Just dang kinky
 

allright jokers, here's the deal, my friend owns an old Team Losi JRXS. He runs it practically every weekend and even though he has little problem finding parts for the car at the lhs, whenever he breaks a belt (it doesn't happen too often, but it DID happen), of course he has to get a new one. Now, the issue isn't that he can't find one, its just the fact that nearly every belt he finds is "folded" into two loops in order to fit into the packaging. The problem here is the fact that any belt he can find has been in the packaging for a LONG while (essentially when Losi was Team Losi). This belt "fold" that occurs during packaging is then stored on the LHS's shelves for god knows how long.

This forms the dreaded belt kink.

Its perminate as well, and we are weary about soaking the belt in any form of solvent to try to "get rid" of it. This dreaded kink cause godaweful problems such as drivetrain cog and the innevitable chance that the belt will flip over, which has occured.

I dont want a solution such as "tighten the belts" because that doesn't solve the problem, it just masks it.

So is there any way to take the kink out of these belts?

Thanks guys, sorry for the long post for a short problem.

-Kyle

Maybe if you tighten it and run it for a bit it will work itself out? If you soak it it might shrink.

I don't think so. You've stretched out the rubber/urethane locally, and have probably also broken the Polyesther or Kevlar fiber reinforcement, which creates a weakness at that spot.

- Langston Higgley

nope, perma kink, the kinky belt has been in the car for a LOOONGGG while now, and all that has happened to it is the fact that it sometimes flips over.

Its just as bad as when he opened the package. You can't tighten the belt, bend it by hand, etc, it ALWAYS goes back to its dang kinkyness.

thanks though ;)

-Kyle

well, the issue is that it was like this since he opened the packaged part, this kink was due to the long shelf life of the belt as well as the way that the belts are packaged.

Im pretty sure the kevlar chords are fine, its just the urethane that has been warped (again, only due to packaging). I dont think losi is creating belts of this legnth any more either, so a new, fresh belt is out of the option.


thanks though

Kyle

Kyle,

Will anybody else's belt fit? Maybe search the old JRXS thread?

What about Paragon? :D

Horizon still sells the belts. Buy some new ones from them


http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...rodID=LOSA3302

Try soaking it in WD-40 for a couple days, and then spray it off with motor spray.

I'm kinda surprized to hear Losi folded the belt, maybe it only happened in a few packages...

Its folded and packaged in a manner that allows the belt to "overlap" itself, much like the picture in the link that larry posted.

Larry, how "new" are the belts, does that mean they have been in stock for a year or so, or does that mean that they just recently packaged some fresh belts?

he can get a belt no problem, its just the rarity of finding one that hasn't been sitting in the packaging for a while.

I can suggest soaking it, but it would suck to turn a problem belt into a "toothless minimal friction" problem belt.

thanks guys.