Got your Nordictrack treadmill belt slipping? Treadmills are one of the greatest home gym cardio machine – a versatile piece of equipment that burns the most calories, tones many muscle groups and relieves knees pains. Despite being an invaluable pieces of equipment for home use, it is not without problems. A Treadmill belt slipping is one problem most home runners struggle with all the times. It poses the biggest risk of injury when running on the treadmill. If you have recently, experienced your treadmill running belt slipping, in the middle of your home workout, We have tested and proven ways how to fix treadmill belt slipping problem, permanently, according to expert advice.
From talking with some treadmill owners, I came to realized that Many home runners, have a constant challenge of having to deal with treadmill belt slipping to one side of the deck. It takes pretty much a long time, for an individual treadmill home runner to understand and solve their treadmill problems permanently, with limited training.
New and busy treadmill owners sometimes struggle to understand treadmill issues and how to troubleshoot them. That is why many of the treadmill users who go for expert helps incur a lot of cost for treadmill repair services.
Experts and professional treadmill repairers may charge an enormous hourly rates. This money-draining and whopping hour rates do not, most often, include treadmill part replacement.
If you had purchased a low priced treadmill under $600 to run and keep fit on budget, you may not readily pay an extra 100 to 300 dollars for a treadmill belt repair.
Maintenance cost is a huge burden if you are on a tight budget but decided to invest in one of the best interactive home gym equipment like the expensive treadmills with TV HD screen, iFit and internet.
Consequently, you can choose to be frugal, and learn how to fix your treadmill belt slipping to one side, by yourself, while they last. That would save you hundreds of dollars, on labor, for more recurring treadmill belt repairs.
Why is my treadmill belt slipping to one side?
Wondering why does your treadmill belt slip when you run on it? According to me, when i discover my treadmill belt slipping or skipping, the first step is to figure out the reason behind it. It is common for a treadmill belt to slip but what causes the unexpected treadmill belt slippage?
So why is my treadmill belt slipping or skipping forward,when running, sometimes at high speed and even after lubrication? We have got 7 reasons why your treadmill belt is slipping off the center, and sticking. Make sure you got your treadmill mat on the floor when checking the unit for issues.
1. loose treadmill belt
A loosed treadmill belt will slip to one side if it is not tightened well. Use your hands to troubleshoot if treadmill belt slipping is caused by loose belts. Slide your hand and feel the under of the treadmill belt , then lift it up a bit. A very loosed treadmill belt will get lifted up to more than 2 to 3 inches.
The best solution is to tighten the belt just a little. You have to avoid over tightening as that will cause strain on the engine to get the belt moving. As you are tightening, try to be feeling with your hand, lifting the belt if it would come up to 2 inches again.
Experts recommend that 2 inches is the right tightness for a treadmill belt. Anything more than that gap, will cause the motor to work extra hard, risking itself being damaged. You know, a noisy treadmill motor could be as a result of the motor struggling to pull an over-tightened belt.
Even if the engine succeeds to drive the treadmill belt, it will most likely wear out faster due to friction. See another guide on how to tighten a treadmill belt.
Related: Best budget treadmill under 600 dollars
2. Treadmill drive belt is loose
There are two types of belts in a treadmill, the treadmill running belt on the deck and the drive belt that connects the electric motor and the first treadmill roller under the deck.
For the running surface to run smoothly, it the treadmill drive belt has to perform effectively in transferring the treadmill motor power(torque) to the larger walking belt.
Your whole running exercise on a treadmill depends on the functioning of this power transmission belt. It it gets weak, worn-out and loose, the motor would work properly but it wouldn’t drive the deck smoothly.
The riskiest thing occurs when the drive belt cuts off in the middle of your treadmill workout. If that happens, your treadmill deck stops suddenly and you take a sudden hard fall.
Also if the drive belt slips and stop running, while the motor runs properly, the front roller or pulley could be the culprit. Perhaps, they need proper alignment and some lubrication. Steps off your treadmill and stop the machine immediately you feel the belt slips and shudders.
Except you already gained some skills, incorrect tightening (- too much) of the machine rollers may strain the engine, overrun and damage some really expensive treadmill parts. Lubricate or replace the drive belt as you discover any of the sure signs.
Related: Best treadmill with TV smart screen, iFit membership, internet and Wifi
![treadmill belt slipping - How to fix treadmill belt slipping problem permanently[Tested & Proven Steps in 2022]](https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gearsmartly-20&language=en_US&l=li3&o=1&a=B0193V3DJ6 "How to fix treadmill belt slipping problem permanently[Tested & Proven Steps in 2022] GEARSMARTLY"){kind=small}
3. Poor or inadequate treadmill lubrication
It is without doubt that moving parts of an equipment like a treadmill require oiling or lubrication. it is not a little-known thing that a well-lubricated treadmill running deck runs swiftly and works efficiently.
Treadmill slipping slipping and sticking problems are as a result of friction created in the moving parts of the treadmill that lack adequate lubrication applied.
Again, friction wears out both the deck, the belt and the rollers very quickly, and i am convinced that no one would love to step on a treadmill running deck (with heated belt) with the risk of causing fire.
Neglecting to apply the right treadmill lubricant is one of the pitfalls to skipping, missed steps and hard falls, that most people take on a running treadmill.
It very dangerous, oil your treadmill belt and rollers regularly. if you don’t know how often you’ll need to lubricate it, check your treadmill manual. What ever the duration, it does varies by treadmill brand, quality and the model.
The type of treadmill lubricant you apply to parts, also play a big safety role. If you manufacture has issued their best recommended lubricant, any other oil that you use creates a risk of damaging the treadmill.
A good treadmill belt lubricant does not evaporate easily from where it is applied. According to experts, a silicon-based treadmill belt lubricant is most common, and the highly recommended type.
Avoid using oil-based lubricants on your high-quality treadmills, as they degrade treadmill rubber components so quickly. Wear your hand gloves and check how to lubricate treadmill properly.
Related: What cardio machines burns the highest amount of calories?
4. Drive roller and pulley are misaligned
Sometimes the pulley has no grip when it is misaligned with the roller. this causes the slipping of the treadmill running belt off of the front roller. The front and the driving roller, stop the whole home or commercial treadmill deck belt from running, if it gets out of alignment.
You must check and realign the roller tube and the pulley if you see a misalignment between them. To troubleshoot what is happening as the belt stops moving, stick a colored tape from the roller to the drive pulley and ensure the strip of the colored tape is positioned in a straight line.
Then, power on your treadmill, wait and observe the belt to slip again. turn off and unplug the treadmill if the treadmill has slipped and check the colored tape. If the roller and the pulley are not properly aligned, the tape will be separated else, there is probably another little-known cause for the treadmill belt slipping.
but before you make conclusions, first get the drive pulley tightened or change the pulley and get it replaced with a different one if things may turn out rightly. If all these troubleshooting fails, it may be best to seek a professionals’ help.
Related: How much do treadmills weight?
5. The treadmill running belt is fast wearing out
A worn-out treadmill belt could be the sole cause of the treadmill slipping problem after supporting hundreds to thousand hours of human feet pounding on it.
If you don”t frequently clean the belt, dust accumulation and check for tears and wears, it is likely the treadmill belt will slip in the middle of your workout. There is absolutely no doubt that dirt cause treadmill bell’s material to be damaged.
Worn-out parts is a common problem must people encounter after purchasing a used fitness equipment or replacement parts.
To deal with the wearing out problem, you need to lubricate the treadmill rollers, pulleys and drive belt and the slipping walking belt. Consider making a new treadmill belt replacement if reducing friction does not solve the belt problem.
6. The tension bolts are pulling off
This is common with treadmill’s rear roller bolts. They can come pulling through a plastic endcap, mostly happening on cheaper treadmills. Home running machines like treadmills under $300 come with some plastic parts holding the bolts used to tension the belt.
As you run on your treadmill, you may occasionally get the bolt loosened or tightened to increase and decrease belt tension. With time, the nuts come pulling through the plastic when you over tighten the treadmill and when the plastic parts gets fatigued.
To give it a permanent solution, use metal kit or replace the endcaps entirely.
7. Treadmill belt can’t support your weight
A heavy user body weight creates enormous pressure of the feet and on the running belt, which can cause belt deflection(move away from the center, to one side). Your one foot can push back on the belt, harder than the other foot, during each strike or on every impact.
How much and how severe the treadmill belt deflects, and moves off the center, depends on force that each of your feet strikes the treadmill running surface.
This happens regularly when overweight and obese runners, are pounding a low user weight capacity treadmill of less than 300 lbs. What do you think would likely happen when a 360 pound heavy person, runs on a treadmill with 264 Lb maximum user capacity for 30 minutes? Excessive belt stress, right?
If your treadmill belt is deflected off the center, it would likely be touching the right or left side of the treadmill frame.
However, the belts on some machine may center back on their own when the treadmill is unoccupied. But what if the belt displacement is as a result of loose parts?
Related: Most durable , tough smartwatches for outdoor adventures
how to stop treadmill belt slipping : Adjust treadmill belt tension
If your treadmill running belt slips to one side as you climb on the running surface, you need to Adjust the tension.
Master these easy troubleshooting tips. They are great to help you adjust the tension of the belt where it is required. So what are the best ways how to stop my treadmill belt slipping due to tension?
- Tools you need : a hex wrench
How to adjust treadmill belt tension
Take for example that your have got a ProForm treadmill belt slipping to one side, here is how to tighten and adjust your ProForm belt tension. It goes same with any other treadmill brand or type.
- Power off and unplug your treadmill
- use the wrench to turn the left side tension bold, in a clockwise direction. Half a turn can pull the rear roller, and increases the belt tension a little.
- Place the same hex wrench on the belt’s right tension bold. Make the same number of turns as you did with the left bolt.
- Power the machine back on, and start it. Walk on it to observe if the slippage is still happening.
- If the treadmill belt is still slipping way, make another half turn clockwise on both tension bolts, then try again to run, while checking for slipping.
- Keep up with the tighten-bolt-and-test cycle of treadmill belt troubleshooting, until the slipping is eliminated.
Precaution
- Take serious precaution not to over tighten the treadmill belt . Excessive tightening puts a lot of pressure on the front and rear roller bearings, motor, and it can quick wear or tear the running belt seam.
- Do not forget to align the belt back to the center before making any adjustments. Most people forget this, when tightening the treadmill belt on their own at home.
- Very Important : You may void your treadmill warranty if you over-tighten your treadmill running belt.
Related: best budget rowing machine for home
how to fix a slipping treadmill belt : Adjust or Center the treadmill belt
If belt slipping is no longer occurring, and unfortunately your treadmill belt is off center, don’t hesitate to stop a look for ways how to center the treadmill belt immediately.
A quick troubleshooting is to observe if one side of the treadmill belt touching any side of the frame. if it does, the belt needs proper adjustment, alignment and centering.
how to center treadmill belt
In case your, treadmill belt always remains slipping, sticking or off-centered, you must do your best to center the treadmill belt in a manual way. If the belt is slipping on your Nordictract treadmill for example, here is how to adjust treadmill belt that sticks to one side:
- Connect the power cord to wall outlet and Start the treadmill
- Make sure there isn’t anyone standing or running on the treadmill belt,
- Press the SPEED UP button until the belt is running at 3 mph.
- observe whether the treadmill belt is tilted to the right or left side of the deck.
- If treadmill belt slipping occurs when the belt is aligned from the left side to right side, ONLY THE LEFT BOLT needs to be adjusted.
- If treadmill belt slips when the it aligns from the right side to left side, ONLY THE RIGHT BOLT needs proper adjustment.
Related: How much cardio is too much?
Read: How to turn on treadmill without key
How to stop treadmill belt Slipping and Skipping : Apply treadmill belt lubricant
Using an appropriate lubricant helps avoid treadmill slipping, heating, burning smell and fire. Manufacturers of high quality treadmill recommend silicone-based lube because it does not evaporate.
- What you need: Screw driver, lubricant
How to lubricate treadmill belt
Here are simple steps how to lube a treadmill belt that is slipping away or pausing
- Power off the treadmill and unplug the machine from the power source.
- Lift the treadmill sides. You may need a screwdriver or bare hands to lift the belt and apply lube.
- Apply the treadmill belt lubricant by Squirting or spraying it from the center of the deck outward.
- Do the same lube squirting on the other side of the treadmill
- make sure the whole width of the treadmill belt is covered with lube
- Raise the treadmill belt, and tighten the screws if they were loosened
- Power on your cardio home running machine.
Precaution
- Don’t apply too much lube
- Don’t get any lubricant on the top of the belt surface – as it can make the treadmill running belt slippery. It very dangerous if the user, especially seniors, slip and take a hard fall. Wearing a fall alert or detection smartwatch will only detect but not prevent your fall.
- Use a cloth to clean any lubricant on the running platform or rub a little alcohol if you’ve got it around
