jetpilot785
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Great post jetpilot785
Your explanation makes it very easy to understand the new method to change belt deflection on the SideWinder compared to the way most of use were used to with the older style secondary with the three bolts on the stationary sheave that required adding or subtracting shims to adjust the belt deflection.
Now you just need to explain to the masses just how this new SW secondary actually "floats" compared to the older style secondary.
No problem brother. As far as the "floating"goes, the secondary is designed to "float" and that only happens once the helix starts to move inward/rear sheave moves outward or away from the inner sheave as the belt travels downward into the clutch. If you try to slide the clutch in and out with the clutch in the lowest ratio and the helix is making contact with the large washer, it won't or shouldn't slide either way. Once the the clutch begins to open, the spacing is then created between the helix and the washer and the clutch will now slide back forth and the purpose of that is to keep the secondary and belt inline with the primary as it shifts. It is important it floats to compensate for any imperfections in alignment and also outside forces such as chassis/motor mount flex to maintain that alignment. If the clutch didn't float back and forth as forces change, the belts alignment is thrown off and that can result in unequal forces that will cause irregular wear patterns, stresses that can break the belt or even flip it inside out as I have seen in the past on older sleds when motor mounts have ripped in half.
P.S. The older button style clutch like on the SR viper, Apex, Vector etc also floats in the same manner. The deflection setup is different but the floating principle is the same. Most times the clutch came with a little movement from factory even after perfect belt deflection is set due to the spacer they used and the screw/washer combo they used factory to set deflection but once you start using the belt adjusters like the OSP and other aftermarket brands, it then reverts to the new roller clutch setup and you set it up like the stock sidewinder clutch but I like the aftermarket setups because you can really fine tune the deflection vs hunting around for various thickness washers.
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