Running Belts Backwards

[zmountainman]

Does anyone know why the BRP belts are directional? To the naked eye, there's no difference from one side to the other.

The cords always come apart on the side of the belt facing out so couldn't we switch the direction of the belt every ride to prolong their life?

Are the sides cut on different angles? Is the internal construction asymetrical?

Any thoughts?

 

[milehighassassin]

If they are directional there should be some sort of arrow pointing to the front of the sled on the belt.

 

[winter brew]

They`are not directional, belt mfr's say it's always a good idea to run the belt is the same direction. I have turned them around in the past with no problems.

 

[zmountainman]

There is an arrow on the BRP belts that shows the intended rotation direction. I want to know if there is a technical reason they are meant to be directional by the mfr's.

Would reversing them every other ride improve belt life? Would it sacrifice performance?

Anyone know why they wear on the outside first?

 

[skierh2o]

It's so you can pull the strings out because of the way they are wrapped....therefore having to buy a new belt!......but really, I have run them backwards from new on occasion to verify, and have seen little to no difference in performance or lifespan!

Skier

 

[duck899]

so, now you know the secret to long belt life......

I've been running the belt with the arrow to the back of the XP all this year.....420 miles and counting....looks better than new....I'll post a pic after this weekends ride in Mcbride......lol

 

[mountain_tamer]

the only reason they have arrows on them is so you put them on the same way each time. The manufactures of the belts say to always run them the same way as you broke them in.

So if you want from the beginning out your belt on backwards

 

[kodpkd]

You can run the belt either direction from new,,,, But once you start it in one direction, stay with that direction. Strings start to come out on the outside, because that is the side the primary pushes on, making it hotter.

 

[CanDoo]

we run em both ways...and have had no issues...they are the exact same on both sides...so no reason you can't run em both ways.

And as kodpkd states..this would cause wear to be distributed to both sides..not just one..and you might extend belt life....

T

 

[zmountainman]

You can run the belt either direction from new,,,, But once you start it in one direction, stay with that direction. Strings start to come out on the outside, because that is the side the primary pushes on, making it hotter.

Newton's third law of motion says that every action has an equal and opposite reaction so both halves of the clutch, sliding and fixed, have to push equally hard on each side of the belt, otherwise it would accelerate in one direction.

Good thought that it's the sliding half of the primary that gets hotter though. Would the sliding half of the clutch be hotter because of the bushing sliding and because it has more thermal mass? The same could be said for the secondary as well, only the hot side is the fixed side in that case.

Any other thoughts on why belts wear more on the outside?

Any ideas why the belt mfr's say to always keep running them in the same direction?

 

[03doo800]

ski doo belts

I had this same question about two weeks ago my belt is worn on the inside on the sliding half of the belt (lil nubs started to get wore) so I turned my belt around to try and prolong the life I have been on two rides with it this way on ride was in waist deep powder and it felt fine (no difference). Am I messing up running it turned?

 

[badass1000]

My xp only pulls cords on the outside. I put the stock 166 belt on with the arrow faceing the direction of rotation on the clutches. blew my carlisle xs 803 today and put a stock 166 on. Started pulling cord after 20 miles. checked it several times while riding. Checked it and it just started pulling. May put it on backwards and hope it lasts another day. Last 166 lasted 32 miles.
got around 100 miles on the carlisle before it grenaded into a million pieces. Carlisle belt does not slip. ski doo belt slips.