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Seatbelts in a vintage flattie???

Discussion in 'Flat Fender Tech' started by Jordan, Jun 23, 2012.

  1. Jun 23, 2012
    Jordan

    Jordan Member

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    Oct 3, 2011
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    Are you guys putting seat belts in your old flat fenders?? If so, any tips or tricks on what to use and installation?

    Thanks,

    Jordan
     
    Jordan, Jun 23, 2012
    #1
  2. Jun 24, 2012
    bkd

    bkd Moderator Supreme Staff Member 2022 Sponsor

    K-Town Tenn.
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    Jordan I put seatbelts in my cj6 ...... I bought 3 point belts off eBay then mounted them to the floor and roll cage front and rear....... you can go that route or go for safety ( 5-6 point harness), just takes a little creativity
     
    bkd, Jun 24, 2012
    #2
  3. Jun 24, 2012
    Howard Eisenhauer

    Howard Eisenhauer Administrator Staff Member

    Tantallon, Nova...
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    Do you have a roll cage or roll bar?

    H.
     
    Howard Eisenhauer, Jun 24, 2012
    #3
  4. Jun 24, 2012
    Warloch

    Warloch Did you say Flattie??? Staff Member

    Falcon, CO
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    I put 4 point setups in (I buy the 5 and have it available, but 4 seems enough most of the time). Mostly folks put the lap belts on, and we only use the others in real bad places for us.

    My seats are part of the cage, so I attach everything to the supports there.
     
    Warloch, Jun 24, 2012
    #4
  5. Jun 25, 2012
    duffer

    duffer Rodent Power

    Bozeman, MT
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    Without a decent roll bar or cage, it's a bit debatable whether belts do more or less good. If you are straped in and do a rollover without a bar or cage, you will almost certainly be dead. But lap belts would keep you from a trip over the hood in a less severe fender bender. Personally, I will not drive any Jeep in normal traffic without rollover protection and my belts are also mounted off the roll bars. As Chuck noted above, you should mount the seats in a manner such that if you do roll with a bar/cage, you don't get sucked through the floor if the tub comes loose. Probably not a problem with a solid tub, but certainly something you should give some attention to if there is rot.
     
    duffer, Jun 25, 2012
    #5
  6. Jun 25, 2012
    windyhill

    windyhill Sponsor

    PA
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    Nov 4, 2006
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    Have a role bar from a 70's cj5 in my 3b and lap belts. I have no belts in my stock 2A but will probably put some it to hold the little guys from bouncing out. These Willys are not very safe, a full cage and harnesses would help lots but it doesn't feel like an old stock willys to me after that. I make mine "safer" by driving slowly around the local back roads and am as careful as I can be around the property. I think of mine as more of a "fast" tractor.;)
     
    windyhill, Jun 25, 2012
    #6
  7. Jun 26, 2012
    Corveeper

    Corveeper Member

    Chanute, Kansas
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    All that fifth belt is good for is crushing your berries anyway.
     
    Corveeper, Jun 26, 2012
    #7
  8. Jun 26, 2012
    Warloch

    Warloch Did you say Flattie??? Staff Member

    Falcon, CO
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    I think the 5th should come with a built in cup...
     
    Warloch, Jun 26, 2012
    #8
  9. Jun 26, 2012
    lynn

    lynn Time machine / Early CJ5 HR Rep Staff Member

    Huntingdon PA
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    Three-point belts from a different rig are a common install in CJs. Many guys bolt the retractor to the floor, or to the sloped front of the wheelhouse. This install method often makes the belts lock up at inconvient times offroad, especially when getting out of the rig, then trying to belt back in. :rofl:

    I had my retractors mounted to the sloped front of the wheelhouse for many years, suffering through the inconvient lock-ups... until I read a post by Snowtow on another forum, quite a few years ago.

    He mounted his retractors to the base of his rollbar, which in turn mounted to the top of the wheelhouse. This set-up is similar to the stock orientation from which many 3-point belts were gleaned (mine came from a '79 Subaru wagon), and virtually eliminates the inconvient lock up and allows the belt system to work normally, even offroad.

    Here are some pics I borrowed from Snowtow. I used these to modify my own 3-point belts in the '71:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Essentially, one welds some flat stock to a couple muffler brackets, bolts these to the rollbar, drill a hole for the retractor orientation pin, and feed the belt to an upper anchor pin mounted to the rollbar above the shoulder.

    I never grabbed any good pics of the way I implemented this mod on the '71. Here is one pic from a distance, yopu can see the retractor mounted to the base of the rollbar behind the drivers seat:

    [​IMG]

    HTH!!
     
    Last edited: Jun 26, 2012
    lynn, Jun 26, 2012
    #9
  10. Jun 30, 2012
    Jordan

    Jordan Member

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    Not yet. Debating whether to install one. Kind of like the traditional look, but then again I'm too young to die.
     
    Jordan, Jun 30, 2012
    #10
  11. Jul 1, 2012
    Howard Eisenhauer

    Howard Eisenhauer Administrator Staff Member

    Tantallon, Nova...
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    Last edited: Jul 1, 2012
    Howard Eisenhauer, Jul 1, 2012
    #11
  12. Jul 1, 2012
    Stout

    Stout Member

    Quakertown, PA
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    Howard, when I was trying to decide whether to put lap belts in my '59 (all stock, no roll bar and don't want one) I did some searching and came across an earlier post of yours with the photos of your poor JEEP. You convinced me to not put belts in mine.
     
    Stout, Jul 1, 2012
    #12
  13. Jul 1, 2012
    Howard Eisenhauer

    Howard Eisenhauer Administrator Staff Member

    Tantallon, Nova...
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    Either way it's a crap shoot but in the mid 70's the Canadian military started installing belts in everything in sight. Within 6 months they issued a standing order not to use them in jeeps because they found the death rate in accidents was going up. Knowing this I chose not to install belts in Tonk & got a lot of grief from from a lot of people, however if I had Rachel would be dead now.

    H.
     
    Howard Eisenhauer, Jul 1, 2012
    #13
  14. Jul 23, 2012
    red00xj

    red00xj New Member

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    One of my first mods will be to add belts... I do have some what of a cage...but I believe it is important to have them.
     
    red00xj, Jul 23, 2012
    #14
  15. Jul 27, 2012
    Old Doug

    Old Doug Member

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    I think all jeeps shoud have a roll bar. I am just about ready to put my M38a1 on the road. I hated to drill holes in it after welding over 200 hundred up but a roll bar and belts may save my life. I would like to see some more seat belts so i can put some in my Jeep.
     
    Old Doug, Jul 27, 2012
    #15
  16. Aug 5, 2012
    ralf

    ralf New Member

    Fayetteville WV
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    Mar 14, 2010
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    I am going to use these

    [​IMG]
     
    ralf, Aug 5, 2012
    #16
  17. Sep 15, 2012
    Jordan

    Jordan Member

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    Oct 3, 2011
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    Ralf:

    What are those?/

    Thanks,

    Jordan
     
    Jordan, Sep 15, 2012
    #17
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