V-Belt Sheaves

Products in this category, with specifications, price, availability and quantity
Catalog #	Brand	Belt Section	Number of Grooves	Outside Diameter (in)	Bushing Used	Price	Add to order
85V900E	Browning	5V	8	9 in	E	—	Discontinued
85V975F	Browning	5V	8	9.75 in	F	—	Discontinued
85V1030F	Browning	5V	8	10.3 in	F	—	Discontinued
85V1250F	Browning	5V	8	12.5 in	F	—	Discontinued
85V1320F	Browning	5V	8	13.2 in	F	—	Discontinued
85V3750M	Browning	5V	8	37.5 in	M	—	Discontinued
5B5V52	Browning	—	5	5.48 in	Q1	—	Discontinued
5B5V56	Browning	—	5	5.88 in	Q1	—	Discontinued
6B5V46	Browning	—	6	4.88 in	P2	—	Discontinued
6B5V62	Browning	—	6	6.48 in	Q1	—	Discontinued
45V490SD	Browning	5V	4	4.9 in	SD	—	Discontinued
45V550SD	Browning	5V	4	5.5 in	SD	—	Discontinued
85V1090F	Browning	5V	8	10.9 in	F	—	Discontinued
58V1800J	Browning	8V	5	18 in	J	—	Discontinued
1B5V250	Browning	—	—	25.28 in	—	—	Discontinued

About V-Belt Sheaves

This is the main sheave range: cast iron, ductile iron and steel sheaves grooved for the classical A, B and C sections and the narrow 3V, 5V and 8V sections, in one to eight grooves. Three things separate one listing from another. The groove section has to match the belt, and some sheaves carry a combination groove that takes more than one section, of which the B5V groove taking A, B and 5V belts is the most useful. The diameter, read as a pitch or datum diameter rather than an outside diameter, sets the ratio against its partner. And the hub is either bored to a finished size or bored for a Split Taper or Q-D bushing, which is a separate part ordered in the shaft size. Variable pitch and MVP types sit in the same range where the ratio has to be adjustable.

Also known as: v belt sheaves, v-groove pulleys, browning sheaves, multiple groove sheaves

Series in this category

Browning V-belt sheaves — The Browning range on one page: the classical and narrow groove sections, combination grooves and both bushing systems.
FHP sheaves — The lighter AK, BK, AKH and BKH sheaves for 3L, 4L and 5L belts, where the drive is under a few horsepower.
Belts — The belts these grooves are cut for, in the classical, notched, narrow and banded families.
Split taper bushings — The bushing line the H, B, P, Q and R bored hubs take, keyed to both the shaft and the hub.
Q-D bushings — The bushing line the JA, SH, SDS, SK and SF bored hubs take, mountable from either side.

How to choose v-belt sheaves

Match the groove to the belt, and check for a combination: The classical groove sections are A, B and C; the narrow sections are 3V, 5V and 8V. Some sheaves are cut with a combination groove and the listing states which sections it takes. The B5V groove accepts A, B and 5V belts, which is why one sheave covers several drives. TB and B sheaves accept A and B belts but will not take a 5V belt, so a narrow-section conversion needs a different sheave rather than a different belt.
Work the pair of diameters, not one sheave: The drive ratio is the ratio of the two pitch or datum diameters, so the driving and driven sheaves are selected together. Stock ranges differ by section: 3V sheaves run from about 2.20 to 33.50 inches outside diameter, 5V sheaves from about 4.40 to 50.00 inches, and C section sheaves from about 6.00 to 50.40 inches, with the wider bore ranges reserved for the larger groove counts.
Choose the bushing system, then the letter: A bushed hub is bored for one system. Split Taper hubs take the H, P, B, Q, R, S and U letters and are keyed to both the shaft and the hub, so the drive torque is not carried on the cap screws. Q-D hubs take the JA, SH, SDS, SD, SK, SF and larger letters and can be mounted with the flange facing either way. The letter is part of the sheave listing, and the bushing itself is ordered separately in the shaft size.
Check the bore range covers the shaft: Every bushed listing states a bushing bore range, such as 0.500 to 1.625 inch or 0.875 to 3.500 inch, and the shaft has to fall inside it. Finished bore listings state one bore and a keyway size instead. Where the shaft is larger than any bushing the sheave will take, the sheave itself has to change to a size whose hub accepts a bigger bushing.

Specifications explained

What each v-belt sheaves specification means
Specification	What it means
Belt section	The groove profile the sheave is cut for, listed singly as 3V, 5V, 8V, A, B or C, or as a combination such as A and B or B and 5V.
Number of grooves	One to eight. It fixes how many belts the drive can carry and must match the paired sheave.
Bore type	Finished bore, finished with keyway and setscrew, rough bore for machining, Split Taper bushed or Q-D bushed.
Bushing used	The bushing letter the hub is bored for. Split Taper letters include H, B, P1, Q1 and R1; Q-D letters include JA, SH, SDS, SK and SF.
Bushing bore range	The span of shaft diameters the listed bushing covers, stated in inches, such as 0.500 to 1.750.
Pitch diameter and datum diameter	The effective diameter for each section the sheave takes, and the figure the drive ratio is calculated on.
Material	Cast iron, G3000 gray iron, ductile iron or steel, machined and balanced for the speed the section allows.

Common questions

What does the H mean on a sheave part number?

It marks a bushed bore where the plain number is a finished bore. An AK sheave is supplied bored and keyed to one shaft size; the same sheave as AKH is bored for an H Split Taper bushing, which is ordered separately in the shaft size. The number between the letters is a nominal diameter reference, so AK89H is the bushed version of the AK89 sheave.

Can I fit a Q-D bushing to a Split Taper sheave?

No. The two systems use different taper angles, different flange and cap screw patterns and different hub bores, so a hub bored for one will not accept the other. The listing states which system the sheave is bored for, and changing systems means changing the sheave as well as the bushing.

How do I work out what sheaves a drive needs?

Take the driving speed, the driven speed and the motor horsepower with a service factor applied for the driven machine. The ratio of the two speeds is the ratio of the two pitch diameters, which gives a pair of diameters; the horsepower and the section then decide how many grooves that pair needs. Check that the smaller sheave is not below the minimum diameter for the belt section before ordering.

What is a B5V sheave?

A sheave with a combination groove that will run A, B and 5V belts, so one sheave serves drives that would otherwise need three. It is listed in a range of diameters and groove counts with Split Taper bushed hubs, and its part number states the groove count, the B5V groove and the diameter for the B section, so 6B5V154 is a six groove sheave of 15.4 inch B section diameter.