How I put in shoulder (seat) belts

[rossfree]

Hi all,

Most of these old buses came with a lap belt for the driver only. If you wanted to add a shoulder belt for the driver or any passenge seats forget it right? Nothing there to mount them to.

One of the first things I did to my bus was throw out the driver's seat. I purchased a driver seat and one middle seat from a minivan along with the seat belts for each. I got the seats mounted in the bus all right but how to put in those pesky shoulder belts?

I got tubular steel and made columns. I riveted the columns to the sheet metal ceiling and welded them to the floor. Then I welded the belt take-up reel to the column near the floor and a 3/8-24 fine thread flange nut to the column to hold the upper belt support. I used a flange nut to give me a bit more area to weld the nut without ruining the threads.

I used a 5/8" long bolt and two washers to secure the upper support bracket to the welded nut with thread-lock compound to keep it from loosening during use. See linked pictures:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3...jRHbllRdTh2Qm8

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3...XdNb1ItTjd1V2s

The trick was to mount the lower lap belt mounting point. If I welded the mounting nut to the column as I did for the upper mount, the belt straps would cross and rub. I needed a way to allow the belts to slide by each other. See pic:

I took a three inch piece of the same column material and cut it diagonally in half leaving me two "u" channel pieces. I welded them over the belt near the take-up reel and that gave me a place to weld the lower mounting nut.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3...k50dkJCbWotWFE

I sanded down the sharp edges and places where the belt would rub in normal use. The action is very smooth. This is the passenge seatbelt column in the pics. The driver's seatbelt column is identical. I used two by three inch tubular steel but other sizes would do as well.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3...EhUcmV0Y0pMeEE

I can't vouch for the strength of this in a head-on collision with a sequoia but it feels damn rugged, looks clean and provides at the very least some piece of mind. Just needs some rustoleum primer and a bit of paint.

I have attached links to pictures to help you process my written descriptions. Hope this helps someone!

Regards!

Ross

[Dapplecreek]

Hi all, [Quoted/Reposted with photos embedded - Dapplecreek]

Most of these old buses came with a lap belt for the driver only. If you wanted to add a shoulder belt for the driver or any passenge seats forget it right? Nothing there to mount them to.

One of the first things I did to my bus was throw out the driver's seat. I purchased a driver seat and one middle seat from a minivan along with the seat belts for each. I got the seats mounted in the bus all right but how to put in those pesky shoulder belts?

I got tubular steel and made columns. I riveted the columns to the sheet metal ceiling and welded them to the floor. Then I welded the belt take-up reel to the column near the floor and a 3/8-24 fine thread flange nut to the column to hold the upper belt support. I used a flange nut to give me a bit more area to weld the nut without ruining the threads.

I used a 5/8" long bolt and two washers to secure the upper support bracket to the welded nut with thread-lock compound to keep it from loosening during use. See linked pictures:





The trick was to mount the lower lap belt mounting point. If I welded the mounting nut to the column as I did for the upper mount, the belt straps would cross and rub. I needed a way to allow the belts to slide by each other. See pic:

I took a three inch piece of the same column material and cut it diagonally in half leaving me two "u" channel pieces. I welded them over the belt near the take-up reel and that gave me a place to weld the lower mounting nut.



I sanded down the sharp edges and places where the belt would rub in normal use. The action is very smooth. This is the passenge seatbelt column in the pics. The driver's seatbelt column is identical. I used two by three inch tubular steel but other sizes would do as well.



I can't vouch for the strength of this in a head-on collision with a sequoia but it feels damn rugged, looks clean and provides at the very least some piece of mind. Just needs some rustoleum primer and a bit of paint.

I have attached links to pictures to help you process my written descriptions. Hope this helps someone!

Regards!

Ross

[Ross: open the Google Image site, right click on "Copy Image Address", then (back here, when you're posting) click on the photo icon above the text entry box. It will give you a pop-up where you can paste the image address, and you're good to go. Great job! I need to do this and was wondering how best to go about it. Thanks! -Tim]

[retiredChemist]

Looks reasonably solid. Is it bolted to anything solid under the floor or just the floor?

[Carytowncat]

Nice! Looks adequate to protect you. I keep a motorcycle helmet in the GMC for when i feel super vulnerable out there lol

[rossfree]

Originally Posted by retiredChemist

Looks reasonably solid. Is it bolted to anything solid under the floor or just the floor?

Thank you! It's just welded to the floor. I figure if I hit something hard enough to break it loose of it's moorings, I'll have more than enough interior projectiles to finish the job.



Ross

[rossfree]

Originally Posted by Dapplecreek

Hi all, [Quoted/Reposted with photos embedded - Dapplecreek]

Most of these old buses came with a lap belt for the driver only. If you wanted to add a shoulder belt for the driver or any passenge seats forget it right? Nothing there to mount them to.

One of the first things I did to my bus was throw out the driver's seat. I purchased a driver seat and one middle seat from a minivan along with the seat belts for each. I got the seats mounted in the bus all right but how to put in those pesky shoulder belts?

I got tubular steel and made columns. I riveted the columns to the sheet metal ceiling and welded them to the floor. Then I welded the belt take-up reel to the column near the floor and a 3/8-24 fine thread flange nut to the column to hold the upper belt support. I used a flange nut to give me a bit more area to weld the nut without ruining the threads.

I used a 5/8" long bolt and two washers to secure the upper support bracket to the welded nut with thread-lock compound to keep it from loosening during use. See linked pictures:





The trick was to mount the lower lap belt mounting point. If I welded the mounting nut to the column as I did for the upper mount, the belt straps would cross and rub. I needed a way to allow the belts to slide by each other. See pic:

I took a three inch piece of the same column material and cut it diagonally in half leaving me two "u" channel pieces. I welded them over the belt near the take-up reel and that gave me a place to weld the lower mounting nut.



I sanded down the sharp edges and places where the belt would rub in normal use. The action is very smooth. This is the passenge seatbelt column in the pics. The driver's seatbelt column is identical. I used two by three inch tubular steel but other sizes would do as well.



I can't vouch for the strength of this in a head-on collision with a sequoia but it feels damn rugged, looks clean and provides at the very least some piece of mind. Just needs some rustoleum primer and a bit of paint.

I have attached links to pictures to help you process my written descriptions. Hope this helps someone!

Regards!

Ross

[Ross: open the Google Image site, right click on "Copy Image Address", then (back here, when you're posting) click on the photo icon above the text entry box. It will give you a pop-up where you can paste the image address, and you're good to go. Great job! I need to do this and was wondering how best to go about it. Thanks! -Tim]

Tim,

Are the links not working?

I went to google drive and clicked on "get link". Then I clicked on link here and pasted it. I did not click on picture and paste it. Teach Teach! I will do thy bidding!

Ross

[cadillackid]

in my carpenter my shoulder belt is welded to the floor underneath on a really big and thick washer and a 1/2 bolt.. so the sheer strength would likely be enough to kill you before it broke.. on the top side it goes into the frame of the bus on the pillar.. again with a large bolt and a huge washer..

you Can just drill a hole through the floor and use what is known as a seatbelt washer to bolt the floor portion in.. and you could do the same on the shoulder.. could even drill into the frame of the bus and put the bolthead and washer on the outside.. busses arent smooth like cars so once you paint it.. never be noticed..

-Christopher

[karrlot]

Originally Posted by retiredChemist

Looks reasonably solid. Is it bolted to anything solid under the floor or just the floor?

Actually I don't think it should be attached to the frame. Often in bus accidents the bolts holding the body to the frame will break (absorbing some of the energy) and the body will continue to move without the frame. You would want your seatbelt moving with your seat.

My original lap belt is just bolted through the floor.

[cadillackid]

I guess i should clarify when I mention frame iom not talking about the chassis frame.. I dont know all the correct "terms" to use.. so "frame" to me on the top side mean into the structurals on the Body... underneath its just a huge seatbelt washer under the floor... my belt is not bolted to the chassis frame.. as noted because of the above, the body may very well come off the chassis in a severe accident..
-Christopher

[Njsurf73]

Originally Posted by rossfree

Hi all,

Most of these old buses came with a lap belt for the driver only. If you wanted to add a shoulder belt for the driver or any passenge seats forget it right? Nothing there to mount them to.

One of the first things I did to my bus was throw out the driver's seat. I purchased a driver seat and one middle seat from a minivan along with the seat belts for each. I got the seats mounted in the bus all right but how to put in those pesky shoulder belts?

I got tubular steel and made columns. I riveted the columns to the sheet metal ceiling and welded them to the floor. Then I welded the belt take-up reel to the column near the floor and a 3/8-24 fine thread flange nut to the column to hold the upper belt support. I used a flange nut to give me a bit more area to weld the nut without ruining the threads.

I used a 5/8" long bolt and two washers to secure the upper support bracket to the welded nut with thread-lock compound to keep it from loosening during use. See linked pictures:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3...jRHbllRdTh2Qm8

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3...XdNb1ItTjd1V2s

The trick was to mount the lower lap belt mounting point. If I welded the mounting nut to the column as I did for the upper mount, the belt straps would cross and rub. I needed a way to allow the belts to slide by each other. See pic:

I took a three inch piece of the same column material and cut it diagonally in half leaving me two "u" channel pieces. I welded them over the belt near the take-up reel and that gave me a place to weld the lower mounting nut.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3...k50dkJCbWotWFE

I sanded down the sharp edges and places where the belt would rub in normal use. The action is very smooth. This is the passenge seatbelt column in the pics. The driver's seatbelt column is identical. I used two by three inch tubular steel but other sizes would do as well.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3...EhUcmV0Y0pMeEE

I can't vouch for the strength of this in a head-on collision with a sequoia but it feels damn rugged, looks clean and provides at the very least some piece of mind. Just needs some rustoleum primer and a bit of paint.

I have attached links to pictures to help you process my written descriptions. Hope this helps someone!

Regards!

Ross

I want to say that early 2000s gmc/chevy sierra seats had built in seat belts. They were in the pick-ups that had the small suicide doors as an extended cab. I am planning on hunting some of these down for passenger seats.

[cadillackid]

99-06 were those trucks.. in the chevy the LS had the most comfy seats.. , the SLS in GMC.. I didnt like the LT seats as well..
-Christopher

[Njsurf73]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

99-06 were those trucks.. in the chevy the LS had the most comfy seats.. , the SLS in GMC.. I didnt like the LT seats as well..
-Christopher

Sweet. Plenty of them in salvage yards by now.

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