Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Treadmill Repair 101: Drive Belt

Treadmills may not compare with a jog outdoors, but you wouldn't want to run laps when it's hot as a skillet outside. Unfortunately, treadmills can wear down to the point that the belt fails or the motor goes kaput. Most treadmills remain unused for years due to a single, replaceable broken part.


Starting off, the drive belt is arguably the most commonly-repaired part of the treadmill. After all, it endures jog after jog, eventually resulting in misalignment and loss of tension. If you try to use the treadmill with a loose drive belt, you may slip and get seriously injured.

Before replacing anything, try to loosen or tighten the rollers depending on where the belt shifts. If it starts shifting left, tighten the right roller by a quarter of a turn, clockwise. Observe the belt for at least five revolutions at the lowest possible speed and repeat the process if necessary. After five revolutions, increase the speed for further checking.

If the problem persists, the cause may not be with the rollers. For instance, lubrication is a must when it comes to belt maintenance; lack of it can lead to the belt resisting to movement, and the resulting friction may degrade the belt too soon. Experts recommend lubricating the belt every 40 hours of use.


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