8 best timing belts

The timing belt is a very important component of the engine. Thanks to this belt transmission, torque is transmitted to various components: the fan, the gas distribution mechanism itself, the generator and others, provided for by the specifics of the car itself. According to the technical design, timing belts are divided into three types: wedge, multi-ribbed and notched, the most difficult from the design point of view (as its teeth must have an involute profile along the entire perimeter with a minimum relative position error).

Due to the wide distribution of cars with internal combustion engines and belt drives, a huge number of companies are engaged in the production of timing belts. Accordingly, an elementary question arises before users over and over again: who is better? And, having conducted its own analysis of the market, the magazine expert.bigbadmole.com/en/en/ selected the top eight of the coolest manufacturers of timing belts, which received the highest ratings from users and a group of experts.

How to choose a timing belt

The choice of timing belt, in general, is very similar to the choice of any other spare parts: it has its own identifying marks and tags, which allow to identify the degree of originality and the associated quality of the product. In order to make the right decision when purchasing, the editors of expert.bigbadmole.com/en/en/ advise to pay attention to four key characteristics:

1. Digital designation of the belt. Many people mistakenly believe that timing belts (regardless of type) are made individually and labeled accordingly. In fact, they are cut from a large workpiece, which is previously subjected to the process of applying a differentiated digital code. Often, the market can come across belts with the designation, all the numbers in which are the same - this is a sure sign of a fake and a reason to refuse to purchase such a product.
2. Manufacturer hologram and certificate of conformity. As a reference mark for the originality of timing belts, manufacturers began to glue special holograms onto the boxes, as well as equip each of them with a small accompanying certificate. We advise you to carefully examine both the packing box itself and its composition before purchasing: in the absence of a certificate, be sure to ask the seller for it. In the event that he will not be able to issue one, feel free to refuse to make a purchase.
3. Cost level. An indirect sign by which you can distinguish a quality belt from a cheap fake. For this, it is necessary to at least know superficially the hierarchy of the producing companies - who sells a product is expensive, and who at all belongs to the budget segment. Here it is worth remembering about the main rule: only the goods from which you can get money can be falsified. Thus, the main risk group consists of timing belts of the middle and higher price segment.
4. The presence / absence of damage to the belt and packing box. The last criterion on the list, but not the last in importance. Arrange a careful inspection of the belt before making a purchase for the absence of cuts (even minor), pulling out of the teeth or their segmental destruction.Also pay attention to the study of the box: are there any rough rubs or breaks on it, are the manufacturer's data intact and the hologram printed on it. Most often, the wards and defects of the boxes are blamed on delivery flaws, but in 80% of cases such excuses are not true.

Top Timing Belt Rating

Nomination	a place	manufacturer	rating
Top Timing Belt Rating	1	Contitech	4.9
	2	Gates	4.8
	3	Dayco	4.8
	4	Bosch	4.7
	5	Lemforder	4.7
	6	INA	4.7
	7	Optibelt	4.6
	8	Hutchinson	4.5

Contitech

Rating: 4.9

The first place in the ranking goes to Contitech, a division of Continental that underwent the abolition procedure in 2018. In fact, it was a close analogue of Dayco, with the only difference that the development of belts was carried out on the material and resource base of one of the largest manufacturers of tires. Naturally, there was a continuity (both methods and technologies), an in-depth study of the features and the development of fundamentally new ways of making a quality product.

However, the Contitech management staff had enough prudence to restrain the rate of saturation of new products with fresh developments, thereby preventing prices from rising and violations of the subtle ratio of consumer spending to quality. Today, it is not clear how the products of a disbanded brand will be marketed. Most likely rubber metal products (including gas distribution belts) will appear under the Continental logo ... the benefit is that the essence will remain unchanged.

Gates

Rating: 4.8

One of the most well-known manufacturers of gas distribution belts, famous as a good company not only in the engineering industry. Since its inception, Gates has positioned itself as a company for conveyors, and has entered into exclusive contracts for the supply of parts to the largest automotive lines.

The products of the Belgian granite under consideration meet the highest quality and safety requirements, and also bribe users with a very large working resource (about 150-200 thousand kilometers until complete destruction). The only problem is that the belts (neither toothed or V-belts) from Gates are almost impossible to find at retail: as mentioned above, more than 90% of the total volume of goods produced goes to the conveyors, and only 10% is thrown onto the free market.

Dayco

Rating: 4.8

The American company with Italian roots occupies the third line of the rating, being, in fact, the most loyal supplier of timing belts for cars of various brands. Nevertheless, on domestic sites (online catalogs and retail outlets) their product began to appear relatively recently, which caused not the highest level of popularity of Dayco in Russia.

It is noteworthy that of the entire leading triad, the level of shipment of the product to the conveyor and retail market is Dayco's most balanced, at 50/50%. Of the features of their belts, we can note the unique technology of applying a Teflon protective coating, which reduces noise from work and protects the base material from wear. In addition, there is support by the manufacturer and the domestic auto industry: all models, ranging from the “Kalina” and “Priory”, received another high-quality analogue toothed belt, and moreover for a small amount.As part of the budget and its relationship with quality, Dayco can only impose a fight on Contitech - the Belgian Gates is much higher in price.

Bosch

Rating: 4.7

The old German company, originating from the village of Gerlingen, is a very well-known manufacturer of household / construction equipment and auto parts for any requests. This is its strength, and this is also the main weakness, because quality assurance in such diverse activities is an extremely difficult task.

However, for timing belts, both experts and users urge not to worry - this is one of the most stable niches in the Bosch range. Despite the immense species diversity, the Germans manage to maintain surprisingly equal quality in all aspects, including performance and working life. Which, by the way, lasts on average for the same 100 thousand kilometers as the main competitors in the rating. Completes a great picture of sales and the average price level, very beneficial for ordinary consumers and from a position of long-term costs.

Lemforder

Rating: 4.7

The representative of the well-known in Germany concern ZF, belonging to the category of brands in the middle price segment. He passed his position as a major manufacturer, becoming nothing more than a simple supplier of goods under the well-known logo. True, Lemforder still keeps its name unspotted: in the company box, spare parts from friendly (ZF) enterprises of BOGE and Sachs are supplied to the market, or products of little-known Korean factories are also strong in terms of quality endurance.

This fact is not a big secret for the entire world community, and, most surprisingly, Lemforder does not prevent multi-million contracts for the supply of timing belts to the conveyors of many global automakers. Among their customers are American Chevrolet (General Motors) and Ford, Korean Hyundai and KIA, Japanese Honda and Lexus, European Volkswagen and Russian VAZ. For the latter, by the way, the belts are very hardy: consumers chant the Germans for the large supply of working resources.

INA

Rating: 4.7

Another German representative won the reputation of the most cautious manufacturer of timing belts. INA is the main supplier of rubber-metal products to the conveyors of Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Toyota, Audi, and others, famous for introducing strict operational management of geometrical parameters and product characteristics. Moreover, the observance of this production system is the prerogative of not only the basic German workshop, but also of other factories scattered around the globe.

In particular, one of the INA enterprises operates in Russia, regularly supplying the timing belts for the VAZ brand to the market. Consumers speak well of the experience of their use, noting among the main advantages of excellent quality standards, durability and the actual absence of low-grade fakes.The experts' verdict was also not very different from popular opinion, however, having noticed a certain overvaluation by the company of its prices relative to its main competitors.

Optibelt

Rating: 4.6

A very original and honorable manufacturer of timing belts from Germany, always following the path of development that was once chosen. It concludes, by the way, not only in an interesting presentation of the goods (as a rule, manufactured products are supplied in very distinctive and recognizable boxes), but also in manufacturing techniques. Thus, a characteristic feature of the Optibelt timing belts is a very low tendency to wear, eliminating the possibility of any shift of the belt over the gear for a long period of time. For ensuring such a result, the selected material is partially responsible - chloroprene rubber, treated with a special antifriction compound.

According to the classics of the genre, the main consumers of Optibelt belts are German automakers (Mercedes-Benz, Vlokswagen), but a large flow of the company's products is also being produced in the retail market. Domestic owners of VAZ cars could also touch the quality - from the now-released Grants to the Vesta, which received an update. Anyway, the German company has great confidence in experienced circles, so the question of including it in the rating was not even considered.

Hutchinson

Rating: 4.5

French grandeur of rubber-metal products, seeking to achieve high rates of working life from the entire spectrum of products. It is the main partner of a number of automakers (including Toyota, Huyndai, Ford, Citroen, etc.), which is indirect evidence of quality and popularity.

Experts note the systematic introduction of new technologies in Hutchinson (at least in the production process of timing belts), which allow to improve the accuracy and modernize the performance. Some users claim that the belt bought and delivered instead of the standard belt can go up to 100 thousand kilometers, and this is not the maximum possible limit. No matter how great was the feeling of sympathy for the French firm, but recently there have been frequent cases of mass falsification of their goods. Engineers and promoters of the company are trying to come up with workarounds to combat this, but neither the notorious holographic tags nor the accompanying certificates stop the copycats from copying a quality product. All this negatively affects the image of the company, but we hope that the situation will eventually find a positive outcome.

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Attention! This rating is subjective, is not advertising and does not serve as a guide to the purchase. Before buying, you should consult with a specialist.