Screeching sound.....Before I take her to the dealer

    The only constant that I have found so far about adjusting the drive belt is that the looser the belt, the more it will move back and forth across the pulley,


    otherwise.................


    If there is anything that I have learned about adjusting the drive belt over the years is that is there is no "one size fits all" solution where each machine appears to be it's own individual and has it's own personality and only experimentation will guide you to what is the best solution for your ride.....................




    Bill

    76,000 miles and I do not even pay attention to what tracks, I have cleaned it a couple of times. Quit worring about it and drive the crap out of it

    I keep a spray bottle in my garage mixed with water and Dawn dish soap, And when the belt starts squealing i wet it down..

    That stops it for a while.... Slingshots are not precision machines they are made by people who's claim to fame is selling ATV's and Side-By's...And as such they Polaris have tin ears to odd noises coming from their products ,^^..

    Some times a Cigar is just a Cigar.......

    I think most all Angle Drives make some sort of noise.......my 16 was fairly loud, the 18 not so loud but much higher pitch and only when accelerating or under slight load. Washing belt never made a noticeable difference on mine.


    If it ever gets warm again, the spray lubes seem worth a try.

    18 SLR Lemon/Gray
    Vanderhall Venice (traded for SLR Apr '18)
    '16.6 SLR LE (traded for Vanderhall Oct '17)
    '11 & '14 Can Am RT's
    60 Years of 2 Wheeling

    When I said I gave the belt a thorough cleaning (and it did not fix the noise beyond a few miles) this of course included cleaning both sprockets. I believe a dirty belt/sprocket can be a contributing factor, but it is not the only root cause.


    As for those that say don't worry about stuff when there is no need, or say just quit worrying and drive the crap out of it, I suspect your SS has not made the level of noise mine had done


    Picture these examples: Coasting up to a stop light (with no belt noise) and getting the thumbs up and positive comments from on-lookers :thumbsup: (as we all have experienced from time to time in our SS's). Then light turns green, you pull away (at any speed) and the belt squeal is so loud and annoying, the same people now are laughing, pointing, and saying what a piece of junk, etc!=O:thumbdown:


    Or when during normal driving the belt squeal can be heard over the sound of the stereo, and the constant squeal at freeway speed is like fingernails on a chalk board


    Or when your riding partner is so embarrassed & annoyed by the noise they don't want to go for a ride with you


    When the belt noise gets this bad, it is not normal, and it is a significant enough issue to "worry" about it, and look for a solution!

    But hey, that’s just my opinion, to each there own. Have fun & ride safe

    Quote from frehleycomet

    A few months ago I thought I fixed the screeching sound coming from the rear by adjusting the belt tension and aligning the belt to the farthest left as I could. The screeching went away for a few days and then it came back. When it came back it came back with a vengeance. Louder and more annoying and also at lower speeds too. Cleaning it with soap and water fixes the screeching for about an hour or so. So before I take it to the dealer in which I purchased it from and they charge me $150 diagnostic fee.......... HAS ANYONE FOUND A PERMANENT CURE FOR THIS. I don't want to take it to the dealer and certainly don't want to shell out the money even though it's less than a year old. but if worse comes to worse then I have no choice. The screeching is so bad that I think people HEAR me coming instead of seeing me coming. Thanks to anyone with any info.:(

    Look at the front pulley, if it looks black your belts to tight. If the teeth look clean and shiny your probably good to go for belt tension. Don't know what else to say about this other than changing out to a new belt.

    I'd be really curious what the dealer would say about it, but after cleaning, lub'ing it up would also be a good thing to try.


    ITZQUIK, with the rear elevated, can you see or feel anything out of the ordinary? Is the wheel tight, drags, or anything that would indicate an issue?

    Damn Damn Damn you took the words right out of my mouth. Very well said because every situation you described is exactly how I feel about the concern I have with this screeching sound. Thank you

    Ok so who is next. Haters are gonna hate regardless

    Quote from wokka

    ITZQUIK, with the rear elevated, can you see or feel anything out of the ordinary? Is the wheel tight, drags, or anything that would indicate an issue?

    With the back end off the ground, all looks and feels normal. wheel spins freely, have a small gap between belt and left side of rear sprocket as recommended (photo). When not off the ground, belt tension has a deflection of ~ .75"


    Note: when the swing arm was replaced during the recall, (several thousand miles ago, at a dealer I no longer go to for service) the dealer also put on a new rear sprocket, telling me "it needed replacing". When I asked why, I could not get a straight answer from them. When I requested (in advance) they save & show me the sprocket they were removing, they agreed. But when I arrived to pick up my SS, mysteriously they could not locate the "bad" sprocket. I think they probably damaged it when doing the swing arm replacement and wouldn't admit it.


    In any event, nothing to do with the belt noise issue, I only mention this because its a new rear sprocket, so a "warped" or bent sprocket should not be a contributing factor to the belt noise. (I'm pretty sure they really did put on a new sprocket, since the planned overnight swing arm replacement job turned into a 10 day job, while they waited for the new sprocket they ordered from Polaris to show up!)



    One other thing I noticed after I removed the belt guard is now when it gets dirty and starts making noise it isnt nearly as loud - I suspect that the plastic guard was acting like a sound board and either amplifying the screeching or focusing it.

    Cage Free - 2016 Pearl Red SL

    DDM Short Shifter, Sway Bar Mounts Coolant tank Master Cylinder Brace & CAI

    Twist Dynamics Sway Bar, JRI GT Coilovers, Assault Hood Vent

    OEM Double Bubble windshields & various other goodies

    You are going to want to check that belt deflection with the wheel on the ground, I believe that when you do so you will find that it is way too tight......................


    Bill

    I wear ear plugs...and radio always off.....I hear noise but not so much


    Without the ear plugs it sound like a rattle trap....driving down railroad tracks..


    Try jacking up the backend and put it in gear and see if anything is wobbling ....or has excessive play...