Seatbelts

[MissAdventure]

Thanks for all the replies but this was about who had done it and how, not why or why not to do it, or if it was necessary by law. But since it's gone that way, here's my .2...

The purpose for the seatbelts in my case is because:
1) keep my daughter on her butt. hard to stop a 5 year old's impulses!
2) how can I tell her she has to buckle up in our normal cars if I don't make her do the same in this one?
3) so she doesn't fly through the windshield if we need to stop suddenly
4) so she doesn't distract the driver by suddenly jumping in their lap for a hug
5) roll overs and large crashes are not the only way to get hurt in a vehicle. My cousin was sitting at a red light when another vehicle that was crossing spun out and hit the side of her car. This was not a big enough impact to crush crumple zones or set off airbags yet she was sent into the passenger seat from the impact! And that is with a seat belt on! I do not want my daughter being thrown out of the vehicle possibly into oncoming traffic in a case like this! We won't be driving on deserted roads in the middle of nowhere. We live in a suburban area that requires crossing multiple busy intersections just to get a few blocks away. So being thrown from a vehicle in that situation is never a good idea.

I understand not putting them in if you are doing a full restoration. That is not our goal and we would like to be able to run down to the store on the corner in it.

Now back to the topic at hand.... how did you install them, and please post pics.

[Bob N]

Okay, fair enough. I bought the seatbelts, read the instructions and drilled the necessary holes, mounted. It was simple. Basically there was a big washer like 2 1/2 or 3 inch in size to provide a mount. Of course the jeep sheet metal is thin so as I said I depend on this to keep passengers from falling out...not for impacts. Though it might be better than nothing. Got my parts from JC Whitney. Your mileage may vary.

[Chuck Lutz]

I don't have them in my jeep but I don't have 5 yr olds to ride around in it. I think they will guaranted you die in a rollover, but if you think falling out is a higher percentage accident, then by all means put them in.

In the front, I'd go beyond the 2-31/2" washers and use a piece of flat bar stock 1/4" thick and about 2" wide from one hole to the other under the floor pan for the passenger. That way it won't rip through a hole under severe impact. Remember that the person in the back seat will be launched into the passenger seat like a rocket if you are front-ended or hit a pole anyway since the passenger seat pivots forward.

You need to then secure passengers in the rear also. Same setup, I'd suggest you use flat bar stock under the rear floor.

Go buy some NEW seatbelts and hardware.

As for the driver, even with lap belts, you will be impaled on the steering column unless a very good four-point system is installed and that would normally be attached to a rollbar. The adult passenger will bend forward at the waist using only a lapbelt and kiss the windshield or rifle rack or the dash without a four-point system installed correctly.

I think the installation of a roll bar is the way to go if passenger safety on the highway, in city traffic or off-road is yor concern. That way you can use modern four-point harnesses developed specially for more modern jeep installs.

[gerrykan]

Unfortunately I can't remember where I saw this information, but I do remember that even with a rollbar for mounting your shoulder belts, highback seats are needed to prevent neck injuries.

[Chuck Lutz]

Roy...you are 100% right about the neck injuries....in a rear ender anyway. I got hit by a F150 pickup doing about 45 (according to CHP officer) while stopped on Interstate 80 in a rainstorm a couple years ago and got whiplash but aside from some vision and equilibrium problems that went away finally (I hope), I had no permanent problems.

I am 6'4" and my Lexus had the headrest at the highest setting possible and the Doctor and and my own physician said that was the reason I didn't break my neck or have vertebra injuries from being hit and launched into another vehicle stopped in front of me.

ALWAYS make sure your headrest is centered behind your head so it can stop the backwards snapping motion your head/neck/spine will be subjected to after you are rear-ended.

I came to with a Good Samaritan reminding me to STAY STILL incase of spinal injury....the firemen got me out but I know I was out of it for at least a half minute when hit.

OUCH!

[MES]

What about using the MG plate as fixing plate for a child seat with 4 point harness. I see it's difficult to secure people in a jeep without modern modifications, but with a kind of adapter plate it should be possible to fit a child seat.

[David Webb]

The issue I find with my passengers is the worry of being ejected sideways on a sharp left turn. OK, they can get used to it, and it is probably not a real possibility, but every new passenger seems to feel unstable. A lap belt is a real comfort.
David

[MissAdventure]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I agree that we'll need to reinforce the floor.
We'll definitely go with new belts. We're still looking at all the options so this feedback is very helpful in making decisions.
Thanks again.

[lars36]

If you gets in a bigger crash with this kind of a car, you`re usually historiy anyway! Remember even if you drive carefully, it doesn`t prevent you from a drunk, stoned idiot in 60mph! I`m considering lapbelt for the pasanger and backseat. Did you get any photoes or drawings? Have you installed it on your car??

Lars from Norway!

[Spaceobject]

ALCON,

Here are pictures of my seatbelt install. I used the large washers, and bolts. The seat belts are more to keep you from falling out. I plan on installing steel mounts attached to the frame, when I pull the body for restoration.





v/r
Steve[/img]

[Gustaf]

Hey MissAdventure,
If your concern is to keep you daughter in the seat, I think you are over engineering this project, seat belts are normally designed to take great loads, and they are over engineered as well, so the auto manufacturer does not get sued. Just drilling a couple of holes in the floor and bolting a normal seat belt with washer should do the trick, if you are involved in an accident that would require a stronger attachment, you are going to have other problems that even the strongest seat belt attachment will not help. As far as installing head rests and other safety features, the easiest way to do that is buy a modern vehicle. The main reason for a seat belt in the most recent autos is to keep the air bag from killing you.
Do not forget to install seat belts for the rest of the paseengers and driver, because if you are showing her that she needs to wear her belt, then everyone should.
Bes twishes
Gus

[F. R. Fox]

I find at surplus stores the O.D. cotton lap belts used in aircraft, for personnel such as a ball turret gunner, pilots, or what have you. They normally come with a latch instead of buckles, and have wire fittings on the ends to slide over a stud (kinda like your overall straps when you hook them on your shoulder) They are normally cheap ($1.50) and could install quickly, and even be removed when not in use.

Would be good to keep the kids from bouncing out, but if in a crash, you probably dont want to be strapped in when it rolls.

[TOM R]

if you think you want seatbelts because of car accidents and are not worried about rollover, if someone hits your jeep from the side I bet 9 times out of 10 the jeep will roll over, it is lite with a high center of gravity, i would not want myself or children strapped in to a jeep for accident survivability you are much safe being thrown from the jeep than crushed in it, it hit from the rear the jeep will fold in half especialy if you are sandwiched between 2 cars and it will fold at the front of the drivers door opening even newer jeeps do, in the end it is your choice but seatbelts in a jeep are like an ejector seat in a helocopter, false sense of security

[WILLYS45]

Agreed with last........

[Marty, SoCal]

Adding a MG mount will help in the event of a rollover. There was a rollover incident at Lodi a few years ago where the mount saved a life, IIRC.

Seat belts will help keep you in the driver's position and your passengers inside the jeep if you are involved in a non-rollover incident, or hit a large bump. There was an incident in Europe (Netherlands?) last year where some kids were tossed from a G503 and were killed when a wheel came off it (No rollover involved).

In Kalifornia, children 17 and under cannot ride in a vehicle without seat belts, even if it did not originally come with them.