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Upgrade Now, Save Later—Time for a UTV Drive Belt Replacement?

By Sara Wines | Behind The Wheel on September 12, 2022
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How can I tell if it’s time for a UTV drive belt replacement? How does a side-by-side drive belt work? What’s the best UTV drive belt? If you’re searching for answers to these questions or just trying to learn more about UTV drive belts, you’ve come to the right place. Consider this your handy guide to everything side-by-side drive belts.

A lifted UTV takes on a huge bounty hole while surrounded by spectators.
To take on deep mud, you’re definitely going to need a GBoost Mud Monster Belt.
Image by SuperATV

Table of Contents

  • How Do Drive Belts Work
  • Causes of Wear and Tear
  • Is It Time for a New Belt
  • Upgrade, Don’t Replace

How Do Drive Belts Work?

Drive belts get power from the engine to the transmission. Most UTVs use a CVT, which stands for Continuously Variable Transmission. That means a side-by-side has an infinite number of gear ratios available for every situation. Without the belt, the CVT wouldn’t work at all—that’s why they’re so important!

You’ll find the drive belt in the CVT behind the clutch cover, inside the clutch housing, looped around both sheaves. Drive belts are generally made from black rubber or rubber-like compounds surrounding aramid cords. They’re oblong in shape and lined with evenly-spaced ridges of teeth on both sides.

When you put your foot on the gas, the primary clutch squeezes the drive belt. The higher the RPM, the harder the belt is squeezed. That squeeze pulls the belt, which turns the driven clutch. Those combined actions transfer power to the transmission which moves the vehicle. Obviously, there are a lot of other complicated processes involved in moving the vehicle, but we won’t get into that here.

An image of a GBoost UTV drive belt. It's oblong, black, and covered in long horizontal teeth on both sides.
They may not look like much, but without a drive belt, your UTV couldn’t move.
Image by SuperATV

Causes of Wear and Tear

Drive belts are considered a wear-and-tear item, just like brakes or tires. Since the belt is engaged every time you put your foot on the gas, you can imagine how much damage can happen over time. You’re going to have to replace the belt eventually, but certain environmental factors or riding styles may have you replacing belts more often. While you can’t avoid replacing belts, you can work to extend their longevity.

There’s no way to know exactly how long your belt will last, but here’s a few indicators that your belt may have a shorter lifespan:

  • Rough riding: Going hard on the trail will wear your belt out faster—but that’s kind of the point, isn’t it? Maybe just back your foot off the gas occasionally, Mr. Andretti.
  • Environment: Exposure to dirt, dust, water, and mud makes the belt slip when you need power. Clean the interior of the clutch housing regularly with an air compressor to prevent this type of wear.
  • Weight: Modifications that add weight to your machine (big tires, lift kits, portals, etc.) can cause additional strain on the belt since it has to move more mass.
  • Clutch alignment: If your clutch is out of alignment, it can cause uneven wear on the belt. Eventually, that will make it slip more often and break down faster.
  • Heat: Extreme temperatures are a drive belt’s worst enemy. Tears, warping, stretching—high temps do awful things to belts. Repeated exposure to heat from the environment or stressful driving will destroy the belt in no time.
A huge, lifted UTV with giant tires in a rocky creek bed. There's icicles dripping down the canyon wall behind it.
Big builds are super fun, but did you know they can put more stress on your UTV drive belt? If you want a big lift, you’re going to want to upgrade your belt.
Image by SuperATV

Is It Time for a New Belt?

There are two pretty obvious ways to know when your belt is toast. First is the smell: burnt rubber. The second is a “thunk-ka-thunk” sound from down below. At that point, you know for sure something is messed up—especially if you get the nasty burnt rubber stink and then the horrible clunky sound right after.

Once you remove the CVT cover, you’ll find a wad of little rubber and cord bits from inside the belt and other little scraps hiding all over the place. Make sure you check your skid plate, air ducts, and engine for little bits that may have traveled. You want to get all that junk out before you replace the belt. (Tip: compressed air can come in handy to blow scraps out of hard-to-reach places.)

Some riders replace their belts on a tight schedule, like every 1,000 miles or so. Getting yourself on a schedule gives you more control over when and where you replace your belt. Pretty much anybody would rather replace a belt in their garage than on a muddy trail!

A man crouches next to a UTV. The rear driver's side tire is removed and he has both hands inside the CVT manipulating the sheaves.
It’s not as complicated to replace a UTV drive belt as you might think, but it’s definitely a job we prefer to do at home and not on the trail.
Image by SuperATV

Upgrade, Don’t Replace

When you tear that OEM belt to shreds, do yourself a favor—upgrade to a GBoost belt. They’re made with ultra-strong aramid fiber cords to prevent separation. They’re also highly heat resistant, flexible, and strong enough to put up with more abuse than OEM.

They come in four flavors to suit any rider’s needs:

  • Sand Storm: If you love dunes and sand, this is the belt for you. Superior heat dispersion protects this belt from deterioration even in desert conditions.
  • Mud Monster: This belt is built for mud addicts. If you’re crawling low and slow to power through the bog, this belt has the grip to keep you rolling.
  • Extreme Badass: Some riders love to fly in their rigs—this belt can keep up. It was designed to be squeezed harder and handle higher torque without giving out.
  • World’s Best Belt: If you love all types of terrain, here’s your belt. Its specially-designed rubber compound maintains cord strength for better grip and longer life no matter how you ride.

You can count on GBoost for high-performing, reliable UTV replacement belts every time. They’re made better to keep even the roughest riders on the trail longer. You can’t go wrong with GBoost.

Four GBoost drive belts show in their packaging. The four belts are Sand Storm, World's Best Belt, Mud Monster, and Extreme Badass.
GBoost has the right belt for every rider. They make four different belts so you can choose the right one for you.
Image by SuperATV
RELATED CONTENT: drive belts12 installation262 machine maintenance53 transmissions10
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