It is important to ensure that your seat belts are in good working order. If there is something wrong with them then you might fail the statutory tests such as MOT. It will also make it very difficult for you to sell the car at a later stage. This is a job that you can definitely do at home with a bit of effort and some guides. It is far preferable to spend some time on your car DIY than watching your kids fly out of the windshield due to a faulty seat belt.
The tools that you will need
1. A broken seat belt assembly kit.
2. A replacement seat belt.
3. A replacement retractor system.
4. A replacement buckle.
5. A Metric socket kit
6. A socket driver.
Repairing your floor and seat belts
1. Removing the old seat belt: You will need to first remove the car seat. The bolts at the base of the seat may have been stuck due to dust and therefore you will need to do this process gradually. You will then get access to the structure that holds the seat belt. You have to remove the interior panels. These cover the retractor as well as the seat belt. It is imperative that you are careful in this process so that you do not do long term damage. Remember that the seat belt is a safety measure and you need to ensure that it is in perfect working condition.
2. The bolts: You need to pull back the bolt cover as well as exploring the bolts that attach the seat belt to the floor or the vehicle. If there is any damage then you need to ensure that it is first corrected before you put the parts back. The bolt that attached the buckle position has to be pulled back from the socket so that you can work better. There is another bolt that is attached to the retractor. You need to remove it as well. The socket driver will be used to remove the bolt which holds the bracket that is used to thread the seat belt. You can then remove the belt bracket and the retractor. The broken seat belt can then be discarded or recycled depending on its condition.
3. Fitting the new seat belt: You should bolt the new retractor in place using the socket driver. Once again you will use the socket driver to bolt the new bracket so that there is space to thread the belt through. The belt has to be held in position using the blots that are provided. Make sure that it firmly fits onto the floor because there could be a lot of pressure in case the vehicle is involved in some sort of collision. The bolt cover will then be slid onto the sides of the vehicle until it captures the belt. Check to ensure that the fixtures are holding firmly. When the entire apparatus is in place you should pull the belt in many positions to see whether it can hold up.
4. Adjustments: You might need to make adjustments to the belt from time to time. This is a delicate part even if it is meant to prevent you from flying out of the car. In fact it is good to find out about frayed belts before you are involved in an accident. Be wary of curious children who cut or bite the belt.
The process of replacing broken seat and floor belts can be described as being of intermediate difficulty. That does not mean that you cannot do it on a DIY basis. In any case if your car is due for its statutory testing, the belts will need to be in prime condition or else the vehicle will fail the test. The maintenance work can help you to avoid some of the worst effects of an accident. It might also help you to sell the vehicle.
Ensuring your ride is road worthy is what we do in our street rod shop at Jeff Lilly Restorations. Getting you on the road and enjoying your time asap is our goal.
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