Reviews

How To Know Your CVT Belt Is About To Break

Reading the signs of wear on your rubber band

March 8, 2016

These days, the CVT belt is the life blood on most UTVs. If the belt breaks, you could be left stranded on a trail ride or quickly DNF a race. There are many ways to prolong belt life that depend on proper break-in, using the correct clutch set up and most importantly driving style. Here we will show you how to inspect your current belt and show tips for installing your next one.

0 Miles:

This is a brand new belt. The area you want to pay close attention to is between the bumps on the underside. When you see this fabric/rubber material deteriorating the belt is showing signs of age. Before installing a new belt it should be washed with warm soap and water and scuffed up with a green Scotchbrite pad. The clutch should be scuffed up too then cleaned with rubbing alchohal.UTV Driver

500 Miles:

Here’s a belt with 500 non abusive miles on it. The material is still in good condition and we wouldn’t worry about changing it any time soon. Keep in mind when you install a belt, The label should be able to be read from the top in the correct direction. This belt would make an excellent spare or reused.UTV Driver

1000 Miles:

This belt only had 1000 miles on it when it failed. It was on a heavy 4-seater that had lots of different drivers behind the wheel. We felt it break apart just as we got on the gas coming out of a corner so we quickly stopped. If you keep driving when a belt starts to fail, it’s cords will unravel and cause a huge mess behind your CVT cover.UTV Driver

1000 Miles:

The best way to prevent belt failure is to never hold the engine and belt in the same rpm range more than ten seconds. You want to modulate the throttle so the belt rides on cooler parts of the clutch sheaves. Rolling on the throttle when coming out of corners instead of flooring it helps too.UTV Driver

3000+ Miles:

We put over 3000 miles on this belt and were very easy on the throttle. It was installed in a lighter weight RZR900S. The belt is showing signs of wear and should be replaced. This belt is on the verge of breaking so we wouldn’t even count on it as a good spare.UTV Driver

Helix Options:

Here are two Helix options that are a part of the secondary clutch in a Polaris RZR XP 1000. The shape of the angled groove dictates engine braking. We like the one on the right or even use “Sand Helix” that has a straight gap and no oval section at the bottom.UTV Driver