Tag: FAQ

If you’ve come to this blog, it is for one of two reasons; either you want to know what a “V-belt” is, or (more likely) you want to know why should buy from V-Belts Direct. And as it happens, these two questions have closely related answers.

A Mechanical belt is any flexible material in a  loop or belt shape that links rotating shafts. There are actually a surprising amount of reasons, ranging from a factory conveyor belt carrying loads all the way to the transmission of power. In our industry this belt drive system is one that we see most commonly (although if you need a conveyor belt, call us and we’ll see what we can find 🙂 It is a simple and inexpensive method of transferring power in an efficient manner. They’re so cheap, so good at what they do, that they have almost become invisible… right up until they break.

For many people, their first moment of belt awareness was a lot like mine. I was 16 years, driving a car that was also probably 16 years old (or older), and it had started making this incredibly loud, high pitched squealing, that was deleting my already marginal chances of finding a date. Anyone stepping out of a shrieking Oldsmobile while wearing a band uniform would have to have a pretty spectacular personality.

It turns out that I needed my serpentine belt replaced. Which fixed my car but strangely, did nothing for my love life. I also learned that a serpentine belt is a type of V-belt (sometimes known as v belt or even vee belt). A V-belt is so called because of the shape of their cross section which is actually a little trapezoidal for you geometry fans.

This shape, which was pioneered by John Gates of the Gates Rubber Company, retains the efficiency of a flat belt but avoids the slippage. It also can even improve the torque transmission (in case you have any large yachts to tow).

So what does the invention of a cheaper, more efficient form of power transmission between shafts have to do with V-Belts Direct? Because we want to be the most efficient way to supply your belt needs. Belts are invisible, right up until they are ruining your day. When that happens you need to be able to find the right belt at the right price and get it as quickly as possible. We strive to have the absolute widest stock of belts listed on our site, but if you come across something that we don’t have listed, we will go out of our way and do our very best to find what you need. We believe that we’ve pioneered a new system for the digital age so that no matter where you are. Whether you are supplying for a fleet of vehicles in a large metro area or your combine is broken down in a rural field, we want to supply your belt.