Dayco has highlighted its OE pedigree and aftermarket expertise in the design and manufacture of commercial vehicle auxiliary belt tensioners.

Although there are several tensioner design types, each one designed for a specific application, it’s main body/spring case design, arm offset and length, as well as the pulley size, are all designed to ensure maximum performance of the drive belt system. The tensioner is often an overlooked component, however, it is key to ensure the reliable operation of the vehicle.

The most common tensioner is the low pulley offset design, which Dayco introduced in conjunction with Cummins for its hugely popular B series engine in 1984. Over the intervening 30 years, the original design has gradually been updated.

Depending on the requirements of a given application, Dayco offers both flat and round wire solutions for the spring material used in the spring assembly. However, as a general rule, a flat wire spring provides the tensioner with the most stable performance across a wider range of movement and therefore is the most favoured by the OE.

As the auxiliary belt is central to the overall reliability of the vehicle, driving not just the alternator, but also water pump, steering pump, aircon compressor and the like, the performance of the tensioner is a vital factor in the drive system. Therefore, to ensure it meets the correct quality standards, every Dayco tensioner is tested on the production line during its manufacture.  They are individually measured against the OE design criteria, which means that whether destined for OE manufacture, OE supply or aftermarket, every Dayco tensioner conforms to the correct standard, giving installers and fleet operator complete peace of mind.