Bucket Seat Seatbelt Standup Thingee?

[Ray Cecil]

Gary I will measure mine when I get home. I do not think that they run forward 6” but rather turn 90* upward immediately so that the sheath stays above the seat pan. I don’t know if this would work with your angle iron set up or not. I did find a set in blue… probably not the correct blue but at least it is in the spectrum:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/125513665433?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=NKz6R2vBSOa&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=bIK-KD-_SJK&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

$125? Ouch.

I'm about to do this project too. Can I not just use my factory bench seat belts?

 

[Ford F834]

$125? Ouch.

I'm about to do this project too. Can I not just use my factory bench seat belts?

Ray, the bench seat belt sheaths won’t really hold the belt receiver up where you can reach it. They just have a twist to hold the buckle perpendicular to the bench, but they won’t hold it up off of the floor.

Gary, I looked at your picture of the red captain chairs, and if that bracket is what you are using in Big Blue I would personally not want seat belts running under that metal bracket. I would think this could create a pressure point on the web that could be an issue in the event of a violent collision. It “probably” would not break or cut the belt but I wouldn’t bet my life on it. I would try for the up-and-over design that Ford used for the seat pans, and possibly think about adding a rounded surface to that angle iron to diffuse the pressure of any potential contact point. It is hard to tell from the photos how the belt would pull in a wreck, but it is something to look at.

[Ray Cecil]

Ray, the bench seat belt sheaths won’t really hold the belt receiver up where you can reach it. They just have a twist to hold the buckle perpendicular to the bench, but they won’t hold it up off of the floor.

Gary, I looked at your picture of the red captain chairs, and if that bracket is what you are using in Big Blue I would personally not want seat belts running under that metal bracket. I would think this could create a pressure point on the web that could be an issue in the event of a violent collision. It “probably” would not break or cut the belt but I wouldn’t bet my life on it. I would try for the up-and-over design that Ford used for the seat pans, and possibly think about adding a rounded surface to that angle iron to diffuse the pressure of any potential contact point. It is hard to tell from the photos how the belt would pull in a wreck, but it is something to look at.

Gotcha. I just ordered Raybuck's 25V Blue vinyl upholstery for these buckets. Manufacturer is "Seatz". They include the bronco eddie bauer pattern in the middle back, so that ought to be interesting.

I might reuse my bench seat belts and make a heavy guage steel wire "loom" to hold them up, instead of fighting this issue like Gary is. I'll let yall know what I come up with.

[Ray Cecil]

Gotcha. I just ordered Raybuck's 25V Blue vinyl upholstery for these buckets. Manufacturer is "Seatz". They include the bronco eddie bauer pattern in the middle back, so that ought to be interesting.

I might reuse my bench seat belts and make a heavy guage steel wire "loom" to hold them up, instead of fighting this issue like Gary is. I'll let yall know what I come up with.

[Gary Lewis]

Gotcha. I just ordered Raybuck's 25V Blue vinyl upholstery for these buckets. Manufacturer is "Seatz". They include the bronco eddie bauer pattern in the middle back, so that ought to be interesting.

I might reuse my bench seat belts and make a heavy guage steel wire "loom" to hold them up, instead of fighting this issue like Gary is. I'll let yall know what I come up with.

Wow, lots of posts while we’ve been running errands today. But I have a bit to report.

I talked with Chris at Seatbelt Planet and it turns out that they have a plate they put on the ends of the belts, right below, which is both tapered and narrower than the rectangular Ford plate, which is on the left below. Theirs is 1 7/16” where the Ford one is 1 5/8”, and that difference might be the issue.

They can take the end off mine and put theirs on for $20/belt, and then another $10/belt to pull it through the sleeve.

But they think the boiling water trick might work, so I’m going to try that tomorrow. If that doesn’t work they have me scheduled to replace the ends a week from tomorrow as we pass through OKC.

As for the edge of the pan or platform cutting the belt, I don’t think that will be a problem with my platform since I won’t be driving the truck with the platform slid forward. Instead I’ll be using the adjustment on the seats themselves. But I can see that might be a problem with the Ford pan, and is something to seriously consider.

I’ll post some pics tomorrow if the belt routing with my platform, and see if I can dig up some pics of the routing with the pan.

[Gary Lewis]

Wow, lots of posts while we’ve been running errands today. But I have a bit to report.

I talked with Chris at Seatbelt Planet and it turns out that they have a plate they put on the ends of the belts, right below, which is both tapered and narrower than the rectangular Ford plate, which is on the left below. Theirs is 1 7/16” where the Ford one is 1 5/8”, and that difference might be the issue.

They can take the end off mine and put theirs on for $20/belt, and then another $10/belt to pull it through the sleeve.

But they think the boiling water trick might work, so I’m going to try that tomorrow. If that doesn’t work they have me scheduled to replace the ends a week from tomorrow as we pass through OKC.

As for the edge of the pan or platform cutting the belt, I don’t think that will be a problem with my platform since I won’t be driving the truck with the platform slid forward. Instead I’ll be using the adjustment on the seats themselves. But I can see that might be a problem with the Ford pan, and is something to seriously consider.

I’ll post some pics tomorrow if the belt routing with my platform, and see if I can dig up some pics of the routing with the pan.

And I forgot to say that Seatbelt Planet doesn't sell just the inside belt. Apparently there are several different tang/tongue sizes/styles on seatbelts and they don't know that theirs will fit with yours. So they don't sell them separately.

[Gary Lewis]

And I forgot to say that Seatbelt Planet doesn't sell just the inside belt. Apparently there are several different tang/tongue sizes/styles on seatbelts and they don't know that theirs will fit with yours. So they don't sell them separately.

No joy in Mudville. Lots of things to report, but not success with the smaller sheath. I'm throwing in the towel on these sheaths & the Ford end plates, as explained below.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. I set up the ancient Coleman propane camp stove, lit it, and found a bit more fire than expected. (If you don't see it look in the lower left of the pic.)

I pulled the needles out and found that the grommets have shrunk and there was no repairing w/o a kit. So I made a run to the local Wallyworld and got a new stove. I set it up like is shown below, but with two Nylon strings, brought the water up to a boil, held the sheath and belt in it for several minutes, and then pulled so hard I broke the strings.

So I switched to the wire, boiled it again, and pulled HARD. But all I got was the bump shown in the pic on the right, which is where the corner of the plate hits. No amount of boiling, twisting, pulling, etc was going to get that plate through.

I'm not sure what I want to do now. I still have that appointment a week from today for them to put their smaller & tapered plate on the end of the belts, but that's another $60 bucks. However I've already spent that much so may do it.

[Gary Lewis]

No joy in Mudville. Lots of things to report, but not success with the smaller sheath. I'm throwing in the towel on these sheaths & the Ford end plates, as explained below.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. I set up the ancient Coleman propane camp stove, lit it, and found a bit more fire than expected. (If you don't see it look in the lower left of the pic.)

I pulled the needles out and found that the grommets have shrunk and there was no repairing w/o a kit. So I made a run to the local Wallyworld and got a new stove. I set it up like is shown below, but with two Nylon strings, brought the water up to a boil, held the sheath and belt in it for several minutes, and then pulled so hard I broke the strings.

So I switched to the wire, boiled it again, and pulled HARD. But all I got was the bump shown in the pic on the right, which is where the corner of the plate hits. No amount of boiling, twisting, pulling, etc was going to get that plate through.

I'm not sure what I want to do now. I still have that appointment a week from today for them to put their smaller & tapered plate on the end of the belts, but that's another $60 bucks. However I've already spent that much so may do it.

Also, I promised pics of how the belt hits my platform. But before I show you those I need to explain that I have one factory sheath that was salvageable by trimming the top a bit where it was splitting. So I put the right belt in it and bolted it to the floor for these pics.

In the left pic the platform is all the way back, which is where I'll have it for driving and just use the adjusters on the seats. You can see that the belt comes up ahead of the retaining bolt.

But in the pic on the right the platform is all the way forward and the sheath is flattened against the floor. And if the platform was in that position when you had an accident it would put quite a strain on the angle and the belt. However, I don't think that longer sheaths would make a difference as the belt would still hit in the same spot on the angle.

Bottom line is that the platform should be kept to the rear while driving.

[grumpin]

No joy in Mudville. Lots of things to report, but not success with the smaller sheath. I'm throwing in the towel on these sheaths & the Ford end plates, as explained below.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. I set up the ancient Coleman propane camp stove, lit it, and found a bit more fire than expected. (If you don't see it look in the lower left of the pic.)

I pulled the needles out and found that the grommets have shrunk and there was no repairing w/o a kit. So I made a run to the local Wallyworld and got a new stove. I set it up like is shown below, but with two Nylon strings, brought the water up to a boil, held the sheath and belt in it for several minutes, and then pulled so hard I broke the strings.

So I switched to the wire, boiled it again, and pulled HARD. But all I got was the bump shown in the pic on the right, which is where the corner of the plate hits. No amount of boiling, twisting, pulling, etc was going to get that plate through.

I'm not sure what I want to do now. I still have that appointment a week from today for them to put their smaller & tapered plate on the end of the belts, but that's another $60 bucks. However I've already spent that much so may do it.

I don't get it. Has to be a different size. Which you've probably mentioned.

[Gary Lewis]

I don't get it. Has to be a different size. Which you've probably mentioned.

Yes, the one that Seatbelt Planet installs is 1 7/16" and tapered on the front while the Ford plate is 1 5/8" and has hard, 90 degree corners. So the extra width and the square shoulders appears to be the problem.

Which means, those sheaths do not work for Fords, at least if you are using Ford belts.