Dominant1
Well-Known Member
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Been reading alot about supercharger belts ever since i got my new ProCharger D1x. I upgraded the belt that comes with my kit to a Gates Hd green belt and I'm happy with its performance. Then i read about their new rpm belt and i ordered one yesterday here is the info that convinced me to get one:
Rpm belts are a new belt designed for superchargers. Here is a direct quote from gates.
RPM (Racing, Performance, Muscle) is a new, no compromise belt built specifically for supercharged applications.
Whereas 99% of all belts on the market today use a polyester tensile cord, the RPM series uses an aramid tensile cord. This is the same fiber found in bulletproof vests and is 10x stronger than steel and 5x less elastic than polyester. When polyester heats up (which it does even from normal use) it will stretch out. As you can imagine, when that belt stretches out you experience belt slip and boost loss. Eventually the elastic properties of the polyester will fail and the belt that was once 100” will stretch to 100.25”, at which point the tensioner can no longer compensate for the stretch and generally results in belt failure.
Due to the strength and minimal elasticity of aramid fiber, the RPM series of belts will not stretch which allows the belt to maintain its true length throughout its service life. This results in more consistent boost and in some instances, users have reported a 1-2psi increase merely from switching from HD belts to RPM belts. We actually have some user submitted under hood video on our Instagram page (GatesRPM) that clearly demonstrates the difference between polyester and aramid corded belts.
Another main benefit of the RPM line is the use of two layers of adhesion gum. These layers create a sandwich around the tensile cords which transfers the load to the strongest part of the belt; the jacket (or smooth backside of the belt). FleetRunner HD belts got a reputation for strength because they use one layer of adhesion gum, standard micro-v belts forgo any adhesion gum.
RPM belts also utilize a patented rubber compound with the highest coefficient of friction available and are built in common OE supercharger sizes as well as many sizes used with aftermarket setups. The RPM line has expanded to 299 part numbers with new numbers being added every quarter.
Rpm belts are a new belt designed for superchargers. Here is a direct quote from gates.
RPM (Racing, Performance, Muscle) is a new, no compromise belt built specifically for supercharged applications.
Whereas 99% of all belts on the market today use a polyester tensile cord, the RPM series uses an aramid tensile cord. This is the same fiber found in bulletproof vests and is 10x stronger than steel and 5x less elastic than polyester. When polyester heats up (which it does even from normal use) it will stretch out. As you can imagine, when that belt stretches out you experience belt slip and boost loss. Eventually the elastic properties of the polyester will fail and the belt that was once 100” will stretch to 100.25”, at which point the tensioner can no longer compensate for the stretch and generally results in belt failure.
Due to the strength and minimal elasticity of aramid fiber, the RPM series of belts will not stretch which allows the belt to maintain its true length throughout its service life. This results in more consistent boost and in some instances, users have reported a 1-2psi increase merely from switching from HD belts to RPM belts. We actually have some user submitted under hood video on our Instagram page (GatesRPM) that clearly demonstrates the difference between polyester and aramid corded belts.
Another main benefit of the RPM line is the use of two layers of adhesion gum. These layers create a sandwich around the tensile cords which transfers the load to the strongest part of the belt; the jacket (or smooth backside of the belt). FleetRunner HD belts got a reputation for strength because they use one layer of adhesion gum, standard micro-v belts forgo any adhesion gum.
RPM belts also utilize a patented rubber compound with the highest coefficient of friction available and are built in common OE supercharger sizes as well as many sizes used with aftermarket setups. The RPM line has expanded to 299 part numbers with new numbers being added every quarter.
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