seat belt repair

[AlCanuck]

i might just buy new belts...i really want burgundy ones anyway

Smartest thing I've ever heard you say.

Happy New Year, Esty.

Al

[SteveJ]

Esty just wanted belts to match her shoes. I guess it's a girl thing.

Happy New Year guys and gals!

I think the only time that I ever drove without a belt was when I couldn't get the belt to come out of the reel. Hey, the pizza was getting cold! I did disassemble the reel and yes, the springs and balls and pawls jumped at their freedom. I have rebuilt many freewheels, but this animal I have yet to conquer.

[esty]

look what i found....they have burgundy....->$46.50 pair

[Napes]

Do these ebay belts bolt right into ' 02s?

Just wondering. Re: above thread. The real reason IMHO to replace, rather than rebuild retractors, is that UV degradation to the nylon renders the belts weaker w/ every year they're in the car. The retractor might lock-up as intended in a collison, but what good is that if the nylon breaks?

Ask the guys who race what the sanctioning bodies require regarding renewal of belts.

Bob Napier

[esty]

Do these ebay belts bolt right into ' 02s?

Bob Napier

i don't know, my guess is they're universal fit...i did buy a pair & will let everyone know when i get them install'd

[pnwtii]

I "restored" a pair not too long ago. Really all I did with getting them to not be so touchy was stick a screw driver in the cover and soak it with silicon spray. Then I worked the seat belt all the way through it's length a few times. Spray and repeat for a couple rounds. I also noticed if I didn't hold the belt straight up and down it wouldn't go. So maybe if yours is mounted a little loose it could cause it to be a jerk. That's all I got, hope it helps.

[esty]

look what i found....they have burgundy....->$46.50 pair

i ordered a pair of the seatbelts i found on ebay (in the link above)...on the 1st, they arrived UPS yesterday...

i got one installed this morning...after finding the holes thru my carpet it took about 15 minutes to install...all the swivels work very well, there's no binding or premature locking, etc

and on a side note...the piece of vinyl the belts are laying on is the actual color of my interior, under natural lighting, not fluorescents...it's not pink as some might think...anyway...although not for the purists, the seat be seem to be really nice for the money

[Zenon]

Those belts looks like a good deal, though the colour screams "LeBaron!". ;-)

How do the receivers get along with the seats? Do they sit in about the right spot?

regards,

Zenon

[esty]

How do the receivers get along with the seats? Do they sit in about the right spot?

regards,

Zenon

they could be about 2 inches longer or more forward but aren't in an inconvenient position...if, after using them, i find placement an annoyance, i may try to move them forward

if someone rode with the seat all the way forward, they would have to "find" the receiver, behind the seats....with the seats anywhere from mid way to all the way back, they are not ideal, but ok

[Zenon]

they could be about 2 inches longer or more forward but aren't in an inconvenient position...if, after using them, i find placement an annoyance, i may try to move them forward

if someone rode with the seat all the way forward, they would have to "find" the receiver, behind the seats....with the seats anywhere from mid way to all the way back, they are not ideal, but ok

I kinda though they looked short. Still seems like a decent buy, though.

But then again, the originals aren't always ideal, either. In '73, at least, BMW had to include a small "extension belt" as part of a US recall mandate, to fit short and/or fat people. That also explains why they made the receivers move with the seats on later cars.

regards,

Zenon

[Wahnsinn]

I know this is an old topic; but it came through for me, and I just want to thank all of the great people who take their time to contribute helpful tips on these forums.

 

To reinforce wntii's message from above, I was having a terrible time with my passenger side seatbelt.  The inertia reel constantly hung up and it was very difficult to use.  When I began to work on it, the first thing I noticed was the bolt that holds it to the car was not tight, thus allowing it to flop around some.

 

Anyway, I took the bolt out so I could work on getting some lubricant into the reel, and then reinstalled it in the car, tightening the bolt, and ensuring that the reel was vertical.  The seat belt now works like a charm.

 

I think the key is that the reel has to be vertical.  I noticed that Mike Self also mentioned that in one of his posts. I presume a little lubrication didn't hurt either.

 

So if you're having similar issues with an inertia reel being difficult to operate, ensure that it is tight and VERTICAL.