Seat belt fitting

Tim4x4 · Nov 14, 2020

Hi.
I am in the process of fitting alternative front seats in my 110 TD5 CSW. The new seats are wider than the LR standard ones and this will cause the original retracting seat belts to rub on the rear corner of each seat.
This is not ideal and I am not sure if it would fail an MOT like that.
So looking for a solution, I could turn the original mechanism which is bolted to the floor, through 90deg making a straighter run for the belt up to the shoulder guide fitted to the "B" post pillar this will miss the seat easily.
What I don't know is if the mechanism should remain in the original orientation to work correctly and my turning it through 90deg would in effect stop it locking under deceleration as it would normally.

I have looked at LR belt assemblies and they are fitted in different orientations in different vehicles, the parts have different part numbers so could be different mechanisms but they could also be the same mechanisms with different brackets causing the part number change.
An alternative to this could be fitting a static belt on the original seat belt mountings that would work but I would like to keep retractable belts.
Anyone know the working construction of LR seat belts fitted to a 2001 TD5 CSW please.

Rougharse Racing · Nov 15, 2020

I don't know the answer to your main question, but static belts are not the answer. You may find it impossible to reach the handbrake and they need constant adjustment for each driver / passenger.
If you are old enough to remember vehicles fitted with static belts, you may recall that they spent most of their time getting filthy on the floor and getting trapped in the door.

flat · Nov 15, 2020

What seats are you fitting and why?

Tim4x4 · Nov 15, 2020

Rougharse Racing said:
I don't know the answer to your main question, but static belts are not the answer. You may find it impossible to reach the handbrake and they need constant adjustment for each driver / passenger.
If you are old enough to remember vehicles fitted with static belts, you may recall that they spent most of their time getting filthy on the floor and getting trapped in the door.

A very good call Rougharse the static belt would be an issue with the hand brake, I am glad someone is thinking beyond the belt rubbing problem.

flat said:
What seats are you fitting and why?

flat my drivers seat has seen much better days and is in need of a refurb at the very least. The frame is in useable condition so could be re-padded and new cover fitted but I have a full set of manual front and back seats.
The seats are genuine LR seats and in first class condition. They are just a little wider than the original's hence the rubbing of the belt.
I have today spent time making a mock installation to ensure they fitted and to confirm the belt issue was real. It is and will need some thinking about if the full installation goes ahead.
The bases of the new seats don't lift off as Defenders do so to reduce the ball ache of unbolting the seats each time I need to access the seat box I will be fitting an hinge at the back and a quick release at the front so the seat can be tilted back with minimum effort.
Here is a picture of the seats in place and if you can see on the 2nd picture the issue with the routing of the belt.

flat · Nov 15, 2020

That routing doesn’t look to bad tbh. I would be tempted to fit the seats and ‘live’ with it for a bit before making any modifications so as when I do, I get it ‘right’ if you see what I mean?

flat · Nov 15, 2020

Also my 90 the belts ‘rub’ the seat but a plastic surround has been fitted to the belt so that the belt ‘runs’ through that rather than rubbing directly on the seat?

I can’t remember the parts numbers but I definitely have a pdf of the service instruction. They were retrofitted.
Maybe something like that rather than modding the safety critical mount?

EDIT: I will look up the service instruction tomorrow

Tim4x4 · Nov 15, 2020

flat said:
That routing doesn’t look to bad tbh. I would be tempted to fit the seats and ‘live’ with it for a bit before making any modifications so as when I do, I get it ‘right’ if you see what I mean?

The picture shows the seat is in a position that is comfortable for my wife to use. We did go for a short blast and she was happy with the seat position. As you say the interference between seat and belt is not to bad and I can live with it just like that, but if the seat is moved back then the belt is much more in contact with the seat and causes an issue with the function of the belt. I would not like to use it with the seat any further back than in the picture.

flat said:
Also my 90 the belts ‘rub’ the seat but a plastic surround has been fitted to the belt so that the belt ‘runs’ through that rather than rubbing directly on the seat?

I can’t remember the parts numbers but I definitely have a pdf of the service instruction. They were retrofitted.
Maybe something like that rather than modding the safety critical mount?

flat if you can upload a copy of the PDF showing the plastic surround you have fitted I would be interested.
Modifying the belt mount would be a last resort

flat · Nov 17, 2020

@Tim4x4

here is the part for the belt protector

https://www.brit-car.co.uk/product....protection_sleeve___military_wolf_xd_defender

and here is the file with the details of the modification

Tim4x4 · Nov 17, 2020

flat said:
@Tim4x4

here is the part for the belt protector

https://www.brit-car.co.uk/product....protection_sleeve___military_wolf_xd_defender

and here is the file with the details of the modification

Flat,
Thank you I will look at this it may just work for me.

flat · Nov 17, 2020

Tim4x4 said:
Flat,
Thank you I will look at this it may just work for me.

I can take pictures of my ones in situ if you like, just let me know

Tim4x4 · Nov 18, 2020

flat said:
I can take pictures of my ones in situ if you like, just let me know

flat,
Having studied the problem further I don't believe the plastic sleeves will solve my problem. I have tried a number of ways to give freedom to the original belt but it consistently clashed with the seat to some degree. The belt needs to turn through 90deg, it starts to turn as it leaves the roller mechanism, this is what is causing my issue. Fitting the plastic a sleeve will stop the belt turning until much higher up causing the sleeve to interfere greatly with the seat and stop the belt sliding freely.
I feel I need to turn the mechanism through the 90deg allowing the belt a straight run to the shoulder guide fitted to the B post and thus having only the thickness of the belt to pass alongside the seat and not the width of the belt. So I am looking to purchase Genuine LR belts that fit normally in this position. The link shows what I am looking at.

https://www.lrworkshop.com/diagrams...seats/seat-belts/seat-belts-front-seats_45062

Before I purchase them, anyone see a problem using them I know new brackets will have to be made but I can do that.

Tim

flat · Nov 18, 2020

Cool worth looking into though, even if just to discount it as an idea.

I don’t know but my pickup 90 has those belts you want to buy and they mount down out of harms way beside the seat, I don’t have rear doors though so their is more space,

Let us know what your solution is

Tim4x4 · Nov 18, 2020

flat said:
Cool worth looking into though, even if just to discount it as an idea.

I don’t know but my pickup 90 has those belts you want to buy and they mount down out of harms way beside the seat, I don’t have rear doors though so their is more space,

Let us know what your solution is

Will do.

Tim

Seat belt fitting

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