- Honestly, I get the skepticism—my spare belt's been riding shotgun untouched for years.
- But the one time I ditched my jumper cables, guess what happened... dead battery in middle-of-nowhere Arizona.
- Murphy's law, man. Better safe than stranded.
Totally agree with the Murphy's law sentiment—it's uncanny how often that happens. Even if you haven't needed that spare belt yet, rubber components like belts and hoses can degrade over time, especially under heat and stress. I've seen belts that looked perfectly fine snap without warning because they dried out internally. On vintage rides, it's not just about having the spare parts, but also periodically checking their condition and rotating them into use occasionally. A buddy of mine once carried a spare fuel pump for years, only to find out it was defective when he finally needed it. Lesson learned: test your spares periodically, especially electrical components. Keeping a small toolkit handy and knowing basic roadside repairs can also save you from a costly tow or hours waiting for help.
Good points about periodically checking spares—never thought about rotating belts into use before. But how often would you recommend swapping them out? Every year, couple years...? I'm on a tight budget, so I don't wanna replace stuff too soon if it's still good. Also, any tips on spotting internal belt wear before it snaps? Seems tricky to catch that early. Thanks for the heads-up on testing electrical spares too...definitely something I'll start doing.
I've wondered about that too—honestly, I swap mine every couple years, but that's mostly because I'm paranoid after having one snap mid-trip once. Internal wear is tricky...usually I just flex the belt and look for tiny cracks or stiffness. Not foolproof, but better than nothing.
I've always wondered if the flex test is really enough. I mean, I've done it too, but sometimes belts look perfectly fine and still snap at the worst possible moment. Had one go on me halfway through a road trip in my old Civic—middle of nowhere, of course. Since then, I've started carrying a spare belt and basic tools in the trunk. Cheap insurance, honestly.
One thing I've heard from a mechanic buddy is that mileage matters as much as age. He said even if the belt looks okay visually, after about 50-60k miles, it's probably time to swap it out anyway. Internal fibers weaken over time, and you can't always spot that just by looking or flexing. Makes sense to me, though I'm still guilty of pushing it longer than I probably should.
Anyone here tried those aftermarket reinforced belts? Are they worth the extra cash, or just marketing hype? I'm all for saving money, but not at the expense of reliability...
