Are your Seat Belts slow?

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Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
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Are your Seat Belts slow?

Post by Briano1234 »

Are you tired of this:
Image
And this:
Image

Well get thee to a wrecking yard and grab a rear seat belt retractor off a Jetta, Passat, Golf,
or Cabrio....

Image

Jetta on the left, Cabrio on the right.

You will have to modify the Jetta, Golf, and Passant a wee bit, but the Cabrio is a Direct fit.

Why the mod? Well the Jetta and the Passat sit at a 45 dregree angle, and the gravity dog sits funny.
Gravity dog on a Cabriolet:
Image

Jetta, Passant
Image


Pull the weather striping off the corner of the door.
Remove the plastic cover off the seat belt (May be a small push pin that you will have to remove.).

Remove the cover off the belt.
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Remove the 17mm bolt that holds the retractor to the car.
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Image
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Fully un-spool the belt and use a pair of small Vice-Grips to hold it in place.
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From the Back side you are going to push the belt out of the retractor frame.
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Image
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Push the Keeper bar out of the belt.
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Pull the Belt out of the Mechanism
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Found a new trick, it works and have added it to the write-up.

Here it is......
If you have the Time,,,, Take your Webbing and Wash it in warm soapy water, this will remove the crud from the webbing and improve the function. Allow it to DRY........

Here is the trick. Spray the webbing with "Pledge" (YES Pledge) Both sides allow it to set a minute, then wipe it with a cloth. Wipe it again for good measure....

You can try spraying the Pledge on your "passenger" side belt...... Be warned..... You need to get it wiped off, and allow it to dry.....

I was pleasantly surprised at the speed difference between "Pledge and no Pledge".

Push out the pins that hold the big side cover on, do not pull the flat one off.

Carefully pry up and pull out the gravity dog.
Image
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On the Jetta/Passant
Remove the cover, pry it off the metal bar and off the cover sides.
Image
Image

Push the pins that hold the side cover on.
Take the metal keeper bar off the covers.
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Image
Remove the cover.

Carefully remove the Gravity dog, you will undo the clip on the back and pry it up, and off.
Image
Image

Using a pair of pliers remove the metal Stud from the frame:
Image
Image

Now, Unspool the Belt fully and lock it in place with a pair of Vice-Grips.
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Remove the Belt as you did from the original.

Here is the Tricky part..... Get a thin screwdriver to assist you.
You will need to Carefully wind the Retractor Fully until you can't wind it any more.
Use a Screwdriver in the slot if your fingers get tired.
Once you get it fully wound clamp that sucker with a pair of Vice-Grips.

Insert the Gravity dog from the Cabriolet in to the receiver (it will stick up a wee bit).
Place the side cover back on and push the pins in, and replace the metal bar at the top.

Holding it with the bolt hole down, and the spool towards the rear, you are going to insert your belt in to the narrow
end of the slot, and use a thin screwdriver to push it through. (Be Mindful of the orientation of the belt)
Image

The Belt goes down the frame and under the spool and through the middle.

After you get the belt pushed in Place the nylon peg in to the belt and pull it back tight in to the slot.
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Image

Carefully keep tension on the belt, and remove the Vice-Grips.
Let the Belt spool.
Leave the cover off and replace the assembled belt in to the frame, and bolt it tight.
Replace the Belt cover over the belt and then insert it back in to the door card, remember to
get the fingers under the top of the card.
Replace the Center pin on the cover.
Replace the Weather strip.

Now pull on the belt and let it spool and unspool. Remember it will take a few days to get the new Mech to fully run, as originally being in the rear of the car it wasn't used often, and it will re-lubricate.

If you use the Cabrio Rear Belt, you won't have to remove the Gravity dog, as that belt sits in the same angle as the
Cabriolet.
Last edited by Briano1234 on Fri Apr 08, 2016 2:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
StephanieGA
Posts: 76
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2011 7:21 pm
What year is your cabby?: 1987
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes

Re: Are your Seat Belts slow?

Post by StephanieGA »

Hey Brian!

Will this achieve the desired effect of having the seat belts "catch" in the event of an impact? My daughters 87 was T boned last Saturday and her seat belt did not "catch" She has a nice black eye and belt burn on her left cheek from the belt and she hit the right side of her face on her rear view mirror. The EMT said something about the belts in these cars only catch if you hit the brakes. She did not have time to do that so her seat belt didn't really help her any.

We bought an 84.5 last night and now I'm wanting to swap out the seat belts for something newer. My Kia belts catch me if I just move too quickly.

Stephanie in GA
User avatar
Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
What year is your cabby?: 1992
Do you own a Cabriolet?: No
Location: Duluth, Ga
Contact:

Re: Are your Seat Belts slow?

Post by Briano1234 »

Well I have been in a front fender smack in a 81 Diesel, and the belts caught. But the issue of a side impact on the pillar could destroy the catch as it is behind the seat. Sometimes side impacts don't allow the ball to check the movement as it is lateral to the force and not front or rear.

If the door was hit or behind the door then side damage may have interfered.

I have even seen a front impact that flattened the nose of a Caddilac fail to "pop" the airbags.

I usually tighten my belt fully, then lean forward fast to allow it to catch, so it is usually locked all the time.
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
StephanieGA
Posts: 76
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2011 7:21 pm
What year is your cabby?: 1987
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes

Re: Are your Seat Belts slow?

Post by StephanieGA »

Don't think it was impact damage. He hit her at the wheel and front of door. But, she says she doesn't really remember her seat belts ever really "catching" her. Maybe they were just worn out.
But I did mention this groovy swap to my husband who is equally concerned that she have working seat belts.

Thanks so much for posting this.

Stephanie in GA
User avatar
Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
What year is your cabby?: 1992
Do you own a Cabriolet?: No
Location: Duluth, Ga
Contact:

Re: Are your Seat Belts slow?

Post by Briano1234 »

Added a new trick....

Found a new trick, it works and have added it to the write-up.

Here it is......
If you have the Time,,,, Take your Webbing and Wash it in warm soapy water, this will remove the crud from the webbing and improve the function. Allow it to DRY........

Here is the trick. Spray the webbing with "Pledge" (YES Pledge) Both sides allow it to set a minute, then wipe it with a cloth. Wipe it again for good measure....

You can try spraying the Pledge on your "passenger" side belt...... Be warned..... You need to get it wiped off, and allow it to dry.....

I was pleasantly surprised at the speed difference between "Pledge and no Pledge".
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
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