Schwinn Airdyne, AD2, How to Adjust the Belt Tension

Keep your Schwinn Airdyne AD2 exercise bike working as hard as you with the occasional upkeep.

Good belt tension keeps the proper engagement of the fan, crank pulley, and related components during your ride.

Read on to learn how to adjust the belt tension on a Schwinn AD2 Airdyne exercise bike.

Tools Needed:

• M8 Socket and Wrench
• #2 Phillips Screwdriver
• Pedal Wrench

Procedure for Adjusting Belt Tension:

1. Remove the pedals. Click here to read about removing the pedals.
2. Remove the shrouds and vent cover. Click here for help removing the shrouds and vent cover.
3. Remove the fan covers. Click here to read about removing the fan covers.
4. Test the drive belt tension. Do this by grabbing the drive belt at the midpoint, between the pulleys, and pulling upward on the belt. You measure the distance the belt moves when pulled upward midway between the pulleys. The belt should have 1/4" of play. See the example below.
   
5. Adjust the belt tensioner if the belt tension is too loose or too tight. You will adjust the tensioner by turning the upper nut (Y) and the lower nut (Z) on the belt tensioner (X). See the example below.
   
   The maximum belt tension is 331.9 lb/ft or 450 N-m. You want the belt to have some play. It should be no more than 1/4" at the belt midpoint. See the example above in step 4.
6. Repeat step 4 to ensure the belt tension is correct.

This completes how to adjust the belt tension on a Schwinn AD2 Airdyne exercise bike.