI
Drive belts....

A. Bando
B. Gates
C. Dayco
D. Goodyear

I know that Dayco is a site sponsor, but just wanted to get everyones opinion on aftermaket drive belts. I generaly use Gates belts on everything mainly because they are the common brand in my area. Gates and whichever store branded Gates belts are everywhere here. I have used Goodyear Gatorback V belts in the past with good results, but never there ribbed belts. We have been using a fair amount of Bando belts, and even though they may not look as fancy as the Gates belts, I have yet to have an issue with them installing them on customers vehicles for the last two years. I really don't have much experience with the Dayco belts, but I vaguely remember Napa using Dayco belts for their economy line.

Thoughts or comments?
 
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I recently had a round of bad luck with a squeeling power steering belt. I had to tighten it so tight it was putting strain on the bearings in the pump I think. The only belt that solved the problem was a Dayco W-profile belt. It doesn't squeal with the correct amount of tension. They're designed for older cars where the accessory drive pullies might not align perfectly due to age.
 
Out of those brands the only ones I'm familiar with is Gates and Dayco. IMO Gates is better than Dayco. Dayco belts seem to be a little short than they should be and don't last very long.

Plus the Dayco belts with the grooves tend to whine at higher RPM's.
 
I've liked the goodyear gatorbacks, they seem more "rubbery" on the ribbed side. Yeah they howl for a week until they break in but it's worth it.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
I've liked the goodyear gatorbacks, they seem more "rubbery" on the ribbed side. Yeah they howl for a week until they break in but it's worth it.

I had the Gatorbacks howl on the supercharged 3800 in my old Grand Prix GTP. Maybe they would have broken in and it would have gone away, but I switched them out for Gates and never looked back.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
I've liked the goodyear gatorbacks, they seem more "rubbery" on the ribbed side. Yeah they howl for a week until they break in but it's worth it.


Originally Posted By: barlowc
Originally Posted By: eljefino
I've liked the goodyear gatorbacks, they seem more "rubbery" on the ribbed side. Yeah they howl for a week until they break in but it's worth it.

I had the Gatorbacks howl on the supercharged 3800 in my old Grand Prix GTP. Maybe they would have broken in and it would have gone away, but I switched them out for Gates and never looked back.


I've installed hundreds of Gatorbacks and never noticed a howl??? Just the opposite - pretty much complete silence.
 
I replaced the belts on my Frontier with Dayco. They seemed to stretch prematurely as I had to adjust the tension a couple of times. They also showed cracks way earlier than expected. Replaced with Gates and no complaints.
 
I'll use Dayco(who btw is an OEM supplier to GM) when available followed by any other major brand such as Goodyear. I stay far away from brands like "pro-line" at Pep Boys or "valu-craft" at Autozone. The small price savings are not worth the unknown reliabilty to me. Walking home because of a cheapie belt is not an option for me.
 
Gates or Goodyear for me.

I bought a Dayco for my wifes Accord and the thing would chirp and squeal. After about a week I switched it out with a Gates. Silent as can be now. That Dayco is now a backup. I've had this happen before on other cars with Dayco but decided to give one another try because I got it for a great price.
 
my "GM" OE belt says Mitsuboshi on it.
Gates makes belts and hoses for AC Delco and Motorcraft.

around 20 years ago I used a Gates belt and it was so soaked in nitrile it was greasier than the stuff from the taco truck.
Today's gates belts are nothing like that and I have no problems using them at all.
As for Bando.. they're OE on imports, and I put them on my cars (mainly because the price was cheaper) and I know of Gates' quality, so I'm using Bando.. I like them. they work well.

as for Dayco.. 20years ago, they were the only belt I would use. But as time went on.. Dayco wasn't sold anywhere and the internet was in infancy, and there would be no online stores for years.
So I switched to Goodyear Gatorback and they've been fine for as long as I can remember. I used a Kelly springfield from AZ, and well.. it worked. nothing to brag about. but.. it was made in the USA at the time!
 
I prefer Gates and Bando.

It is a shame that I can't find Mitsuboshi belts in the aftermarket, because I have never seen any belt outlast them.
 
My experience has been that if the vehicle is in good condition, any ol' belt will work for most applications. It's when a vehicle gets older (worn pulley grooves, misalignment, oil leakage, tensioners in marginal condition) that it begins to matter what belts you run.

So for newer vehicles I just put on whatever belt is cheap and available. For older stuff I'll go with something higher-end and grippy. A Gatorback or the like. I'll agree that in my experience gatorbacks CAN be noisy. But they work well, and the noise goes away when they break in.
 
I like the Goodyear Gatorback...going on 6 years with it on. Kinda hard to see cracks in the belt though...with the way it's designed. But I don't recall it making any noise.
 
I have had great luck with Gates belts. In particular with the Blue belts. I have an application that the OE AC belt was not lasting 25K. Dealer changed it twice under warranty. When it broke again at almost 70K miles I put on a blue gates belt myself and it is still on there almost 60K later.

I suspect an alignment problem, as one rib at a time would come off and land in the under tray. But the blue belt, while no longer blue, still has all its ribs.
 
Does anyone have any experience with the Gates Fleet Runner HD? They offer one for my application. They are green, lol but say that they feature "Thermally Active Polyester Tensile Members"
 
Dayco or Gates are the bees-knees in my book.

Being that Dayco is a sponsor, I'd sway towards that side though
smile.gif
 
Very recently, a Dayco W-Profile belt solved an intermittent squealing issue that I thought was either a water pump or tensioner pulley bearing. I was perplexed as to exactly where the noise was coming from, and decided to swap out the belt first, since it was going to be replaced anyway. I was pleasantly surprised the belt was the real issue.

I like Gates as well, but AAP had the Dayco so I went with them for the discount.
 
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