Seat belts modified for Soft Top (2 Viewers)

[Romer]

Getting warmer and I am going to buy a STC Soft Top. Need to move my Seatbelts that are attached to two points on the hardtop. I am planning on drilling holes through the roll bar (I have a full cage) were I need to attach them.
Just thought I would check with my fellow cruisers before I take a drill to my cage to make sure that there is not a better way, or that there are problems to watch out for.

Thanks,

Ken

 

[Poser]

Are you using a factory roll bar? If so, I would seriously think about taking that out, (save it if it is in good shape, as they have garnered good money on ebay for some who want to restore to stock) and installing something that is going to acctually do something in the event that you get hit or dump it... and then you could have a tab welded to the rear hoop down bar( 'B' pillar tube ), and acctually stand a chance of having the set belt do its job in the event that you need it...


But that is just me, and I think that the bolt together tin-foil turd that Toyota calls a rollbar is pathetic at best...

Good luck!

-Steve

 

[airon23]

on ccot there is a seatbelt set up that is affordable and works ok depending on the roll cage you have it is just a bolt in set up that goes right into the cage above your left shoulder if you are driving.

 

[Romer]

[quote author=Poser link=board=1;threadid=13028;start=msg120275#msg120275 date=1079139192]

Are you using a factory roll bar?

[/quote]

I have a full cage that is not factory.

 

[Romer]

[quote author=airon23 link=board=1;threadid=13028;start=msg120288#msg120288 date=1079140265]
on ccot there is a seatbelt set up that is affordable and works ok depending on the roll cage you have it is just a bolt in set up that goes right into the cage above your left shoulder if you are driving.
[/quote]

That kit looks like doing what I am talking about. Drilling holes in the bar and attacheing with long screws and bracket? I can get at a Hardware store.

Thanks

 

[Degnol]

Romer,
I bought and installed the seatbelt set from CCOT. I like the quality. After some eyeballing I figured out where I wanted the shoulder attachment point, then I drilled a hole slightly largerthan the bolt. I cleaned off all the yellow zinc coating off the nut and paint off the rollbar around the hole, ran the nut onto the bolt, clamped it and welded a fairly hefty bead around the nut. I, too, was concerned about the effectiveness of the "sport bar" and made and installed some backer plates out of 3/16th's plate.
I painted the backers and after install, ran a bead of seam sealer around the plate to keep water out.
With any luck I'll never know how well it works.
GL
Ed

 

[LeftFootCruise]

Looks like the CCOT brackets position the tensioner way lower than where it sits mounted to the hard top, thus requiring more belt to be fed out. Does anyone know if the factory belt is long enough to allow for this added distance?

 

[NikP]

I'd suggest welding a tab on the rollcage for the seatbelt since drilling it will weaken it. Just a suggestion for added safety.

 

[77TLCFJ40]

Looks like the CCOT brackets position the tensioner way lower than where it sits mounted to the hard top, thus requiring more belt to be fed out. Does anyone know if the factory belt is long enough to allow for this added distance?

I had the tensioner on my 40 mounted to one of the roll bar bolts similar to the way CCOT does it. There was plenty of clean black belt, but it clashed with the dirty faded end of the belt. But seriously, its plenty long enough.