PMMI Mechanical Drives Practice Test

Centering the belt as it runs is called tracking. When anything in the drive setup isn’t aligned—shafts, pulleys, or the frame—the belt feels a sideways pull as it moves. That sideways force causes the belt to ride toward one edge of the pulley, so it drifts off-center and doesn’t stay in the groove. This off-center motion is exactly what tracking describes and what misalignment creates. Belt slip happens when the belt loses grip on the pulley under load, belt wrap is about how much of the pulley the belt contacts, and tensioning is simply adjusting tightness; none of these describe the off-center path caused by misalignment.