Seat belt retractors - serviceable?

[sdg3205]

Has anyone breathed new life back into a lazy belt retractor?

My drivers one seemed decent when out of the car but clearly doesn't have enough oomph once reinstalled. I have to help it recoil.

[David T]

Has anyone breathed new life back into a lazy belt retractor?

My drivers one seemed decent when out of the car but clearly doesn't have enough oomph once reinstalled. I have to help it recoil.

Try cleaning and relubricating it and making sure the belt is not twisted. It is not recommended to work on it, it is a primary safety device and you have no way to test it after tampering with it.

[Rich]

Has anyone breathed new life back into a lazy belt retractor?

Yes.

Try what Bruce tried. LINK: http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?1814 (http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?1814)

Looks like he got resolution in post #6.

With all disclaimers about safety stuff.

[sdg3205]

I removed the retractor yesterday and gave it some TLC. It was clearly not safe in its current state as it wouldn't recoil without me shoving belt back down the door trim.

I DID NOT open it up, one doesn't need to. Using compressed air and WD-40 i got the mechanism working as good as new.

Here's whatcha gotta do.

Tools needed:

• clamp or vice grip
• compressed air
• a vice
• WD-40 (or similar)
• shop rags

1. Remove retractor from car (assumes you can remove trim panel)
2. Place upright in the vice via the bracket.
3. pull belt out all the way and gently use the vice grips to hold the belt to the cross bar on the mechanism
4. locate where the belt terminates into the spool - this is your big access point.
5. fire compressed air down the spool slots into both sides of the mechanism, as well as around the perimeter of the black plastic casing, and anywhere else you like
6. turn the retractor to ONE side on the vice - fire WD 40 into the same places you did with compressed air (mop up extra lubricant to avoid exposure to belt!!!)
7. Let it soak
8. put retractor upright and exercise the belt in and out for a few minutes
9. repeat with the opposite side
10 repeat steps 6 - 9 with a second dose of WD 40
11. Let sit upright in the vice for a few hours to let excess lubricant drain.
12. Reinstall.

[Denverdelorean]

I removed the retractor yesterday and gave it some TLC. It was clearly not safe in its current state as it wouldn't recoil without me shoving belt back down the door trim.

I DID NOT open it up, one doesn't need to. Using compressed air and WD-40 i got the mechanism working as good as new.

Here's whatcha gotta do.

Tools needed:

• clamp or vice grip
• compressed air
• a vice
• WD-40 (or similar)
• shop rags

1. Remove retractor from car (assumes you can remove trim panel)
2. Place upright in the vice via the bracket.
3. pull belt out all the way and gently use the vice grips to hold the belt to the cross bar on the mechanism
4. locate where the belt terminates into the spool - this is your big access point.
5. fire compressed air down the spool slots into both sides of the mechanism, as well as around the perimeter of the black plastic casing, and anywhere else you like
6. turn the retractor to ONE side on the vice - fire WD 40 into the same places you did with compressed air (mop up extra lubricant to avoid exposure to belt!!!)
7. Let it soak
8. put retractor upright and exercise the belt in and out for a few minutes
9. repeat with the opposite side
10 repeat steps 6 - 9 with a second dose of WD 40
11. Let sit upright in the vice for a few hours to let excess lubricant drain.
12. Reinstall.

I would recommend using wd-40 to clean and remove dirt, but use something like lithium grease in a spray form for lubrication. wd-40 is not technically a long term lubricant. very nice write up.

[sdg3205]

I would recommend using wd-40 to clean and remove dirt, but use something like lithium grease in a spray form for lubrication. wd-40 is not technically a long term lubricant. very nice write up.

I see what you're saying, but lithium grease isn't suitable for this application unless you're willing to pull your retractors apart. The lube needs to move around on its own. Lithium grease won't do that.

[outatym2001]

I took this picture way back in March 2002. Yes, thirteen years ago.
I thought the seat belt could be serviceable so I removed the black plastic cover and BOING!!! the coiled spring violently jumped out as you can see in the picture.
The coiled spring is attached at one end to the black plastic cover and the other end is attached to the metal shaft that goes through the center of the seat belt.
The other side has a black plastic cover, which houses the ratcheting mechanism. On the mechanism side you will see the small light blue plastic thing for the passenger seat belt. The drivers side seat belt has a red plastic thing.
Remove ONLY the plastic cover on the mechanism side. From there you may be able to rotate the mechanism thereby allowing the seatbelt to once again rotate freely.
I threw that passenger side seat belt in the garbage a long time ago since I figured I had ruined it because I was unable to get it working properly.

[mluder]

I see what you're saying, but lithium grease isn't suitable for this application unless you're willing to pull your retractors apart. The lube needs to move around on its own. Lithium grease won't do that.

How about graphite in a spray?

Cheers
Steven

[sdg3205]

It has been a while since I tackled this, but my recollection is that I needed a lubricant that could roll and shake around to coat everything. Give it a shot, you can't make it worse!

[PJ Grady Inc.]

Please do not attempt to disassemble and repair any seatbelt mechanism. I believe it violates some federal law if I'm not mistaken. In any case if it malfunctions in an accident and anyone other than the person who repaired it is injured the "tamperer"s liability would be almost unlimited. WD 40 would even cause a liability issue IMHO if something bad were to happen. (Note-It is also a violation to tamper with seat tracks and/or modifications to the mounting areas.)
Rob

[PJ Grady Inc.]

Please do not attempt to disassemble and repair any seatbelt mechanism. I believe it violates some federal law if I'm not mistaken. In any case if it malfunctions in an accident and anyone other than the person who repaired it is injured the "tamperer"s liability would be almost unlimited. WD 40 would even cause a liability issue IMHO if something bad were to happen. (Note-It is also a violation to tamper with seat tracks and/or modifications to the mounting areas.)
Rob

Where do "The Two Dave's" stand on this? The other Dave's know who I'm talking about.
Rob

[sdg3205]

Please do not attempt to disassemble and repair any seatbelt mechanism. I believe it violates some federal law if I'm not mistaken. In any case if it malfunctions in an accident and anyone other than the person who repaired it is injured the "tamperer"s liability would be almost unlimited. WD 40 would even cause a liability issue IMHO if something bad were to happen. (Note-It is also a violation to tamper with seat tracks and/or modifications to the mounting areas.)
Rob

Odd situation isn't it? We lubricate everything to keep things safe and working properly but when it comes to seat tracks and seat belts, god help us if we lubricate them. I agree with disassembly, but cleaning and lubricating?! This is one of those bureaucratic shit shows that says its safer to trust a failing belt and rusty rails (which would have us driving a car in a less than desirable seating position).

I guess the entire community are criminals for removing their seats and rails annually for this and that and shimming them up so they slid properly!

I get it rob, but it's just one of those things you have to shake your head at.

[PJ Grady Inc.]

Odd situation isn't it? We lubricate everything to keep things safe and working properly but when it comes to seat tracks and seat belts, god help us if we lubricate them. I agree with disassembly, but cleaning and lubricating?! This is one of those bureaucratic shit shows that says its safer to trust a failing belt and rusty rails (which would have us driving a car in a less than desirable seating position).

I guess the entire community are criminals for removing their seats and rails annually for this and that and shimming them up so they slid properly!

I get it rob, but it's just one of those things you have to shake your head at.

I agree about the lubrication aspect for the DYI'r. I just can't do it as a paid professional without incurring a huge potential liability. I shouldn't even advise it and therefore I don't. It is very possible that WD40 or it's like could modify the strength caracteristics of the cloth and stiching however especially over time.
We can thank our legal system for the protections it bestows as well as the liabilities and inefficiencies it demands.

I don't think that lubing or painting seat rails would be considered altering the seat mtg area or retention system and we routinly do that type of work.

Rob

[David T]

I agree about the lubrication aspect for the DYI'r. I just can't do it as a paid professional without incurring a huge potential liability. I shouldn't even advise it and therefore I don't. It is very possible that WD40 or it's like could modify the strength caracteristics of the cloth and stiching however especially over time.
We can thank our legal system for the protections it bestows as well as the liabilities and inefficiencies it demands.

I don't think that lubing or painting seat rails would be considered altering the seat mtg area or retention system and we routinly do that type of work.

Rob

The seatbelt mechanism is a "sealed" unit and is not meant to be taken apart. Sealed units can be taken apart but they are sealed to discourage tampering. Yes, you probably can get into trouble if the car gets into an accident and they can prove that someone tampered with the seatbelt. The same logic can be applied to the brakes but we work on them all the time. The difference is the brakes need to be serviced and there are procedures for that but not for the seatbelts. You can get parts for the brakes but you can't get parts for the seatbelts except to replace the whole thing. If you are worried about lawyers then you won't do ANYTHING. A shop carries insurance, a private owner has no such protection. A professional is held to a higher standard, they should know better, a private owner no so much. Legal issues can get complicated quickly so you can't take this as legal advice but you can't use common sense either. Probably not a good idea to mess with the seatbelt retractor except to lubricate it. Don't get any on the belt itself. I am not aware of any Federal law that prohibits you from working on the seats or the seatbelts but there are SO MANY laws that it would not surprise me if there was something.

[DMC VIN 6639]

Call me crazy...

I opened up my seat belts mechanisms to replace my belts last week. My belts were hard and crusty. The anchors were rusted beyond a comfortable yield strength. I would say this is very feasible. The mechanism only goes together one way. I don't think you can but anything in backwards and assemble the housings. Below are pics of the components. You will need some M3 screws to reassemble the housings to the bracket.


There is a trick to get the retractor clock spring out. Once you remove the rivets, lift up on the and squeeze in the smallest flathead screw driver you have and push the plastic ring toward the housing. This will keep the clock spring from jumping out of the housing. You may have to push the spring tail off the shaft too with the screw driver. To get the more tension on your belt, spool your belt all the way up, then reinstall the housing/spring (plastic ring first).

4667946680


The other side of the mechanism looks complicated, but it wasn't hard to rebuild. There are 2 springs that you need to take good pictures of to remember how they are assembled. If you need help, I can walk you through it.

466824668346684466814668546686


I found a real issue with mine. In the picture below I found 1 ear broken off the spring retainer. This spring is attached to the flailing pawls that stop the belt during a crash. Probably the result of degraded 35 year old plastic. The ear is about 1mm thick.

46687

My fix. I drilled 2 small holes on either side of the wire. I inserted a U shape wire with JB Weld. The retractor and lock mechanism work perfectly, stronger than before.

4668846689