Keystone recommends that the belt length to width ratio be no less than 5:1 as tracking problem are more likely to occur with wide belts which have a short length. Also, Keystone does not recommend using alignment guides on the edges of a flat wire belt, as they can cause premature wear.

Since the majority of belting problems are alignment related, it is extremely important to have all shafts parallel to each other and perpendicular to the conveyer bed. If a good alignment is not completed before using a flat wire belt, longitudinal pitch can be distorted causing the belt to track to one side. Improper handling of the belt before and during installation can also damage the belt so as to create alignment problems.

The best way to track a flat wire belt is to use several adjustable support rolls located on the return side of the conveyor just before the tail shaft. These rolls are skewed either forward or backward, on a horizontal plane, to track the belt.