Installed Recaro seats, I have a seat belt issue.
05-13-2003, 05:24 PM
#1
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Installed Recaro seats, I have a seat belt issue. I drive a 2002 Z28, black leather.
I removed the OEM seats and installed a set of Recaro Style seats.
The OEM seats had a seat belt loop screwed to them which routed the belt over your shoulder.
The new seats have no provision for this and no place to mount the OEM plastic loop. Because of this the belt rides on my neck and besides being uncomfortable it could cause severe neck trauma in an accident. There is no way to move the plastic loop over, which is held in place by two screws, because the new seats are nothing but foam. nothing hard to mount to.
Surely I'm not the first person with this problem. Is there a solution for me? Thank you.
I removed the OEM seats and installed a set of Recaro Style seats.
The OEM seats had a seat belt loop screwed to them which routed the belt over your shoulder.
The new seats have no provision for this and no place to mount the OEM plastic loop. Because of this the belt rides on my neck and besides being uncomfortable it could cause severe neck trauma in an accident. There is no way to move the plastic loop over, which is held in place by two screws, because the new seats are nothing but foam. nothing hard to mount to.
Surely I'm not the first person with this problem. Is there a solution for me? Thank you.
05-14-2003, 01:23 AM
#2
Re: Installed Recaro seats, I have a seat belt issue. Ok.. here is what I had to do..
Dissasemble the headrest (take off the covering and foam) to expose the metal frame.. have a metal plate tack welded to the frame on the side of the headrest (the outside of each headrest) This will give you a place to screw the loops to (make sure you have the factory loops with the slot cut in them)..
put the foam and fabric back on and then attach the loops to the metal plate (through the material).. install the loop as low as possible.
This is NOT the best way.. but it works.. I am working on a design that will have the loop run even lower. The idea I have will be a bracket held to the seat by use of the headrest posts.. hard to explain though.
Hope this helps.. I will email you my phone # in case you have more questions.
Steve
Dissasemble the headrest (take off the covering and foam) to expose the metal frame.. have a metal plate tack welded to the frame on the side of the headrest (the outside of each headrest) This will give you a place to screw the loops to (make sure you have the factory loops with the slot cut in them)..
put the foam and fabric back on and then attach the loops to the metal plate (through the material).. install the loop as low as possible.
This is NOT the best way.. but it works.. I am working on a design that will have the loop run even lower. The idea I have will be a bracket held to the seat by use of the headrest posts.. hard to explain though.
Hope this helps.. I will email you my phone # in case you have more questions.
Steve
05-14-2003, 07:20 AM
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Re: Installed Recaro seats, I have a seat belt issue. That's what I had in mind. I was going to use some stainless steel posts to attach to the headrest posts on my Corbeaus. I was just going to make a new loop instead of using the old plastic one.
05-14-2003, 08:01 AM
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Re: Installed Recaro seats, I have a seat belt issue. Thanks Steve. Actually the bracket on the headrest posts is exactly what I did last night and it works great. I got a piece of flat steel that was 1" wide and after cutting/forming/bending them I covered them with black cloth tape and bolted down the guides. They work pretty well. Below are some pics. But all this has me thinking, how are two little screws going to retain the impact of a lunging body in an accident? Seems to me the bracket will pop off during a wreck and the belt will be on our necks anyway. Doesn't seem very secure when considering accident level forces at play. Anyway, here are the pics. Thanks for replying.
http://home.attbi.com/~bartlane/seats1.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/~bartlane/seats2.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/~bartlane/seats3.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/~bartlane/seats4.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/~bartlane/seats5.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/~bartlane/seats1.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/~bartlane/seats2.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/~bartlane/seats3.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/~bartlane/seats4.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/~bartlane/seats5.jpg
05-14-2003, 10:36 AM
#5
Re: Installed Recaro seats, I have a seat belt issue.
That's what I had in mind. I was going to use some stainless steel posts to attach to the headrest posts on my Corbeaus. I was just going to make a new loop instead of using the old plastic one.
Glad you got something worked out on it
05-14-2003, 03:35 PM
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Re: Installed Recaro seats, I have a seat belt issue. ICOOLPC, that is exactly what I want mine to look like. Could you please take some close up pics of the bracket you made. Thanks.
05-15-2003, 12:57 PM
#7
Re: Installed Recaro seats, I have a seat belt issue.
I drive a 2002 Z28, black leather.
I removed the OEM seats and installed a set of Recaro Style seats.
The OEM seats had a seat belt loop screwed to them which routed the belt over your shoulder.
The new seats have no provision for this and no place to mount the OEM plastic loop. Because of this the belt rides on my neck and besides being uncomfortable it could cause severe neck trauma in an accident. There is no way to move the plastic loop over, which is held in place by two screws, because the new seats are nothing but foam. nothing hard to mount to.
Surely I'm not the first person with this problem. Is there a solution for me? Thank you.
I removed the OEM seats and installed a set of Recaro Style seats.
The OEM seats had a seat belt loop screwed to them which routed the belt over your shoulder.
The new seats have no provision for this and no place to mount the OEM plastic loop. Because of this the belt rides on my neck and besides being uncomfortable it could cause severe neck trauma in an accident. There is no way to move the plastic loop over, which is held in place by two screws, because the new seats are nothing but foam. nothing hard to mount to.
Surely I'm not the first person with this problem. Is there a solution for me? Thank you.
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05-15-2003, 05:24 PM
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Re: Installed Recaro seats, I have a seat belt issue. The seats were $2000 total, delivered.
Here are a couple shots of the bracket I made. It was 1" wide steel and I had to bend it in a vice. Very sturdy. I covered them in black cloth tape but you can't see them regardless. They stay fast in place because my measurements were tight. Even if you pull up the head rest (For taller people.) the belt bracket will rise up with it, staying fast directly under the rest. This will raise the shoulder point for taller drivers as it should be. If you notice I cut a notch on each side of the bracket instead of two on one side. This makes a sturdy locking mechanism should the belt be pulled forward as in an accident. Any other way could turn that flat piece of steel into a knife being pulled forward. Make sure you make your notches like mine. When you tug forward on the belt the bar can not move no matter what.
Here are a couple shots of the bracket I made. It was 1" wide steel and I had to bend it in a vice. Very sturdy. I covered them in black cloth tape but you can't see them regardless. They stay fast in place because my measurements were tight. Even if you pull up the head rest (For taller people.) the belt bracket will rise up with it, staying fast directly under the rest. This will raise the shoulder point for taller drivers as it should be. If you notice I cut a notch on each side of the bracket instead of two on one side. This makes a sturdy locking mechanism should the belt be pulled forward as in an accident. Any other way could turn that flat piece of steel into a knife being pulled forward. Make sure you make your notches like mine. When you tug forward on the belt the bar can not move no matter what.
05-15-2003, 08:18 PM
#9
Re: Installed Recaro seats, I have a seat belt issue.
The seats were $2000 total, delivered.
Here are a couple shots of the bracket I made. It was 1" wide steel and I had to bend it in a vice. Very sturdy. I covered them in black cloth tape but you can't see them regardless. They stay fast in place because my measurements were tight. Even if you pull up the head rest (For taller people.) the belt bracket will rise up with it, staying fast directly under the rest. This will raise the shoulder point for taller drivers as it should be. If you notice I cut a notch on each side of the bracket instead of two on one side. This makes a sturdy locking mechanism should the belt be pulled forward as in an accident. Any other way could turn that flat piece of steel into a knife being pulled forward. Make sure you make your notches like mine. When you tug forward on the belt the bar can not move no matter what.
Here are a couple shots of the bracket I made. It was 1" wide steel and I had to bend it in a vice. Very sturdy. I covered them in black cloth tape but you can't see them regardless. They stay fast in place because my measurements were tight. Even if you pull up the head rest (For taller people.) the belt bracket will rise up with it, staying fast directly under the rest. This will raise the shoulder point for taller drivers as it should be. If you notice I cut a notch on each side of the bracket instead of two on one side. This makes a sturdy locking mechanism should the belt be pulled forward as in an accident. Any other way could turn that flat piece of steel into a knife being pulled forward. Make sure you make your notches like mine. When you tug forward on the belt the bar can not move no matter what.
im thinking a nice heavy guage aluminum and then have it annodized black or powder coated (you KNOW i have to overkill it)
05-15-2003, 11:45 PM
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Re: Installed Recaro seats, I have a seat belt issue. I could have, sure, but I didn't know how to get to the post ends to slide it over.
I don't know the thickness of the steel I used, it is thick enough that to bend it you have to put it in a vice and then whack it with a hammer.
Thick aluminum doesn't bend well so I opted for steel.
I don't know the thickness of the steel I used, it is thick enough that to bend it you have to put it in a vice and then whack it with a hammer.
Thick aluminum doesn't bend well so I opted for steel.
05-16-2003, 12:43 PM
#11
Re: Installed Recaro seats, I have a seat belt issue.
I could have, sure, but I didn't know how to get to the post ends to slide it over.
I don't know the thickness of the steel I used, it is thick enough that to bend it you have to put it in a vice and then whack it with a hammer.
Thick aluminum doesn't bend well so I opted for steel.
I don't know the thickness of the steel I used, it is thick enough that to bend it you have to put it in a vice and then whack it with a hammer.
Thick aluminum doesn't bend well so I opted for steel.
Thick steel would work.. than it could be chromed!!
I will work on it and let ya know.. thanks for the pics
05-16-2003, 03:55 PM
#13
Re: Installed Recaro seats, I have a seat belt issue.
Hey 1coolpc..........
Where did you get your sets?
and do you know if they do ALL leather?
Where did you get your sets?
and do you know if they do ALL leather?
Yes, they do leather but its a BIG BIG adder on the cost
-- cloth is more comphy and wears better anyways 
05-16-2003, 04:10 PM
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Re: Installed Recaro seats, I have a seat belt issue. Hey thanks Steve
but you got any starting point or do I just start at the top --------->>>>>
and work my way down through them all?
but you got any starting point or do I just start at the top --------->>>>>
and work my way down through them all?
05-16-2003, 08:52 PM
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Re: Installed Recaro seats, I have a seat belt issue. All cloth is the cheapest, cloth insert & leather bolster is the middle and all leather is the next step up. I would have went with all leather, they are gorgeous, but you can't get two tone and I wanted blue in the middle plus I liked the pattern. Steve is right, cloth is comfy but there's nothing like leather, the smell, the feel, etc. The leather Recaro uses is fantastic too, I highly recommend it. Very thick, like a baseball mitt, much, much better than the thin stuff GM uses. Not even in the same ball park.
BTW, my stock seats are on ebay now if anybody wants some nice OEM leather chairs.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2415622612
BTW, my stock seats are on ebay now if anybody wants some nice OEM leather chairs.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2415622612
