How To: Improve Seatbelt Retraction

**banana_socks** · 24-06-2012, 05:50 PM

Not sure if this is the right section. Did this a while ago, but only just got around to writing something up that might help others.

A common problem with older cars is the seatbelts no longer retract strongly. This can be annoying, is a safety issue, and can be picked on by roadworthy checks. In some cases it may be worth sourcing replacements, but there are a couple of things you can do to improve their performance.
Disclaimer: Seatbelts are extremely important safety devices. Incorrect operation may result in serious injury or even death. This is designed as a guide to improve useability. If your seatbelts are damaged, have them replaced by a professional.

The example is based upon an ADM SW20 MR2, although it should be applicable to many other cars.
Step 1: Remove the entire assembly. This will differ slightly from car to car, but should be fairly straightforward. In the MR2, removing the side plastic cover allows access to the three bolts securing the spool assembly, with a single bolt at the shoulder and the ground.

Step 2: Remove the belt from the spool. Extend the belt completely. This will require the spool assembly to be held upright. The belt itself has a loop at the very end, with a small piece of plastic inside to stop it from pulling through the spool. This plastic can be pushed out, allowing the belt to be pulled through and removed completely.

Step 3: Inspect the belts for damage. My drivers side had a very small amount of fraying, which I carefully trimmed to avoid further damage. If there is any significant amount of damage, get the belts replaced. They are interchangeable side to side, so I ended up using the better condition one on the drivers side.
Wash the belts in soapy water. You’d be surprised how disgusting they are, and being clean helps them slide through easier. Mine were actually blue, not the black they looked like.

Step 4: Make sure all the buckles are facing the correct direction before you try putting it back together, especially if switching sides. Trial fit it to make sure, then check again. I stuffed this up more than once.
If you need to change their orientation, just make a fold in the belt and feed it through the buckle.

Step 5: Wind back the spool against the spring by hand. Keep turning until it will not turn any more and the spring has binded. While holding the spool with one hand, feed the belt back through the centre and replace the plastic rod in the end of the belt. Once released, the belt should retract back into the assembly, hopefully a little faster than before.

Step 6: You can get a bit more preload on the spring, but it will sacrifice how far the belt can extend. With the length of my belt, this was acceptable. The spring itself is housed within the brown plastic on the side. It is secured with two screws, and two locating tabs.
(Gloves and eye protection recommended)
With the belt fully retracted into the spool, remove the two screws holding the spring housing on. Make sure you keep it pressed against the housing. You need to lift it away from the spool just enough to free the locating tabs, which are about 5mm long. If you lift it much more than this, the spring will basically explode into a tangled ball of metal. It would be very impressive if it wasn’t so annoying.

Once the tabs are free, the spring will try to rotate the housing. You want to rotate it against the spring, to increase the force it has on the belt. I found 4-5 rotations was the most I could do before it affected the length of the belt. After the rotations, locate the tabs and screw the housing back on.

Step 6.5: If you didn’t stuff up the spring, then congratulations and skip this step. If you currently have a huge tangled ball of spring, then locate an end and begin to straighten it out. It will naturally try and go into a coil shape, but it needs to actually be coiled in the opposite direction to provide any force.

Start by locating the external tab, and make sure it is orientated in the same direction. Then wind it out around the housing working towards the middle. Again it will want to come out of the housing, so be very careful or you’ll have to start again. Once you’ve finished winding it back up, a small amount of grease wouldn’t hurt.

Step 7: Install the entire assembly back in the car. Check the bolts are all tightened properly. Test out how strongly the belt retracts.
Hopefully you have seen an improvement. Mine was fairly significant, and the belts will no longer hang loose under any circumstances.

**andrew_mx83** · 25-06-2012, 10:15 AM

nice one, +rep

i found in my old work hilux the seatbelt got feral quickly and regularly so instead of removing it i would just extend it fully and wash it with a sponge and soapy water. best done in summer then it dries quickly.
only took 5 mins and made for much less rage when you are in/out of the car 30 times a day and the damn belt wont retract.

**thechuckster** · 25-06-2012, 12:35 PM

Just a safety note: if you are wrecking a car out and the belts are frayed or any stitching is starting to fail - cut the belt out of winder so it can't be re-used. They make handy short tie-down straps and you get a small amount of warm-inner glow from preventing them being used in a potential car accident.

**TERRA Operative** · 26-06-2012, 05:42 PM

When I do the 'remove the belt and wind the spool backwards', I usually also pull the seatbelt right out (and use a small screwdriver etc to hold the spool from spinning), wrap the metal bits that you can't remove from the strap, like the buckle, in a few socks and stick them through the washing machine.

It cleans off all the years of dirt and sweat and makes them smooth and shiny again so they slip through the guides easier. Makes a difference.

**Hiro** · 27-06-2012, 11:51 AM

Might have to give this a go with the Snoarer, the driver's belt is a bit of a bitch at times - sometimes will jam and won't extend, other times loses all ability to retract and just flops around...

**CrUZida** · 29-06-2012, 07:13 PM

Personal opinion here, but if the belt is greater than 20years old, you should just replace them.
I just replaced the two front ones in my Soarer, $290 for the pair.
Whilst not exactly cheap, its great for piece of mind.

**banana_socks** · 29-06-2012, 07:33 PM

^^ Is that for the complete assembly? Because if so, thats very cheap compared to what I saw around. Maybe thats just MR2s.
I have seen a couple of places that will make new belts using your existing hardware, and the prices were quite reasonable. That is another option if your spool is reasonable, but you belt suck. Although you have to send them away to get it done.

**Thirteen13** · 29-06-2012, 08:22 PM

seat belts are for wimps....... jk's

Good right up.. I did some cleaning like this too.. Pretty amazing how filthy they get some coke and maccas hands

**4th surf** · 29-06-2012, 10:37 PM

While a good write up and does work I don't recommend it as this is not ADR (VSR for NZ) Compliant. A simple fix is to pull the belt all the way out and spray the webbing with silicone spray then work the belt in and out, most of the time they free up but if they do not the belt should be replaced. Unless you are qualified or licenced to do so do not under any circumstances pull an inertia reel seatbelt apart esp those in later model vehicles that use Pre-tensioners (which are an explosive device). While the belt may seem to work correctly after you have pulled it apart and cleaned it.. Well does it? It may extend and retract nicely but does it lock when it is supposed to? While when you are on a budget of $0 this may seem a good option a new seatbelt is a lot cheaper than a funeral or years of medical problems

**banana_socks** · 30-06-2012, 01:14 AM

The retraction spring and the inertia reel are completely separate. At no point did I do anything to the inertia reel, nor would I ever contemplate doing so. I don't believe anything that I have instructed poses any increased risk except through serious negligence (ie, not bolting it back in properly). Even if the retraction spring was to completely fail, the belt would still lock up in an accident. I'm not sure how you think this applies to ADRs, as you're not changing anything.

Don't get me wrong, I think its great to have discussion like this included. But this was designed to address the problem of useability of older belts, not to fix safety issues they may have. If there is ANY concern over the proper function of a seatbelt in a crash, get them replaced. Period. However I don't think there is anything here that would affect that.

**CrUZida** · 30-06-2012, 09:18 AM

Originally Posted by banana_socks

^^ Is that for the complete assembly? Because if so, thats very cheap compared to what I saw around. Maybe thats just MR2s.
I have seen a couple of places that will make new belts using your existing hardware, and the prices were quite reasonable. That is another option if your spool is reasonable, but you belt suck. Although you have to send them away to get it done.

To be honest I'm not entirely sure what was replaced, and what was reused.
But I at least have new webbing, new clasps, new buckles, and a belt that retracts 100% every time.
I think they may have reused the existing reel, but refurbished it. It looked brand new though.

**jondee86** · 01-07-2012, 08:18 AM

I've had a go at this job myself in a JZX100. Washing the belts in place made zero difference to their retraction ability. Then I discovered WHY they are slow to retract. The top "letterbox" belt guide is made from plastic. Over time the nice smooth, slippery surface of the guide gets worn away, exposing the softer, grippy material underneath. This extra friction is what stops the belt retracting. Steel guides are obviously not going to have this problem.

One vehicle manufacturer actually issued a repair kit that included little pieces of self-adhesive slippery clear plastic, that were folded in half and stuck to the guide where the belt rubs. This could actually work if you are prepared to dick around with some teflon tape. But I used silicone spray on the rubbing side of the belt, and the problem went away

Cheers... jondee86

**JadeEstevez** · 01-07-2012, 11:22 AM

This is an interesting read, Good job!

Surprisingly my drivers seat belt works great in my 32 year old car! My girlfriend gets pissed off with the seat belt in the passenger side though XD I may get round the fixing it now, hehe.

**wagonist** · 02-07-2012, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by 4th surf

While a good write up and does work I don't recommend it as this is not ADR (VSR for NZ) Compliant. A simple fix is to pull the belt all the way out and spray the webbing with silicone spray then work the belt in and out, most of the time they free up but if they do not the belt should be replaced. Unless you are qualified or licenced to do so do not under any circumstances pull an inertia reel seatbelt apart esp those in later model vehicles that use Pre-tensioners (which are an explosive device). While the belt may seem to work correctly after you have pulled it apart and cleaned it.. Well does it? It may extend and retract nicely but does it lock when it is supposed to? While when you are on a budget of $0 this may seem a good option a new seatbelt is a lot cheaper than a funeral or years of medical problems

Good comments as seatbelts aren't supposed to be opened under any circumstances.
But, note that the "locking" mechanism part of the belt is on the opposite end of the reel to the spring, so that part won't be effected even if the spring is removed.
Sometimes you just can't get the original belts any more, and so the options are limited.
eg these: