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Belt Suppliers

cloudcap

cloudcap

Member
Super Patron
I'm thinking about doing a track rebuild on my 1404 Imp this summer or next and have been collecting bits and pieces for the job. I've got a stash of replacement grousers and a track jack (kudos to Bill Guthrie @ SnoTrans) and am now looking at belting. Both FallLine and Mountain Services Group have provided quotes for pre-drilled belts and their costs are pretty close (just under $500/belt) and I'm wondering what the collective wisdom of the Forum would suggest. Do you prefer one over the other? Is it better to buy belts from a local conveyer belt supplier rather than a "snowcat" shop? Do you have a favorite supplier in western Washington that you can suggest? Is drilling the holes yourself so fun and rewarding that I would be remiss to buy the belts pre-drilled? Any and all advice is welcome.

Thanks

Ron
 
Probably depends as much on your wallet as your Tim Taylor-like abilities.

Mine took over 900 holes. I couldn't consider it "so fun and rewarding that I would be remiss to buy the belts pre-drilled", but that's just my sense of fun (or lack thereof).

If I were you, I'd at least get a quote on new belting from a conveyor belt company so I could compare the value of drilling the holes. For me, I've got more time than money.
 
Seriously look at Capitol Rubber . They have a few stores and a huge amount of options . They can punch too . Mine came from them and and I did my own punching . Ran about a $1000 for everything .
 
I haven't bought or replaced the belts on my Tucker yet, but I've done a bit of research on the project...

Belting is not belting.

There are significant differences in belting depending on application and environment. For example on a Sno-Cat the belting must work well in sub-zero temperatures. Not all belting is made to do that, additionally belting will have a minimum bend radius so you must get belting that will meet the requirements of your particular machine.

Typically belting comes with different number of fabric plies and belting is spec'd as so much PIW. [PIW stands for Pounds (per) Inch Width.] The fabric is covered with rubber and the top and bottom covers come in different thicknesses.

Personally I would deal with a supplier that has experience in supplying belting for Sno-Cats. IIRC as of a couple of years ago new belts from Tucker were about $220.00 each, and there are 16.

I think I can save some significant money by buying the belting and doing the "punching" myself. But part of the hassle is making certain I'm getting the right stuff.
 
I bought my belting from Alaska Rubber here in Fbks. Conveyer belting, works fine here in sub zero temps. It was $200.00 bucks a strip undrilled. A good set of knee pads is a must. It didn't take long to drill em myself. I recommed you use all new bolts and steel lock nuts.
 
I got mine from Capitol rubber in Sacramento. Got a great deal. We checked the temp and radious and found the belting. Supplied me with the drill bit and I built a jig. Even got the splices from them. I have my salesmens number if you want. They had it cut for me too.
 
Here's what I've learned about track belts in the past few weeks.

I'm told that the original belting on a Thiokol Imp is Goodyear Plylon and on my Imp it is 3-ply and about 1/4" thick. Plylon comes in two flavors -- plain ol' Plylon and Plylon Plus.

Vendors seem to quote either "3-ply 600#" or "2-ply 220#" belts. Plylon Plus 600/3 matches the heavier belt's numbers and is 0.251" thick, so that is probably the original belt. The lighter-weigh belt appears to be Plylon 220/2 and is only 0.120" thick.

There's no clear consensus on which belt to use for a light cat such as an Imp. Some vendors prefer the 3-ply and will reluctantly sell the other, while others prefer the 2-ply and say that the heavier belt is over-kill.

I received quotes from four different "snowcat" companies that all offered the above two belts:
The costs vary slightly from place to place, but it is typically just under $500/belt (drilled) for the 3-ply and $300 to $400 for the 2-ply. You can save $50 to $100 per belt if you drill them yourself.

Vendors can turn the belts around in about a week and shipping runs roughly $100 for four belts (i.e., what I'd need for an Imp).

Some people have reported good experiences with generic "non-snowcat" belt suppliers. I contacted the following two:
I never heard back from Capital Rubber, but Bert from International Belt was very responsive and helpful. Strangely enough, Bert didn't seem to have access to the same Plylon as the snowcat folks and instead quoted a belt that was "just as good", but was 7/16" thick. It was still 3-ply 600#, but had a thicker cover over the top. His price was amazing -- $230/belt drilled -- but I wasn't comfortable going with such a thick belt.

Part of my reluctance to use such a thick belt is that I'm planning to join the tracks with an overlap rather than fasteners. Again, there doesn't seem to be wide agreement on which approach is best -- both seem to work and some folks prefer one over the other. On my own cat the original fasteners have long ago given way and are now backed up with patches, so I figure I'll save myself the trouble of changing in the future and start with an overlap from the get-go.

I haven't pulled the trigger and actually ordered anything yet, but I'm probably going to go with the 3-ply belt from the Mountain Services Group. Apparently they're having some kind of "spring maintenance" sale in May that might save me a couple bucks.

Thanks again for all your help and comments -- I appreciate being able to poll the collective wisdom of the group.

Ron
 
Yeah thanks for laying it out like that. I'll be interested how it goes for you to put new belts on and see how they work. It's on my list too, eventually. :smile:
 
So can someone educate me on belt construction? 3/16 belting ---- is a belt that has a 3/16" 2 or 3 ply carcass with 1/8" cover top and bottom the true belt thickness is 7/16" ???
Jess
 
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'couldn't find the specifications of track belt thickness or ply on the J5 spec sheet - doesn't say anything really other than the total width of the track - anyone know what is really called for?
 
with the limited horsepower and speed 3/8 should do you just fine anything thicker is just going to suck up your valuable horse power
 
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