Ultimate Drive Belts Buying Guide
Drive belts are actually a complex system that connects multiple pulleys to a sophisticated system that keeps your car running smoothly.
Drive belts are built for wear and won't need replacing as frequently as brake pads, but they do power some of the most important systems in your engine bay. Without them, your alternator, water pump, power steering, or air conditioning wouldn't function.
To help our customers understand drive belts and how to choose the right one online, we've created this comprehensive buying guide.
We'll cover:
- What are drive belts?
- How do drive belts work?
- Why do they matter?
- How to tell if your drive belt needs changing
- The types of drive belts available online
- The best drive belt brands and options
- How to choose the right drive belt
- Frequently asked questions about drive belt parts
What Are Drive Belts?
Drive belts, sometimes known as serpentine belts or accessory belts, are mechanical components designed using reinforced rubber loops that transfer rotational power between two or more pulleys.
The components of drive belts are:
- Serpentine belt or V-belt
- Driving pulley (typically the crankshaft)
- Driven pulley (located on the driven accessories, such as the alternator or power steering pump).
- Tensioner and idler pulleys
They're the primary link in belt-drive systems that transmit torque from driving elements such as the crankshaft or electric motor to driven accessories such as:
- The alternator
- The power steering pump
- The air conditioning compressor
- The water pump
Depending on your vehicle's age and model, it might have one or several drive belts. V-belts were the most common design on cars until modern designs implemented a serpentine belt design.
A serpentine belt is a single, multi-ribbed belt that snakes around multiple pulleys to drive all accessories. A V-belt is a single-purpose belt with a V-shaped cross-section that drives one or two components. Serpentine belts are far more efficient and have an automatic tensioner that requires less frequent maintenance. V-belts are so much more outdated, and the tension must be manually adjusted.
Cars also have a timing belt that controls the engine's valves and pistons using a toothed pulley mechanism to synchronize the crankshaft and camshaft.
Whether it's a single serpentine or a V-belt, the function is the same: transfer power efficiently and reliably from the engine to the systems that make your car usable every day.
How Do Drive Belts Work?: V-Belts and Serpentine Belts
Drive belts generate a continuous mechanical power transmission using tension and rotation. The precise tension is predetermined on installation, with each drive belt type having different tension requirements. As we mentioned, there's either a manual or automatic tensioner depending on the design of the drive belt.
Most drive belts have a crankshaft drive pulley. As the driver pulley rotates, it quickly generates the tangential force (tension) on one side of the belt, known as the tight side. That tension pulls the driven pulleys and causes them to rotate and function. So, that motion is how engine accessories, such as the water pump and power steering pump, get their power.
At the same time, the opposite side of the belt remains slack. That slack side then carries the return force back to the crankshaft driver pulley, and it's this constant tension force transfer that generates the power. That friction-generated mechanical power then transfers between the inner surface of the drive belt and the pulleys it loops around.
The result is a continuous energy loop transmitting the torque power your system needs.
Why Do They Matter?
Drive belts keep the essential systems of your car functioning correctly. You can argue that it doesn't matter as much if the air conditioning compressor fails, but for components like the alternator and the power steering, your car will either eventually stop working when the alternator lets the battery die or become impossible to drive when the power steering fails.
And if the water pump stops working, the engine will quickly overheat, and vital engine components will either break or experience premature wear and tear.
The only one that you can argue is a luxury is the function of the air conditioning compressor, but if that stops working because of an issue with the drive belt, especially on modern car designs using a serpentine drive belt, you can almost guarantee other driving accessories will malfunction.
The Types of Drive Belts Available Online
Fitment Type
Accessory belts (serpentine and V-belts)
We've already mentioned the design of these fitment types and how they work, so we'll summarize it here:
- Serpentine drive belts: Multi-ribbed and snake around multiple driving accessories to transfer power. They also have an automatic tension adjuster.
- V-Belts: A single-purpose belt with a V-shaped cross-section that only drives one or two components. They also have a manual tension adjuster.
Engine timing belts
Timing belts are different from drive belts, but every car has one, and they are worth talking about.
In timing belts, friction occurs between the belt's inner surface and the pulley grooves or sockets. As the timing belt rotates, it synchronizes the timing of the crankshaft to the camshaft. That motion then causes the engine valves to open and close at precise intervals during cylinder intakes and exhaust strokes in relation to piston position.
Timing belts only run inside the engine and don't have anything to do with accessory functions, as drive belts do. The crankshaft pulley is the common connection point between the two, but even that connection is through different pulleys.
Belt Shapes
Flat ribbed drive belt
Flat ribbed drive belts are far thicker than other belt options. They're more common in new vehicle models and fit around all the accessory systems using only one belt system. Because of their size and the one-belt system, they're far easier to install and maintain.
Thanks to the multi-rib design, they have a better belt-to-pulley ratio and fewer instances of slippage compared to other designs.
Notched drive belt
Also called cogged drive belts, they're designed with notches along the rubber loops that reduce any stress under bending. Thanks to that, notched drive belts fit far more easily on pulleys with a smaller diameter, and the heat dissipation is far more efficient.
Notched drive belts are also far more flexible, allowing for better stress distribution. The notches are specifically placed and shaped to reduce tension stress accumulation and reduce the risk of under-cord cracking.
Wedge drive belt
Wedge drive belts are V-belts, but much narrower. They were actually created because people were demanding higher-powered transmissions and a smaller design. Thanks to that, they're far more compact than flat-ribbed drive belts, for example, or standard V-belts, and make the entire drive system more efficient.
Unlike standard V-belts, wedge drive belts have a superior cord construction and placement, giving the wedge belts increased capabilities of transmitting more power.
The design also features a more substantial depth-to-width ratio, with more sheave under the reinforcing cord, causing the wedge belt to take more of the load.
Joined drive belt
Joined drive belts are sometimes called banded belts or multiple V-belts. As the name suggests, they're designed by combining multiple V-belts that connect side by side to make a single, wider belt. The rest is improved stability and power transmission.
That said, they're only common in heavy machinery and industrial machinery with higher horsepower transmissions. You won't really find them in cars.
How to Tell if Your Drive Belt Needs Changing
There are some common and obvious signs that your drive belt needs changing:
- Squealing or chirping noises
- Hard steering
- The battery light warning or a dead battery without other causes
- Stalled engine
- Check engine light
- The air conditioning is not working.
- Oil leaks
- The manual belt is out of adjustment.
- Cracks, fraying, or glazing are apparent on the drive belt when you inspect it.
The Best Drive Belt Brands and Options
At Parts Avenue, we only supply premium drive belts from some of the industry's leading original equipment-level manufacturers.
The drive belt brands online on the Parts Avenue catalog are:
Kobra
Kobra drive belts online far exceed the original equipment requirements and specifications. They're designed with a premium EPDM rubber compound that's excellent at resisting cracking under pressure and extreme temperatures. And compared to other brands and options on the market, Kobra drive belts are made with cross-linked polymer chains to increase the drive belt lifespan and reduce premature wear and tear.
The design also makes them 14% more flexible than original equipment specifications, and the polyester membrane reduces elongation by 11%.
The three Kobra drive shaft models are:
- Kobra OE
- Kobra Amarid
- Kobra Fit
Best for: daily drivers who want to buy a drive belt that will last for years. Performance car models are better suited to the Kobra Amarid model.
Bando
Bando drive belts are a global brand with an excellent reputation for producing premium original equipment-level parts. They have multiple drive belt options suitable for cars to machinery.
Bando accessory drive belts are typically designed with molded notches or grooves on the underside. According to Bando, “Molded notch design increases flexibility, so the belt runs cooler and longer.”
The individual specifications, such as the material used, depend on the Bando drive belt, but all their designs feature industry-leading designs and specifications.
Bando has far more options than Kobra, but not all of them are designed for cars. Some are designed for ATVs and motorbikes.
Best for: everyday drivers who want a reliable, durable drive belt that will last for years.
How to Choose the Right Drive Belt
Find a drive belt suitable for the make and model of your car.
The first step is ensuring you're picking the correct drive belt for the make, model, and year of your car. Different cars will have different sizes and belt-type requirements.
To make it easier for our customers, we've created a Fitment Check tool located on our website. All you need to do is input the year, make, and model of your motor, and it will tell you whether the drive belt part you're looking at is suitable or not.
You can also check your car's manual for specific drive belt compatibility information.
Ensure the design of the drive belt is compatible with your car.
We recommend that you understand the specific belt's number of ribs and length for serpentine belts, or the model, width, and length for V-belts, to ensure compatibility.
You can also check your car's manual for specific drive belt compatibility information.
Frequently Asked Questions About Drive Belt Parts
How long do drive belts typically last before they need replacing?
On average, drive belts will need to be replaced every 95,000 to 160,000 kilometers. They're a really durable part, and if you buy a new car, it's unlikely that you'll ever need to change the drive belt unless you do frequent long-distance driving.
It's recommended to perform an annual inspection of drive belts to check for faults or damage.
What are the most common signs of a failing serpentine or V-belt?
The most common signs of a failing drive belt are engine overheating, squealing noises, faulty driving accessories, and dashboard warning lights without any other explanation. If your car is relatively new and you inspect the drive belt and it looks healthy, it could be another issue, such as faulty sensors.
How can I tell the difference between a drive belt and a timing belt when inspecting my engine?
You will see the drive belt on the outside of the engine and around the driving accessories, such as the alternator and air conditioning compressor. The driving belt will either have a smooth or ribbed surface. The timing belt is hidden under a protective cover at the front of the engine block.
Drive belts are an essential car component with a long lifespan in comparison to other car parts, like your car wiper blades or oil filter. If your drive belt does need changing, we have a range of options in our catalog for various makes and models of cars and drive belt lengths and thicknesses.
Start your search today with Parts Avenue, the most-trusted car parts provider in Canada.