Method for adjusting a belt tension in a belt drive of an electromechanical steering gear mechanism comprising two axially parallel belt pulleys (7, 9), which can be rotated about respective rotation axes, and a belt which loops around the belt pulleys, wherein a first rotation axis is a drive axle and a second rotation axis is an output axle of the belt drive, characterized by the following steps: a) positioning the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis at a distance from one another; b) mounting a fork-like measuring element (10, 23) on a belt strand (17, 18) in such a way that the belt strand is arranged between two measuring pins (14, 15, 24) of the fork-like measuring element and the measuring pins (14, 15, 24) are arranged on opposite sides of the belt strand (17, 18); c) rotating the measuring element (10, 23) about an axis which is oriented parallel to a rotation axis of a belt pulley, wherein the rotation is performed by means of a drive of the measuring element, and recording at least one pair of measurement values which represent a torque, which acts on the measuring element, and a respective rotation angle of the measuring element (10, 23), d) determining a belt tension value, which is correlated to the belt tension, from the measurement value for the torque and/or the measurement value for the rotation angle; e) comparing the belt tension value with a prespecified lower limit value of the belt tension value; e1) if the belt tension value is greater than or equal to the prespecified lower limit value: continuing to step f); e2) if the belt tension value is less than the prespecified lower limit value: positioning the rotation axes with an increased distance between the rotation axes; returning to step c); f) comparing the belt tension value with a prespecified upper limit value of the belt tension value; f1) if the belt tension value is less than or equal to the prespecified upper limit value: continuing to step g); f2) if the belt tension value is greater than the prespecified upper limit value: positioning the rotation axes with a reduced distance between the rotation axes; returning to step c); g) fixing the two rotation axes at the distance from one another. a) positioning the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis at a distance from one another; b) mounting a fork-like measuring element (10, 23) on a belt strand (17, 18) in such a way that the belt strand is arranged between two measuring pins (14, 15, 24) of the fork-like measuring element and the measuring pins (14, 15, 24) are arranged on opposite sides of the belt strand (17, 18); c) rotating the measuring element (10, 23) about an axis which is oriented parallel to a rotation axis of a belt pulley, wherein the rotation is performed by means of a drive of the measuring element, and recording at least one pair of measurement values which represent a torque, which acts on the measuring element, and a respective rotation angle of the measuring element (10, 23), d) determining a belt tension value, which is correlated to the belt tension, from the measurement value for the torque and/or the measurement value for the rotation angle; e) comparing the belt tension value with a prespecified lower limit value of the belt tension value; e1) if the belt tension value is greater than or equal to the prespecified lower limit value: continuing to step f); e2) if the belt tension value is less than the prespecified lower limit value: positioning the rotation axes with an increased distance between the rotation axes; returning to step c); e1) if the belt tension value is greater than or equal to the prespecified lower limit value: continuing to step f); e2) if the belt tension value is less than the prespecified lower limit value: positioning the rotation axes with an increased distance between the rotation axes; returning to step c); f) comparing the belt tension value with a prespecified upper limit value of the belt tension value; f1) if the belt tension value is less than or equal to the prespecified upper limit value: continuing to step g); f2) if the belt tension value is greater than the prespecified upper limit value: positioning the rotation axes with a reduced distance between the rotation axes; returning to step c); f1) if the belt tension value is less than or equal to the prespecified upper limit value: continuing to step g); f2) if the belt tension value is greater than the prespecified upper limit value: positioning the rotation axes with a reduced distance between the rotation axes; returning to step c); g) fixing the two rotation axes at the distance from one another.