Super Torque Timing Belts (S1.5M-S14M)

Super Torque timing belts – the S-series profile Bando sells as STS – are round-tooth synchronous belts in S-prefix metric pitches from S1.5M to S14M, found throughout Japanese-built machine tools, packaging lines and printing equipment. Texas Belting stocks 7,000+ Super Torque belts in Houston, TX from Bando, Continental and our D&D Global line.

Shop Super Torque belts by pitch

On this page: Pitches and sizes · What makes STS different · S8M vs 8M: not the same · Read a part number · Houston supplier · Common mistakes · FAQ

Super Torque pitches and sizes

The S-series covers seven metric pitches, and the S number is the tooth spacing in millimeters: S2M is 2 mm, S8M is 8 mm, S14M is 14 mm. S8M is by far the most common on industrial equipment, with S3M and S5M close behind on smaller servo and positioning drives. We stock all seven pitches; every link below opens live inventory filtered to that pitch, where you can narrow further by length and width.

Tooth-spacing figures are the manufacturers' nominal pitches. Match pitch and profile to the sprocket before ordering.

What makes the STS profile different

STS stands for Super Torque Synchronous, Bando's name for the S-series round tooth form, designed to spread load more evenly across the tooth than earlier profiles. The rounded tooth meshes smoothly with the sprocket, which cuts noise and distributes stress away from the tooth root – the failure point on conventional belts under high torque. Construction is rubber with glass-fiber tension cords and a wear-resistant nylon tooth facing.

Because the design originated in Japan and was adopted widely by Japanese machine builders, S-series belts are what you find when you open up equipment from that supply chain – CNC machine tools, packaging and converting lines, printing presses, compressors and generators. Alongside genuine Bando, we stock Continental-made S-series belts and our D&D Global line in the same pitches and sizes.

Naming varies by manufacturer: Bando paperwork says STS or HP-STS, Mitsuboshi calls the same round tooth form STPD, and Continental marks its version STD – all members of the same S-series Super Torque family. The pitch code on the belt – S3M, S8M and so on – is what matters for replacement; high-performance versions upgrade the compound and cords, not the tooth form. If the drawing calls out a variant we have not shelved, send it over and we will match or quote the equivalent.

S8M vs 8M: not the same belt

The most expensive mistake in this family is reading S8M as "some kind of 8M." An S8M belt and an 8M HTD or 8MGT belt all run 8 mm tooth spacing, but the tooth forms differ – STS is its own profile, not a variant of HTD or GT. A same-number swap can appear to mesh and then wear fast, run loud or jump teeth under load.

The same rule applies at every pitch: S3M is not 3M, S5M is not 5M, S14M is not 14M. Replace S-series with S-series, and match anything else to what the sprockets are actually cut for. If you are unsure which profile your sprockets are, send us a photo and the markings – identifying it takes minutes and prevents a repeat failure.

How to read a Super Torque part number

The Japanese-pattern brands on our shelf – Bando and our D&D Global line – write the width first, in tenths of a millimeter: a 400-S14M-1190 is 40 mm wide with an 1,190 mm pitch length, which checks out as 85 teeth at 14 mm. Continental-pattern numbers run pitch first, then length, then width: an S8M-1200-30 is 1,200 mm around, 8 mm STS pitch, 30 mm wide – 150 teeth. In either format, the largest number is almost always the pitch length.

• Find the length by position, not divisibility: it is the last number on width-first Bando-style numbers, and the largest number in any format. Both numbers can divide evenly by the pitch (a 400-S8M-920 is 40 mm wide and 115 teeth), so position beats arithmetic.
• Then check the teeth: length divided by pitch should land on or very near a whole count – S1.5M and S4.5M lengths are rounded to the nearest millimeter, so a printed 98 mm S1.5M is really 65 teeth at 97.5 mm.
• Sanity-check against the drive: tooth count times pitch must roughly equal two shaft centers plus the sprocket wrap. If it is wildly off, the number you have is from a different machine.
• 400-S14M-1190 (width-first): 1,190 / 14 = 85 teeth; 400 tenths = 40 mm wide.
• S8M-1200-30 (pitch-first): 1,200 / 8 = 150 teeth; 30 mm wide.

Worn printing? Count the teeth and multiply by the pitch to recover the length – our timing belt measuring guide shows the technique.

Super Torque belt supplier in Houston, TX

Texas Belting & Supply stocks its S-series inventory – S1.5M through S14M – in Houston, and most stocked sizes ship same day. We keep the Japanese OEM sizes that general-line distributors rarely shelve, and we supply plants and repair shops across the Texas Gulf Coast and nationwide. If a machine builder specified an odd length, we can usually cover it from the same pitch family while the exact size ships. Call (888) 203-2358 to confirm availability on a specific size.

Common Super Torque selection mistakes

• Substituting 8M HTD for S8M. Same tooth spacing, different profile. It meshes badly and fails early. Match the S prefix.
• Reading a width-first Bando number as a length. A 400-S14M-1190 is not a 400 mm belt – the leading 400 is the width in tenths of a millimeter (40 mm); the length rides at the end.
• Ordering by machine brand instead of belt markings. OEMs mix belt suppliers across production years. Trust the printing on the belt, or the sprocket profile if the printing is gone.
• Ignoring width. Capacity scales with width, and S-series drives are often engineered tight. Replace like-for-like width unless the sprocket face allows an upgrade.
• Over-tensioning a replacement. Synchronous belts need only enough tension to prevent tooth jump; more just loads the bearings.
• Waiting for OEM freight from overseas. Most S-series sizes are on our Houston shelf – check stock before committing to a long lead time.

When to call instead of browse

• The belt is unmarked or shredded and you need the profile identified from the sprockets.
• You need an S4.5M or S1.5M size we should special-order, or a width cut.
• You want maintenance spares quoted across several machines at once.

Call (888) 203-2358 or send us what you have – the machine model, belt markings and a photo cover it.

Frequently asked questions

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Last updated: July 2026