Serpentine Belt-Current Consensus?

Is the Gatorback belt still the top choice for belts? Is that the best for noise and longevity?

 

You must of had the dreaded squeak! I recently stuck in a 35 dollar belt made by Mitsiboshi. I'm sure anything is better than the oem belt..

 

Bought a heavy duty ac Delco from rock auto and it’s actually a Gates with the green backing. It was cheap too.

 

I’ll personally never run another Gatorback belt. The “Helicog” ribs are extra bad for grabbing small rocks and pulling them into the pulleys, resulting on a shredded belt. This is exactly what happened with my last Gatorback in about 30,000 Km.

Currently running a Gates belt, over 50,000 km and no complaints so far...

 

When I had my Tundra, I bought it used with 26,000, at 44-45 tensioner started to squeal, bought a OEM tensioner and Gates belt, Tundra is at 99, slight squeal at start up

 

*Had your Tundra?? What’s going on??

 

Mrs owns it now, she had a wreck in her car, she took over payments, now it's hers, and she had a fender bender in the Tundra last week, it's going in shop this week, new headlight, plastic panel under headlight, bumper corner and bracket, maybe new surround, ranch hand brush guard is trashed

 

Women drivers...

 

Yup, late for work and following too close

 

Yep, I have good experience with gates, used their timing belt for my other car. Seem to be good quality. Just recently installed the gates serpentine kit for the tundra. Smooth and quiet!

 

Whatever you do don't get any Toyota antifreeze on your belt. It will squeal badly and you will never get it to stop unless you replace the belt. Brake clean can't even get the belt clean again. It's like the antifreeze gets absorbed into the rubber.

 

Good point, and very true. I’ve also had the same issues with other brands of OAT coolant on belts as well.

 

Did you get the regular or HD belt?


K080948
K080948HD

 

Is the belt very difficult to replace/special tools?

 

Easy but easiest done with the skid plate off from under the truck. Watch the routing because there are two ways it will go on.

 

Just the regular IIRC.