HIGH-OFFSET BELT TENSIONER WITH COUNTERBALANCE TORSION SPRING FORCE

High-offset belt tensioners have a support base with a pivot tube and an arm coupled thereto rotation about a pivot axis. A flat wire torsion spring has an inner spring hook attached to the pivot tube and an outer spring hook attached to a first end of the arm at a position that counterbalances a hub load force. The torsion spring applies a spring force to the arm in a direction that moves with the arm throughout its entire sweep in a belt engaging direction. A first plane of the hub load force is axially offset from a second plane of the spring force, a fulcrum is defined between first and second ends of the arm, and a first lineal axial distance from the fulcrum to the first plane is greater than or equal to a second lineal axial distance from the fulcrum to the second plane.