Vee or multiribbed !

[CompoSimmonite]

For my idea of making a diff locker on a mobility scooter transaxle instead of a dog clutch I'm now going with the electromagnetic clutch off a car air conditioning compressor. I'll still need to connect this to either side of the diff on the output shafts but rather than chain drive I'm going with belts.
There are vee and multiribber belted compressor pulleys so wonder which people would recommend ?
I think vee would be my preference but value others opinions.

 

[AdrianH]

I think you could get more area with the multiribbed belts and therefore less slipping, I also think they can have smaller radii as the belts are not as deep. But I stand to be corrected.

there are also the toothed timing style belts, but getting pulleys you require could be more difficult.

Adrian

 

[gordon stephenson]

If this is for off road,Unless the belt is fully enclosed a V belt may be more tolerant in dealing with any grit/dirt.debris etc than the smaller grooved poly V belt.

 

[Fazerruss]

I think you could get more area with the multiribbed belts and therefore less slipping, I also think they can have smaller radii as the belts are not as deep. But I stand to be corrected.

there are also the toothed timing style belts, but getting pulleys you require could be more difficult.

Adrian

You could visit a scrappy and get the camshaft and crank pulleys of an engine. The belt would more than likely still be usable too. This would give you a two to one ratio or one to one depending on which pulleys you use.

 

[Fazerruss]

Making a timing pulley would be straight forward if you have a mill and a rotary table

 

[Bill Edwards]

Yes, getting the pulleys and belt off a scrapper would be a good idea - and make sure to make a note of the exact model of the vehicle it comes off to make buying a replacement easy in the future.

As to which kind of belt I'd have thought either will be fine. We're talking low speed stuff and probably nothing much in the way of really tight bends (if using a V belt on a small pulley get a toothed one) and with no need to drive anything off the back of the belt I don't think there's much advantage in using either type. I'd go for whichever parts you come by that are the easiest to use.

 

[Ton-up]

Making a timing pulley would be straight forward if you have a mill and a rotary table

Unless the size you want is not available, or you just like making stuff, it's not worth making one as they are so cheap!

 

[dannyp]

personaly i'd use chain

 

[normspanners]

As gordon says as this belt would be low down and likely to pick up mud etc poly vees tend to keep the debris in them for a long time several revolutions and can terminally damage the belt whereas straight single v dispose of it immediately. and will handle it better IMO

 

[normspanners]

but how is the clutch going to work through a v belt if using it to drive the vehicle dont forget the magnets take a lot of current long term.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

but how is the clutch going to work through a v belt if using it to drive the vehicle dont forget the magnets take a lot of current long term.

The electromagnetic clutch wouldn't be used continuously - just when "diff lock" needed. The clutch would be on a jack shaft with drive belt to one side of the diff and pair of same sized pulleys on other end of jack shaft to other side of diff. When clutch engaged it'd eliminate any diff function.

 

[normspanners]

Ah right I see, would it be better if poss then to have mag clutch spinning faster ie geared up 1:2 ?? so that it transmits more torque because drive shafts will be turning relatively slowly?

 

[Luke]

Poly-vee definitely transmits more force. We swapped from vee to poly vee on a 120A alternator as it was slipping at full load with a vee belt. The belt was running submerged in mud a lot of the time and wear wasn't a particular issue.

 

[normspanners]

The only issue I can see with using two belts is the power loss of having to run two belts constantly, for the odd occasion when required, is the drawback of sapping quite a lot of power.

 

[PhillipM]

Use a gatorback belt if you're worried about debris with a poly-v, that's what we use on the racers to clear mud/water from the belt systems.

 

[Bill Edwards]

Another way I might consider would be to have the axle as two halves, drive one side as normal - one wheel drive as opposed to a diff - and have a clutch to link the other side to be locked as needed.
No extra belts, no diff etc needed? One wheel drive is probably perfectly OK for most of the time?

 

[normspanners]

Use a gatorback belt if you're worried about debris with a poly-v, that's what we use on the racers to clear mud/water from the belt systems.

yeh good idea have seen poly vees derailed by debris and packed snow, whereas standard v's just seem to cut through and clean themselves.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

I think I'll go with vee. If they are used underneath a ride on mower with all the stuff that gets thrown up onto them then they are proven to work. Also plenty of pulleys that can be fitted to the axle shaft as used on all sorts of machinery - compressors etc.

What about cogged belts ? Are they any better than standard vee ?

 

[normspanners]

yes they help clean the pullies and give better tight radius drive

 

[dannyp]

with clutches you can get a small cabel operated one's that allready take a convinent shaft as found on the pos grillos