How to Adjust Drive Belt Tension on Your Evolve Electric Skateboard
This guide walks you through adjusting the drive belt tension on your Evolve electric skateboard. It's a simple yet crucial step for extending your board's lifespan.
In this article, we'll guide you through the simple yet crucial process of tensioning the drive belt on your Evolve electric skateboard. Maintaining correct tension ensures your board's longevity and optimizes its performance.
Signs of Incorrect Tension
- Performance Loss: If your electric skateboard's range decreases, an overtightened drive belt could be the culprit.
- Clicking Noise: A clicking sound when braking indicates the drive belt is slipping on the gear, usually due to a loose drive belt.
- Premature Wear: An overtightened drive belt puts excessive strain on electronic components, potentially causing damage.
Tools You'll Need
- 1/8 Allen key (3.17mm)
- Y-Tool (included with your board)
Adjusting Drive Belt Tension: Step-by-Step
1. Prepare Your Board
Lay your board on its side to easily access the components. Use the Y-Tool to remove the wheel.
2. Remove the Drive Belt Guard, Gear, and Drive Belt
Use the Allen key to remove the two screws holding the guard to the motor plate. Then, remove the gear and the drive belt to access the motor screws.
3. Adjusting the Tension
- Loosen the motor screws:
Loosen the four screws that secure the motor to the motor plate. Don't remove them completely; leave them slightly loose so the motor can move.
- Motor Positioning:
Slide the motor back and forth to fine-tune the drive belt tension.
For optimal tension, the drive belt should have about 5 mm of play when you press on it. This ensures it's not too tight, which creates excessive friction, nor too loose, which could cause slipping.
- Temporary Fastening: Once you've set the tension, temporarily tighten two of the accessible screws inside the motor to hold it in place.
- Check with the Wheel: Reattach the wheel to check the drive belt tension. Spin the wheel to confirm it rotates freely without any sudden stops.
- Final Adjustment: If the drive belt is still too loose or too tight, loosen the screws again and adjust the motor's position until you achieve the perfect tension.
4. Reassembly
- Remove the wheel, drive belt, and gear to fully tighten the motor plate screws.
- Replace the gear and drive belt. Then, put the drive belt cover and wheel back on. Here's a pro tip for screwing on the wheel: tighten the screw all the way, then back it off by about 1/8 of a turn.
- Ensure the wheel spins freely and the drive belt is neither too loose nor too tight.
Pro Tips
If you're struggling to loosen the screws, grab a heat gun or a hairdryer to help.
Following these steps guarantees optimal performance from your Evolve electric skateboard.
Make sure to regularly check your drive belt tension as part of your maintenance routine; this prevents potential issues.
For a deeper dive into adjusting drive belt tension, check out our YouTube video. It walks you through each step with precision.
For a deeper dive into adjusting drive belt tension, check out our YouTube video. It walks you through each step with precision.
