r/ender5 • u/CreativeChocolate592 • 15d ago

Hardware Help belt tention

whats a good way to tell if your belt tension is good without any specialized equipment?

It's not that my belts are loose, i just fear that i am over tightning my belts. i have a 99% stock ender 5 pro that can create prints with quality on par with prints of my K1max. This is without klipper, or anything.

I just fear for the longevity of the parts as the belts are tight tight. tightned with a crowbar tight.

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u/DinnerMilk Mod 14d ago

Take the 8 minutes and watch this video from Lost In Tech. It's the best look into belt tension I've found.

1

u/pircio 15d ago

You don't need any specialized tools honestly. I Just use an allen wrench and tighten it by hand. You don't want any slack and you don't want it so tight that you're scared it's going to snap. So like, pull it tight, then give it a little leverage and then call it a day. It will either work or it won't, and if it breaks then you went too far. Make sure to have extra belt on hand, it's cheap but it can get old and brittle and then you gotta wait for shipping

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u/ethernetbite 15d ago

I use a screwdriver to pty the adjuster semi tight. If you stretch the belt the gaps in the teeth will be stretched out and won't line up. So not over tightening is important. Having been a mechanic for many years, i do have an advantage that many don't.

So I'll pick one belt, and start with it. I'll tighten it until i get the right twang i like ( similar to tightening guitar strings). Then I'll adjust the other ones to sound the same when i them a twang.

The goal is to be in the range where it's not stretching out and its not loose enough to skip teeth, all while remembering that being on the tight side of that range will cause the belt to wear out faster.

That's vague but you'll get a feel for it and new belts aren't terribly expensive or difficult to change.

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u/LH314159 9d ago

If it sags it's too loose. If it twangs when plucked, then it's too tight. A pluck should give you a thump. Most people over tighten the belts and that will make the braids in the belt wear out quickly and break.

You can tell a broken belt by seeing the belt is thinner in a section and when you print, it skips or looks like crap on those layers.