Seat belt upgrade

[pbarcher]

Installation of the WELR 3 point belts in my 73 is driving me crazy, and I hope that someone can help. There are two problems:

1) The end that bolts to the sill has an angled mounting plate. If I bolt it to the sill with the flat part of the mount against the sill, the belt is twisted. Flipping the mount removes the twist, but it just looks wrong and isn't very secure. Anyone have a picture of how they did this?

2) I bought the mounting kit, which includes some angle brackets to mount the inboard (scabbard) receiver end. However, no matter how I install the angle brackets the receiver end is in the wrong position. I'm about to give up on this project and call it a loss. Too bad, because others have found a way to use these belts.

Thanks.

Peter

[SteveJ]

I'll see if I can take some pictures tomorrow.

[zKars]

Just because 'thread man' has to have something to say today, "official" seat belt bolts are 7/16-20 UNF grade 5. This is true of the ones in the Z.

These are the only SAE hardware in the car that I am aware of. Those 16mm heads are actually for a 5/8 wrench....

Reference from http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrruletext.aspx?reg=571.209

They do mention that 1/2-13 and "equivalent metric" are okey dokey as well.

[SteveJ]

Installation of the WELR 3 point belts in my 73 is driving me crazy, and I hope that someone can help. There are two problems:

1) The end that bolts to the sill has an angled mounting plate. If I bolt it to the sill with the flat part of the mount against the sill, the belt is twisted. Flipping the mount removes the twist, but it just looks wrong and isn't very secure. Anyone have a picture of how they did this?

2) I bought the mounting kit, which includes some angle brackets to mount the inboard (scabbard) receiver end. However, no matter how I install the angle brackets the receiver end is in the wrong position. I'm about to give up on this project and call it a loss. Too bad, because others have found a way to use these belts.

Thanks.

Peter

Peter,

I hope these pictures help you. IIRC I mounted the bracket loosely to the floor so that the bracket could still turn. Then I ran the bolt through the receiver end and through the bracket. I tightened up the bolt through the receiver, swiveled the bracket back into place, and finished tightening the bracket to the floor.

Steve

[pbarcher]

Steve,

Thanks so much for those photos. I realize that my problem is that I have two layers of Dynamat on my transmission tunnel, which interferes with mounting the receiver the way that you did. I guess that I can either remove some of the insulation or cut the the scabbard and mount the receiver without the L bracket. That would be easier.

My other question concerns the mount on the sill. If I install the mount with the flat part against the sill, the belt is twisted. What did you do?

Peter

[SteveJ]

I left it with the half twist.

[Reverend]

I wonder is there ANY source for oem style retractors for 72? I hate these MSA belts.

[pbarcher]

Thanks Steve. Following your photos made the job easy and I finally got the interior finished today. The belts work very smoothly and look almost stock. I may raise the driver's seat a bit to re-position the shoulder belt, but otherwise this is a great addition and I recommend it.

Peter

[SteveJ]

You're quite welcome, Peter.

[bpilati]

If you have a 70 or 71 Z, you will not have the pocket in your floor well to install a retractor. This will interfere with sliding the seat back. It may be possible to mount the retractor on the retractor on the vertical part of the bulkhead behind the seat. Many retractors or inertia reels need to be mounted in a vertical orientation to lock properly.

[SteveJ]

Bryan,

The inertia reels in the WESCO belts seem to function fine when mounted on the ceiling of the vehicle. They will grab if you try to extend them too fast when putting them on, and I haven't felt like I'm going too far forward under very firm braking.

[bpilati]

Bryan,

The inertia reels in the WESCO belts seem to function fine when mounted on the ceiling of the vehicle. They will grab if you try to extend them too fast when putting them on, and I haven't felt like I'm going too far forward under very firm braking.

I'm not familiar with that inertia reel. If I were buying aftermarket belts, I would most certainly buy them with dual-sensing reels, that both lock up based on webbing payout speed and inertia/G loading. All new cars use this type of reel. Even with low elongation webbing, you would be amazed at how close you will get to the steering wheel in a real crash. Hopefully what you have it designed for the mounting location it is in.

On a separate note, the early 240Z belts without reels are actually better than with reels. The only purpose for reels is freedom of movement and convenience. Inertia reels do not make you safer in a crash as compared to belts that are hard mounted to the vehicle structure, as the 70 and 71 Z belts are. This is akin to race cars which do not use inertia reels.

But there is nothing wrong with adding them to your car as long as they are installed properly.

Edited June 4, 2012 by bpilati