I know it's stupid to ask...........pillar post........

[Toploader]

Yea, the drivers side button on my Tudor is permanently in the pushed in position, is there a way to test it before I get into a collision?

Yeah, it's intentional. It's bone-headed design, though. https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/22/s...or-lethal.html



That being said, the use of a seatbelt with slack is still preferable over not using one at all as it prevents you being ejected from the car and keeps you approximately situated correctly in the car during a collision, but the slack increases the risk of injury over that found when using belts without slack. The interpretation of these stats is interesting. It is possible that, wearing no belt at all, your risk of head injuries specifically might be much lower, but your risk of immediate death from internal organ damage could be significantly higher.

OP - if the mechanism is working, with the button pushed in, your seatbelt is permanently in the ratcheting slack mode. This presents two issues: one, convenience, because the belt is hard to convince to retract properly, and two, safety, if you cannot get it to tension properly.

[sly]

yank on the belt hard. it should catch.

[Mainemantom]

I responded to fatal accident where a Cadillac driver's seat belt locked up tight and crushed the chest of the driver. We told the driver that as soon as the belt was released/cut it was very possible she would die. When she was ready, the belt was cut. She instantly died. Sad to watch.

[GM_Guy]

I always wondered what those explosive retractors would do to somebody who wore their seatbelt properly with no slack. I don't like sloppy seatbelts.

[Tiggie]

Win #3 for the 90... air bag, rear shoulder harnesses, and no semideadly comfort belts.

[Toploader]

And if it does not?.....start looking for a new belt assembly??.......not easy to find:-( in sand beige color

yank on the belt hard. it should catch.

[Toploader]

Tom that is so so sad:-(

I responded to fatal accident where a Cadillac driver's seat belt locked up tight and crushed the chest of the driver. We told the driver that as soon as the belt was released/cut it was very possible she would die. When she was ready, the belt was cut. She instantly died. Sad to watch.

[Brown_Muscle]

LoL I'm the opposite, I want that M'er-F'er as tight as possible. I'm always pulling the belt away enough to get it to retract against me tight.

Sorry my wording was a little funky. I too want it as tight as possible, like a normal, modern car. having it loose just seems like a terrible idea, and its uncomfortable to me

[sly]

And if it does not?.....start looking for a new belt assembly??.......not easy to find:-( in sand beige color

The other test for some of the older ones is to go brake hard and if the belt catches, it's fine. Some later ones have a spinning catch, the older ones have a weighted lever that catches on hard braking or sharp impacts.

[gadget73]

yeah, the weight has to work for the inertia catch to operate. Thats what the bug nest was around on mine.

If you pull the trim off and pop the cover off the retractor, there isn't all that much in there. If it doesn't work and you see no obvious and easy repair, replace the thing.

[DerekTheGreat]

Sorry my wording was a little funky. I too want it as tight as possible, like a normal, modern car. having it loose just seems like a terrible idea, and its uncomfortable to me

I'm the same way, I don't know how I can sense the belt being loose but I can and it bothers me. I always thought that was an old car thing, Everything we have does that. But Ash and I refuse to drive anything without pushrods or more than one cam shaft...

[Giraffe]

Are the 1990 seat belts unique to the 1990-1991 model years? I have this idea in my head about possibly swapping the belt into a later model retractor, assuming they are mounted the same. It would be nice to have the locking belts in the back for car seats.