Seat belt (minor metal content)

My wife has had the same problem in two of our cars over the years. I clip a big spring-type paper clip on the belt where it enters the retraction mechanism, adjusted so she can wiggle freely.

-- Ed Huntress

You can get clips designed to lock the belts for child seats (for your Silverado, for instance). They may work in this application.

get one of those plastic clips semis have that lock the seatbelt from retracting.

As you have an identical car as spares, why dont you takeout the drivers seat belt mechanism and dismanthe it. The last time I did this to a spare one I had here, the locking mechanism is as follows. Its a steel ball sitting in a larger dia seating. So which ever way the G loading effects it, in any of the x, y, or z planes, it will allways lock up the belt.It rolls up the cup pushing up a plate which locks the reel when it engages in the belt reel edges. If yours is like this youll be able to fit this sort to your wifes seat position. Let us know how you get on with dismantling it and what you find. Here in the UK we have your drivers type for both front seating positions. Obviously any such changes to the safety kit is on your own head And might invalidate any insurances you might have. I dont see how anyone could argue that whats ok for the driver isnt ok for the front passenger. Needs careful thought. Seat belt design has been intersting. Ive here an original Irvin type. Beutifully made.Diagonal and lap. Drop forged ali fittings. As new. But Non retracting.

On Sun, 01 Jun 2008 05:25:57 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm, "Ivan Vegvary" quickly quoth:

Small vehicles with springy seats are notorious for that. Three possible choices for repair are:

T _____________ belt ||

------------------|| housing to SWMBO ||_____________ |

or

3) For a removable stop, use a spring clamp on the belt. Lay it on the seat when done.

Actually your Silverado CAN act the same way. You just have to change the mode the belt is in.

On the Toyota I don't think they use the same feature though. However it's worth a shot. Pull the belt ALL the way out of the housing, when it gets to the end give it a solid tug. If they have the same feature the belt will now act like the Silverado belts.

Another option would be to replace the belt with one from a different vehicle. The hard part then is matching the color.

If you choose to cannibalize (sp?) from another vehicle, be careful, as many newer vehicles have a pyrotechnic pre-tensioning device installed as part of the mechanism.

Shawn

Love the Darwin Theory responses.

Child seats never go in the front seat of a car - read the instructions that came with the capsule/seat. In fact children never go in the front seat as their weight is usually insufficient to activate the inertia reel seatbelts - again read the instruction manual that came with the car.

Rooting around with the belt is brilliant, putting a nail through it - fantastic, I'm sure your wife will appreciate your concern for her life as she passes through the windscreen and her face hits the back of a truck.

Just use the plastic seat belt "stop" which should still be attached to the belt? Big problem it needs to be adjusted each time its used - too hard? Adjusting the seat will also reduce the action of the seatbelt, whilst keeping it tort.

I used to have a similar problem with my '83 camaro and I got a piece of flat 1/8" aluminum and cut opposing slots in it about 3/8" apart. This went over the belt up near the retract so that it would stop whan the "buckle" hit the retract mechanism. Worked nicely. If you can't figure out what I'm describing, e-mail me and I'll make a drawing, scan it and e-malil it to you. You just have to be careful to make sure there are ABSOLUTELY NO sharp corners anywhere on it. Nylon under tension cuts very easily.

Jim

SWMBO used purpose built clamping devices for several years, of course they always ended up holding the belt fully extended. One day, arriving home in the midst of a downpour, I pulled in so that her door was adjacent to the porch step. I her haste to avoid getting wet, her feet got tangled in the dangling belt causing her to fall up onto the porch, breaking her right arm at the shoulder. During six weeks in a "collar and cuff" I learned all kinds of new skills, including how to put a bra ON! Now she wears her seat belt as it was designed, fortunately, on the Toy Car (Echo), the front seat shoulde vbelt anchor point is adjustable. Icidently, the rear belts on this car do have the lock feature where once extended the retracted slightly, they will not extend again unless they have been fully retracted. As you point out, this is for use on child seats. Gerry :-)} London, Canada

Oh, my God, what a coincidence. In February my wife was rushing to get in the car with heavy loads in both arms; tripped on a curb and fell on the driveway; and broke her left arm in four places and shattered her shoulder. Since she returned from the hospital I had to bathe her for the next five weeks (kind of fun, actually...), dress and undress her (there are worse things...), arrange and rearrange pillows for her so she wasn't in constant pain, do all the shopping, cooking, and cleaning, take care of the dog and the house, and try to find time to work. After the initial few weeks it was multiple trips to the doctor and four trips per week to physical therapy. This all just ended less than two weeks ago, except for the doctor and therapy, which will go on for months. And of course, I drive her everywhere she needs to go.

So, we have something in common here.

-- Ed Huntress

SWMBO went on one trip with her friend, said "never again" and learned to manage PDQ Gerry :-)} London, Canada