There are two generally accepted maintenance principles for installing new belts on any multiple-belt drive.

Principle No. 1:  Always replace all the belts. 

Here's why: Older belts naturally become stretched or worn from use. If old and new belts are mixed, the new belts will be tighter, will carry more than their share of the load, will probably fail before their time and may also contribute to uneven sheave wear. 

Principle No. 2:  Always use a matched set of belts from one manufacturer. 

Here's why: If unmatched belts and brands are mixed, the belts may have different dimensional and performance characteristics, and they could work against each other, resulting in unusual strain and short service life. 

How do you know if you are getting matched belts? 

Buy them from Gates, who has developed manufacturing processes that result in exact tolerances for belt length. 

Gates belt matching system is called V80®, and it has been applied to its most popular single-strand belts - Hi-Power® II, Tri-Power®, Super HC®, and Super HC® Molded Notch. 

The Rubber Manufacturers' Association (RMA) has set the specification of .15" as the exact tolerance for a set of matched belts up to 63" in length. But Gates has aggressively applied proven statistical process control to material and assembly procedures so that its belts are tighter than RMA tolerances in each size category. 

For the user, this means that each V80 belt is manufactured within a finite length tolerance so that any V80 belt will match and perform with any other V80 belt of the same size and type. 

After a short run-in period, and re-application of the recommended tension, Gates V80 belts will continue to perform and meet RMA specifications for the life of the drive. This is due to the elongation resistance of the belts. Gates V80 belts are made with high-modulus, thermally active polyester tensile cords that exhibit extremely low stretch. 

While other manufacturers' belts appear to be the same length on a drive, they are made with low- to medium-modulus tensile members. These belts will continue stretching through use, and will require additional retensioning and replacement. Maintenance, downtime and replacement parts add to the overall cost of the drive. 

When you need matched belts for unmatched performance, ask for Gates V80 Hi-Power, Tri-Power and Super HC series belts. 

To learn more about V80^® Matched belts, download our V-Belt Features & Benefits guide.