The treadmill is one of the most popular pieces of cardio equipment for home use. Modern treadmills come with such features as reduced impact cushioning, multiple inbuilt programs and heartbeat monitoring to make your walking or running workout safer and more beneficial. However, a home treadmill is only as good as its individual parts. The most important part on a treadmill is the walking belt. Unless you find and maintain the correct treadmill belt tension, you will never get the best performance out of your investment.
In this article, we provide a step-by-step guide on how to tighten a treadmill belt. We will also provide guidance on how to properly align the treadmill walking belt, identify what causes the walking belt to slide and answer the most frequently asked questions about treadmill belt tension.
Table Of Contents
How To Tighten A Treadmill Belt - Step By Step Guide
A treadmill walking belt that is not tight enough will not move properly. Instead, it will provide you with a jerky movement that makes it virtually impossible to train on. You will know if the treadmill belt needs tightening by getting down on your hands and knees and lifting a side edge of the belt. If you can get it 4 inches (10 cm) or higher, then the belt is too loose. Here are the steps to follow to tighten it.
Disconnect The Treadmill
Whenever you do any sort of maintenance or cleaning work on your treadmill, you should disconnect the power to ensure that it doesn’t come on halfway through your job. You should disconnect the power completely out from the wall just to be sure.
Find The Roller Bolts
The roller bolts are located on the rear base of the treadmill. There are two of them. You will need to locate these in order to loosen them. You will find one on the right-hand side and the other on the left.
Tighten The Treadmill Belt
Once you have located the roller bolts, you should tighten them with your Allen wrench. Tighten the left bolt first by moving it a quarter turn and then do the same with the right rear roller bolt. Make sure to go back and forth between the two roller bolts every quarter turn. This will make sure that you do not cause any damage to the walking belt.
Check The Treadmill Belt
After a few turns on both bolts, go back and recheck the belt by lifting it on the side edge. If you cannot now lift it higher than 4 inches from the deck, then you know that it is tightened to the proper degree.
If you can still lift the walking belt higher than 4 inches, go back to the rear bolts and give them a few more turns. Then go back and recheck the tightness of the running belt.
Make sure to go back and forth between the two roller bolts every quarter turn. This will make sure that you do not cause any damage to the walking belt.
How To Loosen A Treadmill Belt
Disconnect The Treadmill
To loosen a treadmill belt you will follow the same steps as when making a treadmill walking belt adjustment to tighten but instead of tightening the roller bolts, you will loosen them. The first step, as with any work or cleaning that you do on your home use treadmill, is to turn the treadmill off and disconnect it from the wall.
Locate The Roller Bolts
Locate the roller bolts that are positioned on the back base of the treadmill frame.
Loosen The Bolts
Use your Allen wrench to loosen the bolts until you achieve the proper walking belt tension. Just as when tightening the roller bolts, start with the left rear roller bolt and loosen it a quarter turn. Then do the same with the right bolt. Continue going back-and-forth with quarter turns. After three turns, go to the side edge of the running belt and check it for slackness.
Check The Treadmill Belt
Grab the side edge of the running belt and lift it up. If you are unable to bring it 3 inches (7 cm) off the running deck, then the belt is still too tight. Go back to the rear roller bolts and give them a couple more turns each to loosen them and then go back and check the running belt tightness again. Continue doing this until you are able to lift the belt 3 to 4 inches from the deck.
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How To Align And Adjust A Treadmill Belt Left Or Right
Sometimes the problem with the treadmill walking belt is not that it is too tight or too slack but that it moves too much to the left or the right. If that is the problem you are facing, follow these steps to correct it.
Disconnect The Treadmill
Once again, you will need to turn the treadmill off and completely disconnect it from the wall before starting to make an alignment adjustment on your walking belt.
Work Out The Direction
Observe the walking belt and identify whether it moves to the left or to the right. By doing so, you will know which roller bolt you need to adjust.
Adjust The Roller Bolt
Identify the location of the two rear roller bolts. You will find them on the back of the main frame of your treadmill. You will need to work on the roller bolt that corresponds to the side to which the treadmill belt has moved.
Use your Allen wrench to carefully tighten the roller bolt until the walking belt has adjusted itself back to a center alignment.
Check The Treadmill
Plug your treadmill cord back into the wall and switch it on. Now power the treadmill on and set it at a low speed. Observe the treadmill balance to make sure that it is now centrally located and moving properly. If it is, the job is done. If not, you will have to turn the machine off, disconnect the power socket and readjust the appropriate rear roller bolt.
Observe the treadmill balance to make sure that it is now centrally located and moving properly.
What Indicates The Treadmill Belt Needs Tightening?
The following things indicate that the treadmill belt needs tightening:
Walking Belt Is Stuttery
If the walking belt fails to glide smoothly around the rollers but instead gives you a frustrating, stuttering movement pattern, it is likely that the belt is too tight or too loose.
Walking Belt Bunching Up
If a walking belt tends to bunch up as you are walking or running, this is a clear sign that it is too loose.
Belt Lifts More Than 4 Inches
You can easily test the walking belt tension by getting down on your hands and knees and lifting the side of the walking belt edge. Ideally, you shouldn’t be able to lift it 3 to 4 inches above the deck. If it comes up higher than that, then the belt is too loose and you will have to tighten the tension bolts to achieve the proper tension.
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What Causes Your Treadmill Belt To Slip?
The following things may cause your treadmill belt to slip:
The Drive Belt May Be Too Loose
The drive belt connects the treadmill motor to the front roller. If there is slackness in the drive belt, it will prevent the front roller from operating smoothly and will result in a jerky, random motion. It may also cause the walking belt to slip, something that is a safety hazard for you. To solve this problem, the drive belt needs to be tightened.
The Walking Belt May Be Too Loose
Looseness in the walking belt is the most common cause of the treadmill belt slipping. Treadmill walking belt looseness cannot be avoided as a result of the natural stretching of rubber over time. If this process is left unchecked, your treadmill will eventually become useless. That is why you need to regularly check the walking belt tension and make adjustments to achieve the proper tension level.
The Walking Belt And Deck Require Lubrication
Treadmill walking belts need to be regularly lubricated so that they can roll smoothly over the front and rear rollers without causing friction. If the lubricant dries out, the walking belts will be prone to slipping or jolting, both of which could result in serious injury for the user.
Your treadmill user manual will indicate what type of lubricant you should use on the model you have purchased. In nearly all cases, however, the manufacturer will recommend a silicone lubricant. You should lubricate your treadmill every three months or according to the guidelines provided in your user manual.
The Front Roller Pulley Has Lost Grip
The front roller pulley keeps the running belt in proper alignment and balance. But if it loses its grip, the walking belt tension will be affected and the walking belt itself will tend to drift either to the left or to the right. If nothing is done about this problem, the entire belt could eventually slip off the treadmill, presenting a major safety hazard.
If you notice the walking belt slipping over to the right or the left, you should check that the front roller pulley has not lost its grip. If it has, you should replace it.
You should lubricate your treadmill every three months or according to the guidelines provided in your user manual.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Happens If Treadmill Belt Is Too Loose?
If a treadmill belt is too loose, it will not glide properly over the front and rear roller. Instead, it will tend to bunch up as you walk or run. This can be very dangerous as it can cause you to stumble or even fall onto the moving treadmill belt. To avoid this from happening, you need to make the adjustment to the tension bolts as outlined in the article above.
How Do I Adjust My Treadmill Belt?
To adjust your treadmill belt, you must firstly turn off the treadmill and unplug it from the wall. Then locate the tension bolts on the rear of the frame. Use an Allen wrench to adjust the belt tension by either tightening or loosening the bolts. When you do this, you should move a quarter turn and then move the other bolt half a turn. After three turns, check the belt tension. If it still is not right, give the bolts a couple more turns and then re-check.
How Do I Know If I Need To Tighten My Treadmill Belt?
You will know if you need to tighten your treadmill belt because the belt will feel too loose under your feet. It may bunch up as you are walking or running. Another way to tell if you need to tighten the belt, is to lift the belt from the deck. If it comes up more than 4 inches (10 cm), then you know that you need to tighten it.
Why Does My Treadmill Belt Move To One Side?
Your treadmill belt may move to one side because the walking belt is too loose. You will need to tighten the belt and may have to lubricate the underside of the belt and the running deck. The belt may also move to one side if one of the tension bolts is tighter than the other one. In this case, you will have to identify which side the belt is slipping on and then adjust the appropriate tension bolts accordingly.
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How Long Does A Treadmill Belt Last?
The length of time that a treadmill belt lasts depends on the ply of the running belt. A single ply belt is designed to last between 300 and 500 hours of use. For most people, that corresponds to 3 to 5 years. A double ply belt should last for double that length of time.
Can You Over Tighten Treadmill Belt?
Yes, you can over tighten a treadmill belt. A belt that is too tight will not glide smoothly over the rollers. Instead, it will produce a stuttering, jolting motion that is very frustrating. This can also be quite dangerous as it may cause you to tumble forward and land face down on the moving treadmill belt.
Conclusion
Ensuring that you have the correct tension on your treadmill walking belt is crucial for proper performance of your treadmill and your safety while using it. As we have seen in this article, learning how to tighten a treadmill belt is not that difficult. Just remember to remove the treadmill plug from the wall, use the correct Allen wrench and, when you are adjusting the roller bolts, do so in an alternating fashion. By learning how to properly tighten your treadmill walking belt, you will get a lot more out of your home gym investment.
