Seat belt retractor spring

[Inf]

The drivers side lap belt in my '72 240z wouldn't retract after I pulled it out too far and I just got done taking it apart and trying to fix it. I am guessing that the inside end of the coiled up band of metal is supposed to have some sort of bend in it to interface with the slot in the spindle without slipping under tension?

I reassembled it multiple times and every time I would get it working, the metal would slip back out again after a few pulls/retracts. The band was very brittle and had a lot of surface rust between the layers so I could not create a new bend in it to allow it to interface with the spindle properly. Does anyone know if I can find a new coil anyplace, or do you think it would be easier to just find another set of retracting belts?

I may just sand down the rust on the inside end and use some epoxy or something to hold it in. Any better ideas?

Thanks,

Andrew

[dohc]

I don't know about the laws in the US, but in Australia you can under no circumstances pull the seat belt retractor box apart for servicing. If the cops knew you were doing it then they'd defect the car in an instant..... Probably a sensible law as all kinds of things could go wrong at the most inappropriate time:tapemouth

It would be a lot easier and safer to just go and buy a new pair of belts, or failing that a good second hand pair....

R.

[Inf]

:surprised

Yeah, you are probably right about it not being a good idea. No clue about any of the laws regarding that here. If I buy a belt from a 70-71 240z that does not have the retractor, will it easily mount in my 72 with the buckets for the belts? I think I would rather just use that than deal with this stuff anyway, not to mention it would probably be safer.

Thanks,

Andrew

[dohc]

My best guess would be yes, no problem at all, but I've never done it myself.

Maybe someone else could shed some light on this?

R.

[EScanlon]

The 72 and later seat belts have the retractor mounted in a cup right behind the seat, just below the flat vertical panel that is the front of the storage boxes.

The earlier seat belts were just bolted to the inside of the rocker panel.

You could no doubt make it work, but I think it would be easier yet just to find the 72 + model.

And just a note regarding the legality of fixing your own seat belt mechanism. If you CAN fix it, you DON'T have to tell the inspector about it. Sometimes what the cop DOESN'T know CAN'T hurt you.

2¢

[Bambikiller240]

Originally posted by Inf

If I buy a belt from a 70-71 240z that does not have the retractor, will it easily mount in my 72 with the buckets for the belts? I think I would rather just use that than deal with this stuff anyway, not to mention it would probably be safer.

Andrew: My early 72 240Z (mfg in 11/71) has the pockets for the retractable belts but did not come with them. It had the regular belts that bolt to the rocker area with one bolt. I just replaced them with a set of nice retractable ones, so I can confirm that you can use either type of belts. If you go looking for used belts to purchase, you'll soon discover that the "non-retractable" ones are FAR cheaper to purchase than a decent set of "retractable" ones. It's your choice as either will work, but if you want retractable ones that function properly, be prepared to pay a lot for them, as most are rusty messes after 30 years of exposure to moisture that gets into the pockets from below.

Just my $.02

Carl

[Inf]

Thanks for the replies guys,

I think I may buy this seat belt kit from the victoria british catalog, it doesn't look stock style exactly, but at this point I am not really concerned about that.

Any other thoughts would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Andrew

[Ken]

Check out Item # 2404097703 on Ebay!! Bidding ends soon tho....