2024-06-19
Automotive belts: types of car belts and their roles
More than you would initially imagine, drive belts play a large role in your car. In fact, no vehicle will run very long without belts in place – if it will run at all! It might seem counterintuitive to use belts in the hot engine compartment since rubber tends to be fragile, but the belts used in a car are much more than just rubber.“What are belts made of?”, you might ask. Looking back more than ten years ago, belts were typically made of neoprene rubber, reinforced by strands of cotton and layered with Kevlar. These belts were strong and lasted from 80,000 to 125,000 kilometers. Today’s drive belts are made of Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) rubber that lasts up to 160,000 kilometers or more, barring unforeseen failures. EPDM rubber is stiffer than neoprene and resists stretching better.How many belts your car has depends on the make and model you drive. It may have just one long serpentine belt or it may have two or three accessory drive belts. That’s in addition to a timing belt, if your car is equipped with one.What styles of belts are on the market today? How are they used on the engine? Trodo has the descriptions of each belt for you, and you can find replacement belts for your car at Trodo.com and have them delivered to your door.