V-Belt drive maintenance

Here's a handy belt drive maintenance tip: When replacing belts on your belt drives, take a good look at the condition of the sheaves before you begin the installation. Since belts can be LESS expensive to replace than the sheave or pulley, often people choose to install brand new belts on worn out sheaves. Although you may save the cost of the sheave upfront, you're likely to experience loss of power due to belt slip, shortened belt life by 50% or more, and increased downtime in the future. How often should you replace your sheaves? The common rule of thumb is to replace your sheaves on every third change of belts. By following this simple rule, your new belts will last longer and you'll have a lot fewer problems with your belt drives in the future!