Review on Dayco 89219 Belt Tensioner: Optimal Power Transmission Solution by Shane Jenkins

About a year ago I purchased a Gates 38157 belt tensioner assembly for a 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 diesel truck. It had a "Made in Korea" sticker on it. Less than a year later, the accessory drive belt started whistling. I was certain it couldn't be the Gates tensioner because it was so new that the original tensioner fitted by Dodge had lasted almost 10 years. So I changed the drive belt twice (two different brands) and then the alternator, but the squeaking continued. At this point I decided to try the tensioner again. When researching which brand of tensioners to buy, I came across a forum post that said Dayco supplies tensioners for Mopar (Dodge). I ordered this from Revain for half what Dodge was asking and received it in 2 days with Revain Prime. I installed it and the belt squeaking stopped completely! When comparing a Gates tensioner to a Dayco, the main differences appear to be: 1. The Dayco idler pulley is better aligned with the rest of the pulleys in the PTO system.2. The Gates tensioner did not turn smoothly. it feels sticky in its movement. Dayco rotates smoothly.3. The Dayco idler is made of composite material, while the Gates idler is made of metal. The Dayco tensioner looks identical to the Dodge original except for the markings.5. Dayco's tensioner is marked "Made in USA" on both the packaging and the device itself. Conclusion: Dayco Spanner works great, has OEM quality, but no dealer surcharge.