Serpentine Belts

[aunt betty]

Gates, Masterpro, or Dayco?
Why?

[jarbo03]

Whatever the factory uses, they are better.

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[assateague]

I like the Napa Gator Grip. Think that's what they're called. Work like a charm, and never squeal.

[aunt betty]

Sigh...AT.
If I asked 1,2,or 3 you'd say 4 because 4 is bigger.

Lets put this differently.
First of all I can change my own belt. I'm not paying anyone so installation is free. K?

Now. Would you use the $20 belt? The $30 one? The $40 one? The $50 one? OR the one that costs $80?
Try again. I'm getting ready to go buy a belt.
I'll save the one that is on there right now and keep it in the truck for an emergency.

Is it REALLY the best idea to get the most expensive one?

[assateague]

I believe the Gator Grip is made by Gates. But sold at Napa under their name. So Gates is my answer.

[aunt betty]

Y'all may ask why did I make it so hard?
I was confused as heck because I tried shopping on-line. Here is how it went.
I got onto Autozone's site and they had Dayco brand with a certain price. Then I had drop-down ads bombing me with prices on the same item at other places like amazon. It was only $13.99 for a Dayco belt there (amazon). I almost bought one. Then I thought...what if it's the wrong size of breaks or had a defect??? Scratch that.
Then I got shopping at other places like O'Reilly, Advance, etc.
It's crazy the range of prices I could pay for a danged belt...
I decided to get it at the closest place that sold one that's made in USA. Had to drive 1/2 mile to O'Reilly.
It was $50 for a belt. $14 sounds a whole lot better.

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[goodkarmarising]

Just bought a hub assembly off of ebay for half the price Advance Auto wanted to charge. Same part, same warranty. I am going to start shopping online for a lot more of my car parts.

[Tomkat]

Sigh...AT.
If I asked 1,2,or 3 you'd say 4 because 4 is bigger.

Lets put this differently.
First of all I can change my own belt. I'm not paying anyone so installation is free. K?

Now. Would you use the $20 belt? The $30 one? The $40 one? The $50 one? OR the one that costs $80?
Try again. I'm getting ready to go buy a belt.
I'll save the one that is on there right now and keep it in the truck for an emergency.

Is it REALLY the best idea to get the most expensive one?

Sometimes it is. A serpentine belt is one of those things you dont want to mess around with. I am a cheap bastard, but on a belt like that, it dont pay to go cheap IMO. I will be the first to admit I dont know a lot about belts.

[aunt betty]

I am from the school of "fix it your own damned self".
The belt I took off was a Mopar belt and I think it was the original one.
Maybe the dealer put a new one on when I bought the truck used...not sure but I'm keeping that in the truck along with a 3/8" ratchet. That's the only tool required to replace a belt. I got the expensive one anyway.
Gates. Made in USA.

I found that there was an idler pulley going bad so I replaced it. That really was the problem and I misdiagnosed it as needing a belt...oh well. I have a spare now.

[assateague]

Had an idler pulley on my Dodge fail catastrophically a few years back. Damn thing was made out of plastic, and basically just blew up. The replacement I got was metal.

[Bulldog0156]

Sigh...AT.
If I asked 1,2,or 3 you'd say 4 because 4 is bigger.

Lets put this differently.
First of all I can change my own belt. I'm not paying anyone so installation is free. K?

Now. Would you use the $20 belt? The $30 one? The $40 one? The $50 one? OR the one that costs $80?
Try again. I'm getting ready to go buy a belt.
I'll save the one that is on there right now and keep it in the truck for an emergency.

Is it REALLY the best idea to get the most expensive one?

Cheap belt, realistically something else will probably fail first causing the belt to get destroyed.

[insaneduck]

I am from the school of "fix it your own damned self".
The belt I took off was a Mopar belt and I think it was the original one.
Maybe the dealer put a new one on when I bought the truck used...not sure but I'm keeping that in the truck along with a 3/8" ratchet. That's the only tool required to replace a belt. I got the expensive one anyway.
Gates. Made in USA.

I found that there was an idler pulley going bad so I replaced it. That really was the problem and I misdiagnosed it as needing a belt...oh well. I have a spare now.

I busted an idler pulley last year duck hunting at ashbaugh.... other hunters ain't friendly there when you got a bow full of ducks and they don't.

[aunt betty]

I am from the school of "fix it your own damned self".
The belt I took off was a Mopar belt and I think it was the original one.
Maybe the dealer put a new one on when I bought the truck used...not sure but I'm keeping that in the truck along with a 3/8" ratchet. That's the only tool required to replace a belt. I got the expensive one anyway.
Gates. Made in USA.

I found that there was an idler pulley going bad so I replaced it. That really was the problem and I misdiagnosed it as needing a belt...oh well. I have a spare now.

I busted an idler pulley last year duck hunting at ashbaugh.... other hunters ain't friendly there when you got a bow full of ducks and they don't.

I'd hate to be stranded anywhere where they have wild hogs and cottonmouths etc.
Kind of an un-written law in those areas to help stranded people out. I always will.