Thoughts on Quality of Gates Belts? (4 Viewers)

[SaturnAscends]

The PO had the drive belts replaced a few years ago along with the radiator. As you can see below, they the Gates brand, made in the US.

I've heard mixed opinions on their quality however. I replaced all my hoses with genuine Toyota rubber, but would it be worth replacing the belts with OEM as well?

They seem to be holding up well, but just thought I'd put this out there. Don't mind the petroleum deposits on my engine block.

 

[White Stripe]

They work fine. Key is to tighten them properly.

 

[BILT4ME]

The PO had the drive belts replaced a few years ago along with the radiator. As you can see below, they the Gates brand, made in the US.

I've heard mixed opinions on their quality however. I replaced all my hoses with genuine Toyota rubber, but would it be worth replacing the belts with OEM as well?

They seem to be holding up well, but just thought I'd put this out there. Don't mind the petroleum deposits on my engine block.


View attachment 2981741View attachment 2981742

Gates belts are good. Just make sure to NOT use the ribbed ones that whine bad on the idler pulley.

I use Gates on all my other vehicles, but I can buy Toyota belts from Toyota for less than I can buy the Gates belts from FLAPS.

 

[NLXTACY]

The benefit to the Toyota belts, specifically for the alt, is they are a matched set. No variance at all.

 

[TYM4FUN]

The benefit to the Toyota belts, specifically for the alt, is they are a matched set. No variance at all.

Checking mine again today and one is stretching more than the other. Is this the reference people speak of what should not be happening?

 

[LC4LIFE]

The benefit to the Toyota belts, specifically for the alt, is they are a matched set. No variance at all.

^this^ plus often the Toyota belts are cheaper amazingly enough.

 

[SaturnAscends]

Gates belts are good. Just make sure to NOT use the ribbed ones that whine bad on the idler pulley.

I use Gates on all my other vehicles, but I can buy Toyota belts from Toyota for less than I can buy the Gates belts from FLAPS.

I think from the pictures I posted I don’t have the ribbed ones

 

[toy_tek]

I"ve been using Gates belts & hoses for 30 years. Pretty much all I ever buy. Never had a failure.

 

[Kernal]

Has anyone compared the lifetime/miles they got out of a set of Gates
and a set of Toyota belts?

 

[gummycarbs]

Replace them with Toyota and keep the Gates belts in the vehicle as spares.

 

[cruiserdan]

Gates is a tier-one supplier. Nothing wrong with them.

That being said, OEM Toyota belts are optimal and VERY reasonably priced. Gates would be my second choice, but only if I could not get real ones when I needed them.

 

[landtank]

Has anyone compared the lifetime/miles they got out of a set of Gates
and a set of Toyota belts?

I personally change my belts routinely before a problem. What kind of life span have you gotten out of the factory belts?

 

[landtank]

The benefit to the Toyota belts, specifically for the alt, is they are a matched set. No variance at all.

Of course there is a variance, it’s just minimal. That’s why the idler has a wobble to it. It balances the tension.

With todays manufacturing techniques the tolerances are really tight for no other reason than to minimize waste. I’m sure the gates belts are fine and with new design technology possibly better that the factory ones.

 

[BILT4ME]

I personally change my belts routinely before a problem. What kind of life span have you gotten out of the factory belts?

I'm only getting about 22K miles on a set of factory belts.

 

[landtank]

I always thought the gates for our trucks were the ribbed kind. I looked around and couldn’t find where to buy the ones pictured above.

Anybody know a source for them?

 

[bhsdriller]

Gates is always my go to for belts and hoses

 

[NLXTACY]

Of course there is a variance, it’s just minimal. That’s why the idler has a wobble to it. It balances the tension.

With todays manufacturing techniques the tolerances are really tight for no other reason than to minimize waste. I’m sure the gates belts are fine and with new design technology possibly better that the factory ones.

Pretty sure the idler is there for WOT/high rpm belt control vs a belt variance wobble. Tho it’s usefulness is negligible IMO.

 

[bicycleagent003]

I just ordered the OEM belts during the parts sale and they were virtually free. I pretty much had to buy them. I'm sure you understand.

 

[landtank]

Pretty sure the idler is there for WOT/high rpm belt control vs a belt variance wobble. Tho it’s usefulness is negligible IMO.

I just went out and double checked a brand new idler on one of my trucks and it definitely has a wobble in it. It's hard for me to see that as anything but intentional. But maybe it's a bean counter thing after all.

 

[landtank]

I've been researching belts for a while now. The reason for this is that I have plans for a DC onboard air compressor and it draws 90A. With that I need to install a bigger alternator and with that I started assessing the whole system. So I started looking at the load that was now being applied to the stock belts.

1. Modded Fan Clutch, mine is rather tame compared to what some run but it still is more that the stock unit.
2. 140A alternator, momentary when the compressor is on but some people have winches and other large draw items.
2. York compressor, again momentary only during use.

The final nudge came from the fact that while the stock belts worked with the new alternator, you had to tilt the water pump pulley to get them on. Don't know if the tundra alternator is the same but I didn't care for that. Strangely enough the idea size for my setup is 1137mm and is what is pictured above.

Maybe over thinking it but I can be that way some times.